The afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass panes of the office building, painting soft golden streaks on the polished floor. Irene glanced at her watch as she packed her things. For once, the ticking hands brought no urgency. Her workload was lighter today, and for the first time in weeks, she was finishing early.A faint smile played on her lips as she thought about the evening ahead. Today was Dave’s birthday—a day she had been planning for weeks. Four years together had taught her how much he valued small surprises, and this year, she intended to make it unforgettable.As she stepped out of the office, the familiar hum of the city greeted her. Cars honked in the distance, and pedestrians moved past with hurried strides, their faces painted with end-of-day weariness. But Irene’s heart was light, her steps steady with purpose.“Irene!”She turned to see Sarah and a few of her colleagues gathered near the building's entrance. Sarah waved her over, her bright smile framed
The door creaked open, its sound oddly loud in the otherwise muffled stillness. Irene stepped into the room, her pulse thundering in her ears as her eyes landed on the bed. The sight before her was like a slap, freezing her in place.Dave was sprawled in the middle of the bed, his arm draped lazily over Diane—her best friend. Next to them lay Tom, Dave’s so-called best friend, the sheets tangled around their naked forms. The smell of sweat and musk hung in the air, unmistakable and revolting.Irene’s throat tightened, her voice catching before she managed a strained, “What is going on here?”Three pairs of eyes turned toward her, not with guilt, not with shock, but with a kind of casual indifference that twisted the knife even deeper. Diane smirked lazily, her lips curling as she propped herself up on an elbow.“Oh, you’re home early,” Diane said, her voice light, almost amused.“Are you serious?” Irene’s voice cracked, trembling with the weight of her disbelief. “Diane… Dave… Tom
The night air was cold against Irene’s flushed cheeks as she staggered out of the bar, her bare foot slapping against the rough pavement. She didn’t seem to notice that one of her shoes was missing, or maybe she didn’t care. Her vision blurred, and the world tilted precariously as she stumbled forward, her arms flailing to steady herself.“Where is he…?” she murmured, her voice hoarse and slurred, almost drowned by the distant hum of traffic.Her other shoe slipped slightly, making her trip. She cursed under her breath, frustration bubbling up, but she kept moving, her steps aimless. The sharp edge of the pavement jabbed her exposed foot, but she didn’t flinch. Her mind was far too preoccupied with the weight of her despair to care about something as trivial as pain.Ahead, the streetlights flickered, casting her shadow across the crosswalk. She stepped onto the road, not bothering to check for cars, her head hanging low.From the distance came the low growl of an engine—a sleek, bl
Inside the dimly lit car, the tension was palpable. Irene leaned closer, her breath warm and heavy with the scent of liquor. Before Daniel could react, her lips were on his—soft, desperate, and intrusive.Daniel froze for a heartbeat, stunned by her audacity. Then, like a spring snapping back, his annoyance surged. "What the hell are you doing?" he growled, shoving her away with more force than he intended.Irene's head collided sharply with the car window, the thud echoing in the confined space. Her body slumped to the side, motionless, her hair spilling over her face."Shit," Daniel muttered, his heart skipping a beat. He leaned forward, panic flickering in his eyes as he shook her shoulder. “Hey, lady—wake up! Miss, can you hear me?”Irene didn’t respond. She remained limp, her head lolling slightly to the side. For a moment, Daniel’s mind raced with the worst possibilities. He glanced at the divider.“Ken!” he barked, his voice sharp and unsteady.The driver’s calm reply came thro
Daniel stepped out of the bathroom, the lingering coolness of the ritual rinses still clinging to his hands and mouth. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his tie discarded somewhere in the corner. He was muttering under his breath, still irritated at the evening’s events. The soft click of the bathroom door behind him punctuated the otherwise silent room.And then he froze.Standing in the middle of the dimly lit suite was Irene, but she wasn’t just standing. She was completely bare, her skin glowing like porcelain under the subdued light, flawless and untouched.Daniel’s throat tightened, and an involuntary gulp escaped him, the sound echoing in the stillness. His eyes widened, unable to immediately process what he was seeing.“Hot,” Irene muttered, her voice slightly slurred as she bent down. Her fingers worked deftly at the clasp of her bra, unhooking it with an unsettling calm. The garment slipped down her arms and onto the floor, joining the other discarded pieces of her cloth
