The Gilded Betrayal

the air still felt tain

living room, flipping through a ma

es flicking from Ethan to me, a smu

You're ba

tight. "I wasn't aware y

upy sweet. "He was worried about me being

ke a cat, her eyes meeting

pposedly in the Hamptons with m

e pain in my chest intensif

needed to hear it,

igning ignorance. "

listening to all my silly problems." She glanced at Ethan, who was lookin

ed. In my home. P

he Hamptons, rushed to her, spent the night with her,

al, the sheer audacity

h my body, a physical manifestation of t

hand on my arm. "Sarah, are

repulsive. I

wn," I mumbled, turnin

scape, to bre

e, it seemed, h

h in the home office from the o

k, heading f

r. I heard sound

an

d turne

d the d

desk, my desk, amidst scatter

Ch

, her back to me, her

n her hips, his

n't hear

voice husky. "You're so much be

han growled, his vo

malicious sound. Then, she tu

mine over h

ulterated triumph fla

there. She wa

d, loud enough for me to

and kissed him, a d

a strangled cry c

to my brain, a sear

ther woman. On my

the bedroom, the sounds o

bed, a storm of emoti

as physical. Humiliat

d, so absolute, i

ys been posses

overly friendly, lingering a little

is reaction had been

ry owner, and the colleague

men looking at me, tal

as a sign of his deep love

ded even the appearance of improprie

ke him fe

bsolute fidelity from me, police my every interact

he man I loved, was a monst

felt like hours, emot

bedroom. He was freshly sho

with a glass of wa

y love?" he asked, his

stand, then sat on the edge

ut you. You seemed

is feigned concer

en touch me, with such cas

no conscienc

is handsome face, his

liant actor.

imagined it. Maybe the scene in the office was a h

s triumphant sm

ds were

my heart w

ght. I tossed and turned, th

hours of the morning,

of distress. He was

s wrapping around me in a

d, his voice thick with sleep and

his fear of losin

ove. It was own

arms, my heart a

ave you. And you will know what

sted I accompany him to h

" he said, his brow furrowed with concern. "You can relax in m

o control me, to keep me

argue, and because it

anoramic city views, expensive art (some of which

of us, smiling, on his

ocke

me of what's truly important

t room. "All this... it means

All

imate space adjoining the main office, furnished

uld hear the muffled sounds of hi

CEO. The de

a s

p expensive trinkets, staring b

zzed. An un

nsw

ller Gold?" A crisp,

es

your preliminary proposal for the annex. We're very interested. We'd lik

dream. A

for the first time in days. "That's won

en Ethan burst into the lou

you talking to

rd. His paranoia was