Chapter 2

2

Honestly, he was better than I expected.

After all, I always thought, even though I'd never heard any gossip about him, that his friends were all those playboy types, almost all of them with girlfriends on the side.

Birds of a feather flock together.

Even though he seemed different from them, I didn't have any strong feelings for him either. I just hoped we could be respectful and cordial. As long as no one caused any drama, I wouldn't interfere in his affairs.

Two months passed in a blink.

One night, after showering, I lay in bed, looking at the rather revealing nightgown I'd laid out. My heart started racing.

Ethan was a gentleman, with no apparent interest in that sort of thing.

But I wasn't!

Single for over twenty years, I'd barely held a man's hand, but my mind was anything but innocent.

With a legitimate husband right here, so attractive and charming, I didn't want to live a life devoid of passion.

And over these past few months, with him coming home at 6 pm sharp every day, the cozy dinners, the leisurely weekend shopping trips, him patiently waiting while I got my nails done and my hair styled, cuddling on the sofa watching cheesy rom-coms together...

I had to admit, I was starting to fall for him.

One day, I was out shopping with friends when I suddenly realized it was 5:30 pm.

The thought of going home popped into my head almost instinctively.

I was taken aback at first, and then a complex feeling washed over me.

I realized I was truly treating this place as my home.

I had developed unexpected feelings of belonging for this house, for Ethan.

I thought that after seeing all the drama in our circle, including my own parents' questionable behavior �C a mistress here, a child demanding recognition there �C I'd become disillusioned with love and family.

But the power of those quiet, everyday moments had surpassed my expectations.

Thinking about my time with Ethan, about the kind of person he was, gave me the confidence to gamble.

Maybe trusting someone, trusting in love, could actually lead to something good?

Weren't Ethan's parents a rare example of a loving and harmonious couple in our social circle?

Ethan, raised by them, should at least... be trustworthy, right?