Chapter 3

3

As a titan of the business world, Dominic's every move was scrutinized. By that evening, the news of him leaving the funeral with a woman in red was trending. Internet sleuths quickly identified her as his childhood friend, Melody Chase.

The comments were brutal. "The fallen socialite Sera vs. the high-society heiress Melody. Who will win Dominic's heart?" "Is anyone surprised? Dominic isn't blind; why would he want Sera when he can have Melody?"

"Look at how many girlfriends Dominic has had lately," another wrote. "He clearly never saw Seraphina as a real wife." "I knew this marriage was a mistake from day one. Sera's about to be kicked to the curb, lol."

One comment flashed briefly before being buried: "Dominic has dated so many women, even from powerful families. Why is this Melody girl the only one causing such a stir?" The answer was obvious, but I wasn't going to tell Dominic.

If I could see it, he could too. He was just choosing not to. I curled up on my sofa, throwing my phone aside, feeling a hollow ache in my chest.

Reporters began swarming my house, blocking the gates and peeking through the windows. I tried to leave once, but I was forced back by their sharp questions. "Does Mr. Sterling still love you?" "When is the divorce?" "Who is the real home-wrecker?"

I could have answered, but the timing wasn't right. On the fifth day, the crowd started to thin. But then, a new headline broke: "Dominic Sterling and Melody Chase spotted at a luxury hotel. Wedding bells soon?"

The gates were blocked again. I sighed and dialed Dominic's number. He caused this mess; he needed to fix it before things got out of hand.