Chapter 2

The sound of the front door opening startled me. It was almost 2 a.m.

David walked in, trying to be quiet. He saw me sitting on the sofa in the dark and jumped.

"Sarah! You scared me. What are you doing up?"

He rushed over, his face a mask of concern. He tried to pull me into a hug, but I subtly shifted away.

"I couldn't sleep," I said, my voice flat.

He sat down next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. "Poor baby. Was the trip too tiring?"

He leaned in to kiss me, but I turned my head. His lips brushed my cheek. I could smell it then. A faint, sweet perfume. It wasn't mine. It was Emily's signature scent, something she wore every single day.

Rage, cold and sharp, coiled in my stomach.

He didn't seem to notice my stiffness. He just thought I was tired.

"The meeting ran really late," he sighed, leaning his head back. "These new investors are tough. But don't worry, it all went well."

"Oh?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm. "What were you all celebrating so loudly? I thought I heard laughter."

It was a test. A small, simple one.

His body tensed for a fraction of a second. It was almost imperceptible, but I saw it.

He quickly recovered, forcing a laugh. "Oh, that. Mark closed a big deal of his own. We were just celebrating his success. You know how he gets."

A perfect lie, delivered without a single stutter. He was a master.

"That's nice of you," I said, looking directly into his eyes. "To be so supportive of your friends."

He smiled, a warm, loving smile that used to make my heart melt. Now, it just made me sick.

"Of course. But I wished I was with you the whole time."

I leaned closer, my fingers tracing the collar of his shirt. "David," I whispered, my voice low. "Are you cheating on me?"

The change in him was immediate. His smile vanished. His eyes widened in shock and hurt. He looked like I had physically slapped him.

"Sarah! How could you even ask that?" His voice was filled with disbelief and pain. "What did I do to make you think that? After all these years... you think I would betray you?"

He stood up, pacing the room like a wounded animal. "My God, Sarah. Do you know how much that hurts?"

Tears welled up in his eyes. Real tears. He was an incredible actor. He could have won an Oscar.

"You are my everything. My entire world. The thought of another woman... it's disgusting. It's an insult to everything we have."

He came back to me, kneeling on the floor, taking my hands in his. His tears fell onto my skin. They felt hot and disgusting.

"Tell me what's wrong," he begged. "Did someone say something to you? Is it because I was out late? I'll never do it again. I'll cancel the whole venture if it makes you feel insecure."

I looked down at this man, the man I had loved with all my heart, and I felt nothing but contempt.

I forced a small, tired smile. "No, it's nothing. I'm sorry. I'm just exhausted from the trip. My mind is playing tricks on me."

I reached out and wiped a tear from his cheek. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

His face flooded with relief. The storm passed. He was safe again.

"Oh, honey," he sighed, pulling me into a tight hug. This time, I didn't resist. I just stood there, a block of ice in his arms. "Don't ever scare me like that again. I thought I was losing you."

I wanted to laugh. You already have, I thought.

"I'm just tired," I repeated. "I think I need to go to bed."

He led me upstairs to our bedroom. The room I had painstakingly decorated to be our sanctuary.

He started to undress, getting ready for bed. I just stood by the window, looking out at the dark garden.

"Come on, honey," he said from the bed, his voice soft and inviting. "Let's get some sleep."

I turned around. "You go ahead. I'm going to take a shower."

In the bathroom, I locked the door and turned on the water, as hot as I could stand it. I scrubbed my skin raw, trying to wash off the feel of his touch, the smell of his lies.

When I came out, he was already asleep, or pretending to be. His breathing was deep and even.

I lay down on the very edge of the bed, as far away from him as possible. My body was rigid.

After a while, he rolled over, his arm reaching for me in his sleep. He pulled me closer, murmuring my name.

"Sarah... love you..."

My body went stiff. The urge to scream, to claw at him, was overwhelming. But I didn't move. I just lay there in the dark, my eyes wide open.

He thought my rejection in the living room was just a sign of my fatigue. He thought his performance had convinced me. The fool.

I stared at his sleeping face. The handsome features that I used to adore now looked grotesque.

Who was this man? Was any of it real? The last ten years... was it all a performance?

The questions echoed in the silent room, but there were no answers. There was only the cold, hard certainty of his betrayal. And the growing, icy resolve in my own heart.