I sighed as I walked into our home gym in the morning, exhausted and annoyed. Something about that conversation with Sarah didn't sit well with me, and it had ruined my mood ever since."Ponyo?"I looked up in surprise as Richard placed the weight he was holding on the floor. He smiled at me and walked up to me, his expression searching. “Morning," he said as he lifted his hand, his touch tender as he brushed the back of his hand over my face.I pulled away from him a little, suddenly overwhelmed with a strong sense of guilt. My conversation with Sarah was deeply imbedded in my mind, in my racing thoughts, and I couldn't outrun them all.“With me as your wing woman, Richard won't have to depend too much on you, and your life will still be on track. After all, you very much wish to go back to it, right?”I shook my head, balling my fists in anger. The fucking audacity."Morning, Richy." I said, taking a step away and walked over to my yoga mat, mindlessly working my way through my stre
My heart pounded loudly as I walked into the highly exclusive jewelry store that Richard asked me to meet him at. In all the years that he and I have bought jewelry for Sarah together, he never once bought anything for her here, not even when she pleaded with him, which I know she did. This wasn't the kind of store that just anyone could buy from, no matter how much money you have. Their designs were iconic, and they were all handcrafted."Mrs. Delmonte," the owner of the store greeted me, his head bowed in respect. “It's a pleasure to have you here today.”"Mr. Laurier, the honor is all mine," I replied.He shook his head bashfully, as though he was genuinely happy to have me here, and it left me feeling flustered. Throughout my career I had become accustomed to having nearly anything I could possibly wanted, yet this was one of the few things that had always been out of reach for me.“Elena." I looked up at the sound of Richard's voice and smile when he held his hand out for me. He
I could barely think straight as Richard pulled up in front of our house, my thoughts ruled by desire and fear in equal parts. His lips felt perfect against mine, and that kiss was everything I had ever wanted. This one was different somehow. It was even better than the memory that sustained my love for him for so many years, yet it wasn't enough. It was odd how much more intimate a single kiss can be, compared to everything else we had ever done.Richard seemed on edge as he walked around the car, his expression unreasonable. It would have been much better if it was guarded. He offered me his hand, and I took it hesitantly. Never in a million years did I think we would find ourselves together in this way, yet part of me felt like we were inevitable.My fingers curled around his, and he held onto me tightly as we walked to our front door, an unfamiliar tension filling the distance between us. I was scared he was already regretting kissing me, or that he only did it because he felt li
He grinned at me and placed my hands on my waist. "Then undress me, baby. Take what you want, however you want it, love."I did as he asked with the same impatience he just showed me, and he chuckled as his cock sprang free. "My turn," he growled.He laid me down and wrapped his fingers around the thin scraps of lace I was still wearing, His eyes were on mine as he tugged it down my legs, exposing my pussy.Fuck," he groaned. "I don't think I can wait even a second longer.""Nor can I, husband. So come here."He groaned and settled his cock against me. "Say that again," he ordered"What?" I asked as he pushed the tip in. "Husband?"Richard moaned, and I couldn't help but giggle. He wiped my smile right off my face as he pushed into me further, giving me what I had always dreamed of."Oh, God."He thrusted all the way into me and paused, his eyes on mine."Fuck, Elena. This... I'm not sure I can last long when you feel this amazing."I bit down on my lip, not daring to admit that it h
"So..." Talia crooned, wiggling her eyebrows. "How has it been? Did you manage to make my dumb cousin fall for you yet?"I chuckled and shook my head. “It's only been a month, T."She shrugged. "Have you fucked him, at least? That's probably the easiest way to get to his heart."My cheeks heated up as I thought back to the way he felt inside me, the way he touched me."Oh my god, you have!"I threw her a warning look."Do you really want to hear about me sleeping with your cousin brother?"She rolled her eyes. “Hell no. I didn't ask you for details. I just wanted to know whether you'd done it yet or not. What should we call this? Operation Honey Trap?"I chuckled and shook my head. “No. This one is Operation Happily Ever After.""Awwww," she gushed. "I love that. Look at you, Elena, being all romantic and shit. Do you finally get the appeal?"I shrugged. I would never admit to her that I do. Talia was probably the most romantic person I had ever met, and if she wasn't working her ass
I stared at the rings in my hand with the most wicked smile on my face. I felt a sense of dread when Sarah picked our rings, yet merely seeing the rings Elena had chosen fills me with a sick kind of satisfaction.I couldn't wait to see my ring on her finger. It was as big as I wanted it to be. There's no room left for misinterpreting what this ring meant. It would mark her as mine the way I wanted it to, and I would gladly wear her feather engraved ring in return.“Ponyo?”I tapped my feet impatiently as I plopped down on our bed, waiting for her to step out of the shower. I was half tempted to join her in there, but I couldn't wait a moment longer to put this ring on her finger. The bathroom was not the right place to do it.When we first got married, I wasn't sure what a relationship between us would look like, and I had no intention of being more than friends with her. When did that change? In a mere few weeks, she had become my wife in every way that matters.Every night with her
