Kaia’s eyes welled with tears, her sobs barely a whisper in the tense air.
“I didn’t say anything… I just called her ‘madam,’ like you told me to.” She reached up, draping her arms around his neck, pressing a soft kiss to his face. “Please don’t be angry, okay?”
Cooper’s gaze darkened, his hand gripping her head as he deepened the kiss. Even his breath grew heavy, uneven.
I stood there, frozen, as his hand slipped beneath Kaia’s short skirt.
A bitter smile tugged at my lips.
In that moment, the words my mother once whispered to me came rushing back:
There was no cat that did not stray.
And, in that quiet moment, I realized neither did Cooper.
I played baseball for a while, the rhythm of the game distracting me from the growing tension in my chest.
“Sorry, wife, I got an urgent call and had to take it. That’s why I’m late.”
I scanned his collar, noting how it had been carefully adjusted to hide the faint mark of a kiss. Without missing a beat, I said, “It’s fine. I’m tired of playing. You guys go ahead; I’ll wait over there.”
Cooper’s friends were around and as there were four of us, we paired off into two groups.
In a quiet gesture, his friends had paired Kaia with Cooper’s side.
An unsettling thought crossed my mind.
Did his friends know about his affair with Kaia?
That question was answered over dinner.
One of his friends, who couldn’t hold his liquor, got drunk after only a few drinks.
He slurred, “Cooper, you’ve got the life everyone envies. Your wife’s a goddess and this secretary? She’s as sweet as honey…”
Before he could finish, Cooper’s face darkened and he cut him off sharply.
“Shut up and go rest if you’re drunk. Stop talking nonsense.”
His hand then found mine, rubbing it in what was meant to be a comforting gesture.
“Wife, don’t listen to him. He’s just drunk,” he said, his words hollow.
But inside, my heart sank like a stone.
They all knew about Cooper’s affair, everyone but me.
I had been kept in the dark, foolishly blind to the truth.
A wave of humiliation washed over me and I wondered if, behind my back, they mocked my ignorance while smiling to my face.
I couldn’t bring myself to smile.
“It’s fine; I’ll go to the restroom.”
As I turned to walk away, I noticed Kaia trailing behind.
Her eyes were filled with disdain, no longer masking the arrogance she had so clearly embraced.
“You saw the messages I sent you, didn’t you?” she asked, standing tall and proudly revealing her still-flat belly.
“I’m already pregnant with Cooper’s child. Once the baby’s born, he’ll marry me. I suggest you be smart and ask for the divorce soon so you won’t be thrown out unceremoniously in the end.”
“Is that so? Then I’ll congratulate you in advance.”
Her expression faltered, surprise flickering across her face, clearly not expecting my response.
“Luna, what do you mean by that?”
“I’m congratulating you, future Mrs. Green.”
I couldn’t bring myself to waste any more breath on someone so morally bankrupt. Without another word, I turned on my heel to leave.
But before I could make it far, she called after me.
“Of course, you should congratulate me. The baby’s position has been unstable recently and the doctor says I need a quiet place to rest. I think the house you two are living in would be perfect for that. What do you think? Do you think Cooper would agree if I asked to move in there?”
Her words were soaked in provocation, each syllable dripping with malice.
I couldn’t find the words to respond.
The house we shared had been built specifically for us, something Cooper had created with me in mind. Every detail had been carefully designed to suit my taste.
It was supposed to be our sanctuary; the place he had promised would be forever ours.
No matter how much he had fallen for her, there was no way he would allow her into our home.
