"You fucking bastard! So you've been cheating on me with my best friend this entire time?"
I never thought I would say those words in my life. The idea that Marcus would ever cheat on me never even crossed my mind. We were always so happy together, or at least we used to be in the beginning. Now, I don't even recognise my husband anymore.
I first started to suspect Marcus of cheating on me about six months ago when he returned from Hawaii. He had been growing even more distant, and I just couldn't figure out what had changed between us. Was it something I said? Was it something I did? No matter how hard I tried, my husband had completely given up on our marriage, and there was nothing I could do to fix it.
"Maybe he's just going through a midlife crisis," Emily had told me when I mentioned it to her. Emily was my best friend since elementary school, and we had always been as close as sisters. We grew up right next to each other, and we were like two peas in a pod. It was always Olivia and Emily, never one without the other.
Since Emily was an only child like me, we bonded immediately and became best friends. We went to the same schools, wore the same clothes, hung out in the same places and we often had crushes on the same guys.
Now that I think about it, maybe I should have seen this coming.
Emily and I moved to New York together after we graduated from college, and my dad got us an apartment in Brooklyn. We'd both studied marketing and emerging media in college, so we usually ended up applying for the same jobs. I know it wasn't a smart move, but we both really wanted to work in the same place. And if we couldn't, then maybe we could end up working close to each other.
But then, everything changed when we found ourselves at Reynard Technologies, the largest tech company in the States. Emily was the one who suggested we should apply there, even though the chances of getting a job there were like one in a billion. Getting a job at Reynard was harder than getting into an Ivy League school, and I wasn't even hoping for anything when we applied.
And yet somehow, a few days after we sent in our applications, we were both called in for an interview. I was over the moon when I got the email, and Emily and I celebrated with an impromptu dance party before we went out for drinks.
On the day of the interview, we both arrived before anyone else. I was directed first into a large boardroom, where I was shocked to find six terrifying people staring back at me from across the table. I recognised the man in the middle immediately as Marcus Reynard, the CEO of the company.
My heart dropped at the sight of him, the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Marcus just oozed confidence, with his sharp jaw, and deep black eyes which seemed to stare deep into my soul. His hair was slicked back, framing his handsome face. He was wearing a charcoal suit, and he looked like he was worth several hundreds of millions of dollars, which he was.
What the hell was the CEO himself doing interviewing potential employees?
"Welcome, Miss Carson," he said smoothly in a crisp English accent. "Please, have a seat."
I sat down timidly, trying not to be overwhelmed by how closely they were staring at me. I was particularly aware of Marcus's fixed gaze on me, and when he smiled at me, my heart soared. He explained that even though Reynard Technologies was a gigantic corporation, he still liked to know everyone who worked under him, because the business was more of a family than anything else. He liked to be involved, and he liked to get down and dirty. As he said this, his lips curved up in a soft smirk, and I suddenly imagined those lips all over me. I swallowed discreetly and forced myself to focus on something else. Like his long and manicured fingers... I could imagine them all over my body, on my neck, caressing my cheeks, my face, my breasts...
Fuck!
This was going to be difficult.
I tried to answer all the questions they asked as well as I could, and I explained how eager I was to work and help the company in any way I could. Marcus seemed pleased with my answers, and the other board members all seemed to be satisfied with my answers.
When the interview finished and I was on my way out, Marcus suddenly said, "What do you like to do for fun, Miss Carson?"
I turned back slowly, confused by the question. "Um, sorry?"
"After a long and stressful week, what do you like to do in the weekend?" he asked. I had to think of the right answer, because I didn't want to seem like a boring person who had nothing going on in her life.
"Fishing," I blurted out suddenly. "I always used to go fishing with my dad. But I also play golf sometimes."
His smirk widened, and he nodded knowingly. "Good to know."
I left the room in a daze, utterly stunned by how effortlessly handsome one person could be. When I returned to the lobby and found Emily, she practically leapt on me and started to ask as many questions as she could get out. But she was whisked away before I could answer any of them, and I sat there quietly and tried to control my breathing. There had been something charged between Marcus and me, even though I had no way of proving it. I could feel it in my chest, and I wondered if he felt it too.
After Emily's interview, we headed home and spent the next few hours talking about how handsome Marcus was, and about what we would do if we managed to get the job. Neither of us said anything about the fact that one of us wasn't going to get it, and we both just lived in the moment.
But then, a few days later, we both got an email from the company. We opened them at the same time, and as I read the email, I was lost for words with each sentence I read:
Dear Olivia Carson,
Thank you for taking the time to apply for the position of Junior Marketing Associate at Reynard Technologies. However, after careful consideration, we regret to inform you that you have not been selected for this position. This decision was not reached lightly, as you were a very strong candidate. Unfortunately, we have chosen to go in a different direction.
We wish you all the best in your future endeavours. Thank you for your interest in Reynard Technologies.
Margaret Wheeler,
Senior Marketing Manager,
Reynard Technologies.
The realisation hit me like a high speed train. I wanted to sink to my knees and start crying, but then Emily suddenly leapt into the air in excitement beside me. I turned to find her dancing and screaming at the top of her lungs, saying, "I GOT IT! I GOT IT!"
I wanted to feel sorry for myself, but I was happy for Emily. If I didn't get it, then she deserved it. I wouldn't want anyone else to get it except her. And when she calm down and realised what this meant, she hugged me and told me that more opportunities would come.
We both knew they were just empty words, but I didn't argue.