I smiled at my phone as I typed out the message accompanying the wedding photo I was about to post.This was the one thing I never thought I'd get to have with Richard, but it was something I had always wanted. Everything about this felt so surreal, I had to pinch myself several times to make sure I wasn't dreaming.Something has changed between us ever since we got married. There used to be an invisible barrier between us, but it disappeared the moment I walked down that aisle.This version of him was the one I fell for, so many years ago. He finally felt within reach, and there was no way I was going to let this chance pass me by. I loved my sister with all my heart, but I would never sacrifice another moment of my own happiness for her. Especially not when she had it all and chose to walk away.I was grinning to myself as I posted the picture seconds after Richard's announcement went live. I picked a photo of Richard kissing me on our wedding day, and I had no doubt it would go vir
I sighed deeply as I turned my phone off. It hadn't stopped buzzing since our announcement went live, and though the initial media attention was exciting, it quickly became exhausting, Most gossip pages started to look into our relationship instantly, but needless to say, they hadn't been able to find anything. How could they, when our relationship didn't exist before our wedding day?I was worried that if they looked hard enough, they would find traces of Sarah and Richard's relationship, and there was no doubt that it would be shameful for the three of us. I didn't want anyone to find out that this thing between Richard and I wasn't real in any way.I bit down on my lip as I rummaged through our dressing room, needing a distraction. Richard walked out of the bathroom just as I fished my trusty old measuring tape out of one of my boxes. His eyes widened when he saw me bent over, on my hands and knees, and the way he bit down on his lip sent a rush of desire through me. He was in not
I slipped into my wife's dressing room and leaned back against the wall, taking a moment to just watch her. Her makeup artist was putting the final touches on her, and she looked fucking magnificent. Tonight, her long hair was loose and wild, spread all over her body, accentuating the blazing-white gown she was wearing.It was the same gown I watched her draw on Sarah's birthday. Seeing it on her tonight was surreal. Her creativity knew no bounds, and I couldn't be more proud of her.Her eyes lit up when she saw me, and I pushed off the wall. I grinned when she dismissed everyone in her room, no doubt reading the look in my eyes.“Richy," she said, smiling. I would never tire of the way she said my name. On her lips, it was simultaneously a prayer and a sin."Baby," I whispered. "You look far too fucking beautiful in this. I can't take this. I can already imagine what all your pervs will have to say about the photos of this book launch." She chuckled. “It's the last one, my love," she
My heart was pounding wildly as I led Elena to the helicopter that was waiting for us. I had negotiated more multi-million dollar deals than I could count, and never before have I felt fear like I felt today.“Are you okay?" she asked as I buckled her in. “You're so quiet."I nodded, unable to suppress my nerves as I sat down next to her."Where are we going?" Elena asked through the headphones.I beamed at her. “You'll see.”I held her hand tightly as we flied toward the cabin where our story started. I knew that there was no point in pondering on what-ifs, but lately I couldn't help but wish things had played out differently.What if I'd drank a little less and actually remembered my night with Elena? Would we have been happily married years ago? We'd have made so many more memories together, and we'd both have saved each other from so much pain."Wow!" Elena pointed out the window, a huge smile on her face when she saw the hundreds of flowers spread across the lawn...She was so rid
I walked through the home Richard and I built, my heart heavy. There was no trace of Sarah left, our cleaners ensured it. Yet I could still feel her here. I wondered if the scars she left would ever fade.I was trembling as I sat down on the sofa, still reeling from the news that was released about her. Countless affairs, and irrefutable proof that the child she was carrying was not Richard's.Climbing her way to the top like that...I never would have expected that. I couldn't wrap my mind around it. It was like I never really knew her at all, and it made me feel even worse for sacrificing so much for her.I felt like an idiot, and I was ashamed of my subservience. I catered to her all our lives, feeling guilty for having had the childhood she'd always wanted, when it was obvious that she lacked for nothing.She'd always had this way of making me feel inferior, and if not for Richard, I never would've been able to untangle myself from her web. I didn't even dare think about what would