The sun had barely risen, painting the streets in soft, golden hues as Irene walked hand-in-hand with her twin sons, Ethan and Elias, toward their school. The gentle breeze carried with it a sense of promise, but Irene's mind was clouded with the weight of unfinished tasks and looming deadlines.“Mom,” Ethan began hesitantly, breaking the silence. His tone was thoughtful, as though he’d been rehearsing the question in his head. “Why do you always look so tired?”Irene blinked, caught off guard. She glanced down at him, his small face full of concern far beyond his years.“Because grown-ups have a lot to think about,” she replied softly, trying to keep her tone light. “But don’t worry about me. You’re my biggest reason to keep going.”Ethan frowned, his tiny brows knitting together. “But I don’t want you to be tired because of me.”“You’re not the reason I’m tired, sweetheart. You’re the reason I smile every day,” Irene said, crouching to his level. She cupped his cheek gently, her h
Daniel stepped out of the bathroom, the lingering coolness of the ritual rinses still clinging to his hands and mouth. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, his tie discarded somewhere in the corner. He was muttering under his breath, still irritated at the evening’s events. The soft click of the bathroom door behind him punctuated the otherwise silent room.And then he froze.Standing in the middle of the dimly lit suite was Irene, but she wasn’t just standing. She was completely bare, her skin glowing like porcelain under the subdued light, flawless and untouched.Daniel’s throat tightened, and an involuntary gulp escaped him, the sound echoing in the stillness. His eyes widened, unable to immediately process what he was seeing.“Hot,” Irene muttered, her voice slightly slurred as she bent down. Her fingers worked deftly at the clasp of her bra, unhooking it with an unsettling calm. The garment slipped down her arms and onto the floor, joining the other discarded pieces of her cloth
Inside the dimly lit car, the tension was palpable. Irene leaned closer, her breath warm and heavy with the scent of liquor. Before Daniel could react, her lips were on his—soft, desperate, and intrusive.Daniel froze for a heartbeat, stunned by her audacity. Then, like a spring snapping back, his annoyance surged. "What the hell are you doing?" he growled, shoving her away with more force than he intended.Irene's head collided sharply with the car window, the thud echoing in the confined space. Her body slumped to the side, motionless, her hair spilling over her face."Shit," Daniel muttered, his heart skipping a beat. He leaned forward, panic flickering in his eyes as he shook her shoulder. “Hey, lady—wake up! Miss, can you hear me?”Irene didn’t respond. She remained limp, her head lolling slightly to the side. For a moment, Daniel’s mind raced with the worst possibilities. He glanced at the divider.“Ken!” he barked, his voice sharp and unsteady.The driver’s calm reply came thro
The night air was cold against Irene’s flushed cheeks as she staggered out of the bar, her bare foot slapping against the rough pavement. She didn’t seem to notice that one of her shoes was missing, or maybe she didn’t care. Her vision blurred, and the world tilted precariously as she stumbled forward, her arms flailing to steady herself.“Where is he…?” she murmured, her voice hoarse and slurred, almost drowned by the distant hum of traffic.Her other shoe slipped slightly, making her trip. She cursed under her breath, frustration bubbling up, but she kept moving, her steps aimless. The sharp edge of the pavement jabbed her exposed foot, but she didn’t flinch. Her mind was far too preoccupied with the weight of her despair to care about something as trivial as pain.Ahead, the streetlights flickered, casting her shadow across the crosswalk. She stepped onto the road, not bothering to check for cars, her head hanging low.From the distance came the low growl of an engine—a sleek, bl
The door creaked open, its sound oddly loud in the otherwise muffled stillness. Irene stepped into the room, her pulse thundering in her ears as her eyes landed on the bed. The sight before her was like a slap, freezing her in place.Dave was sprawled in the middle of the bed, his arm draped lazily over Diane—her best friend. Next to them lay Tom, Dave’s so-called best friend, the sheets tangled around their naked forms. The smell of sweat and musk hung in the air, unmistakable and revolting.Irene’s throat tightened, her voice catching before she managed a strained, “What is going on here?”Three pairs of eyes turned toward her, not with guilt, not with shock, but with a kind of casual indifference that twisted the knife even deeper. Diane smirked lazily, her lips curling as she propped herself up on an elbow.“Oh, you’re home early,” Diane said, her voice light, almost amused.“Are you serious?” Irene’s voice cracked, trembling with the weight of her disbelief. “Diane… Dave… Tom
The afternoon sunlight filtered through the glass panes of the office building, painting soft golden streaks on the polished floor. Irene glanced at her watch as she packed her things. For once, the ticking hands brought no urgency. Her workload was lighter today, and for the first time in weeks, she was finishing early.A faint smile played on her lips as she thought about the evening ahead. Today was Dave’s birthday—a day she had been planning for weeks. Four years together had taught her how much he valued small surprises, and this year, she intended to make it unforgettable.As she stepped out of the office, the familiar hum of the city greeted her. Cars honked in the distance, and pedestrians moved past with hurried strides, their faces painted with end-of-day weariness. But Irene’s heart was light, her steps steady with purpose.“Irene!”She turned to see Sarah and a few of her colleagues gathered near the building's entrance. Sarah waved her over, her bright smile framed