My heart felt heavy as I walked into the house I arranged for Sarah. I wished it hadn't come to this, because despite the rift between them, I knew Elena still loved Sarah. I wished I didn't stand at the center of their fallout. All I wanted to bring my wife was happiness, not torment. I knew Elena. I knew she was still hoping that Sarah would change, but the bitter truth was that she wouldn't."Richard," she called, smiling. That intimate and smug smile of hers irritated me a great deal. I may have been able to dispel many of the rumors she circulated, but I wasn't able to get rid of them entirely."Congratulations, " I said. "The doctor told me you're in the clear, and the baby is doing well. Looks like a change of scenery is exactly what you needed."She nodded. “Yeah. I love this place. It's much better than your place. We'll have to renovate that. It isn't child-friendly, and I hate the interior."I nodded as I sat down on the sofa, opposite her. “Yeah, we're not doing that. Elen
I watched as Alanna joked around with Talia and Felicia, my heart full. Emerson, Ford, Brock, Talia and Felicia have been staying here with me, much to Alanna's delight and Silas's annoyance.Felicia and Talia have been taking turns sleeping next to me, ensuring I didn't get caught in a downward spiral caused by social media. Though truth be told, there wasn't much being shared anymore. Richard's plea worked, and people massively took down their posts. It sparked discussions about cyber bullying and the mental health of celebrities, but while that topic was on people's minds, so were we."Elena," Alanna called.I walked up to her, and she frowned as she pulled their security feed up on the TV. It showed Richard walking into the building, and my eyes widened.Silas groaned and gritted his teeth. "Well, well, well. If it isn't my least favorite Delmonte."Alanna and I stared at him wide-eyed as he called up the police and requested that Ares be taken off their property. He turned to me
I was absentminded as I took a bite of the breakfast Alanna made for me. I tried not to, but I ended up scrolling through my social media feeds all night, and I found nothing but hatred directed at me. Despite Richard's best attempts, screenshots of deleted content were making their rounds across all channels. We've made it into every single gossip magazine, and they were all scrambling to create timelines of Richard and Sarah's relationship.It came to no surprise to me when The Herald reported on Sarah's pregnancy, which only villainized me further. Now I was not just the woman standing in between two childhood sweethearts, I was also the evil stepmother-to-be.Watching my love for Richard being turned into a spectacle for everyone to witness was one of the hardest things I'd ever had to do. Photos I couldn't recall taking were being posted online, showcasing how we used to look at each other when Sarah and Richard were still dating. The media had everyone convinced that I'd been se
My heart felt heavy as the driver that picked me up parked in a large elevator. It started to rise, until the car was parked in the corner of my friends' living room.The passenger door opened, and my friend Alanna offered me her hand. Her arms instantly wrapped around me, enveloping me in a tight hug, and that one small human gesture was more than enough to make me fall apart. I burst into tears, loud, heart wrenching sobs escaping my throat as she led me to the sofa. “I didn't know where else to g-go,” I said to her.Alanna and I have been best friends ever since she walked into my boutique in search of a wedding gown. No one has ever understood our friendship, but it was one of the most genuine and closest I've got. Alanna was one of a kind, and right now, she was the one person that could give me the solace I needed, without judgement.“I'm going to kill him," she whispered.“Easy, Little Psycho," her husband, Silas, said.Silas handed me a handkerchief with a small ¥ embroidered
I was barely thinking straight as I walked to our bedroom, tears streaming down my face andRichard on my heels.“Baby," Richard pleaded. “Please. Please trust that I'll fix this."I whirled around to face him. "How?" I screamed. “How will you fix this, Richard? Articles about us are all over the internet. It isn't as simple as suing just one single magazine, and even if we do, it's too late!"I walked into our wardrobe and yanked my clothes off the hangers, my movements erratic."Elena," Richard called in panic, his voice breaking. "What are you doing, Ponyo? You can't... don't do this. I beg of you, don't do this, Elena."I shook my head and grabbed my suitcase. "I'm not spending another moment in the same house as her. I've tried, Richard. For years, I've tried, sacrificing my damn soul to keep her happy in the process. I can't take much more.”He grabbed my shoulders and held onto me tightly, panic flashing through his eyes. "You're insane if you think I'll let you go."I shook my
I walked into the kitchen to find Sarah sitting by the breakfast bar, dark circles marring her beautiful face. She looked up at me, her eyes filled with defeat. She knew. There was no doubt in my mind that Richard confronted her about what she did five years ago.She huffed and looked away as she picked up her teacup, her hands trembling. I wished I had the energy to keep up the facade, but I didn't. After what Richard told me last night, I could barely stand to look at her. How was I supposed to allow her into my life, knowing how much she tookfrom me? "Why did you do it?" I asked, unable to keep the question buried.She looked up at me and gritted her teeth. “Do what?""That night... why did you sneak into Richard's room? Why did you pretend it was you he slept with?"She looked away and shook her head, avoiding my gaze. I'd never seen her at a loss for words, but she was today. It was clear that she thought she got away with her deception. Just how long had she gotten away with m