I thought that would be the end of that, until about two weeks later after she'd started going to work and I was still sending in my applications to other tech firms. I was just about to leave the apartment when a knock came on the door, and I opened it to find Marcus Reynard himself standing in the hallway, wearing a black polo shirt and white sweatpants. My breathed hitched at the sight of him, and I couldn't understand what was happening. But he offered me a handsome, dazzling smile, and he pulled out some golf clubs behind him.
"Get changed," he said. "We're going golfing."
Three months later, I was standing at the altar and saying yes to this perfect man, who had swept me completely off my feet. It was like a fairytale, and I had never been happier. Emily was my maid of honour, and she was genuinely happy for me.
Or so I thought.
Now, four years later, I'm standing at the entrance of our apartment exactly where Marcus had stood that day, and staring into his cold, empty eyes. Emily was standing across the room, wearing his shirt and trying not to look at me. I couldn't even look at her, the hurt and betrayal so painful that I was starting to choke up as I stared at my husband. I waited for him to say something. Anything. But he just stared blankly at me, as though he couldn't even see me standing there.
"How could you?" I whispered, nearly breaking down as I stared at him. "How could you do this to me?"
"You weren't supposed to find out," he said simply, his voice cold and void of emotion.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" I thundered. "Is that all you can say? I wasn't supposed to find out?"
"Liv..."
"Shut the fuck up!" I yelled as soon as my name left Emily's lips. "I don't want to hear whatever bullshit excuse you've cooked up."
I turned to face Marcus once again, who was still staring blankly at the wall behind me. He looked like he wanted to disappear, like he wanted to be anywhere else in the world but here. He didn't look like he was sorry. He just looked like he was disappointed that he was caught.
Without thinking, I yank off my wedding ring and throw it in his face, then I turn around and storm down the hallway, saying the one sentence I never thought I'd say:
"I want a divorce."
Dearest Gentle Reader, Thank you for clicking on this story. I hope you enjoy it. Please don’t forget to leave a comment if you did, and share it with your friends and loved ones (you can even share it with your enemies. I don’t mind). I look forward to all the amazing adventures we’re going to have together. See you in the next chapter.
MARCUS"I want a divorce."I never thought I would hear Olivia utter those words. As she walked down the hallway without even looking back at me, a strange numbness washed over me. For a while, I couldn't even think straight. I couldn't properly understand what she was saying, until I allowed the words to wrap around me like a warm blanket. And then I felt relief. I'd been waiting for an opportunity to end things with her for a very long time. It had been six months since the idea first came to me, and I knew that it would be the best way to end this sham of a marriage. And I was going to do it, until about four months ago when I got a phone call that sent me down this road. "Come home right now. I need to speak with you."A call from my mother was rarely good news. Even after all these years of retirement, she still liked to keep an eye on things. At first I thought it was something to do with the company. Maybe she wanted to talk about our latest project, or maybe she had learne
As soon as I got back home, I started to pack my things. I forced myself not to cry, focusing instead on the task at hand. The image of Marcus and Emily was burned into my memory, and I knew that I would remember it for the rest of my life. But I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry. They could jump off a fucking bridge for all I cared. After spending so long wondering what exactly I had done to deserve this cruelty from my husband, it was satisfying to finally have an answer. He was more interested in fucking my best friend than fixing our marriage. I could picture the two of them right now, and even the thought of it made me want to sink to the floor and cry until my tears dried up. I couldn't bear to think about what happened, or the sad reality of what my life was about to become. I didn't know what I was going to do now, but I sure as hell wasn't going to stay in this house. For so long, it had felt more like a prison than anything else. I had no memori
MARCUS"Carlos!" I yelled as soon as I woke up, groaning when the pounding in my head continued. "Get me some fucking aspirin! Now!"The room was too bright, and I pressed the button to shut the curtains before I rolled over and pulled the sheets over my head. Thank goodness today was a Sunday, and I didn't have to go into the office. My head was pounding, like a herd of elephants were desperately trying to stampede their way out of my skull.Maybe I shouldn't have had so much to drink. But last night was a cause for celebration, and I wasn't going to waste such an opportunity. After four years of misery, I was finally free. And I'd celebrated by fucking Emily's brains out four times, one for each miserable year of my marriage. I half-opened my eyes and saw that the bed was empty, which brought a smile to my face. She was truly gone, and I was free. No more worrying about what she was going to say or do. No more stressing out over the fact that my marriage wasn't as perfect as I wan
"I'm sorry, Mrs Reynard, but it appears that your bank account has been frozen.""I'm sorry, what?" I stood in the doorway and stared at Mr Wallace in confusion as he handed me back the cheque I'd issued him just this morning. I'd managed to get a small apartment in the village, and the owner almost fell over his feet when I arrived here last night, looking for a place to stay. He recognised me immediately as Marcus Reynard's wife, and he couldn't wait to give me the apartment. In hindsight, maybe I should have gone for a hotel. But I didn't want to go anywhere that would attract too much attention. And almost every hotel in Manhattan knew exactly who I was. A small, modest apartment should have been the best option. But somehow, Marcus had frozen my account already. "I'm so sorry," Mr Wallace said, almost as if he was ashamed to even look up at me. "Surely there must have been some kind of mistake."I nodded absentmindedly as a hollow feeling settled in my chest. Marcus. This had h
"Thank you for seeing me, David," I said, sliding into the seat across from him. Even though the cafe was crowded, we'd managed to get a table at the far end of the floor, so we were secluded from everyone else. David leaned back and raked his fingers through his hair. There were more grey hairs on his hair than last time I'd seen him, and he was starting to grow a stubble. David was a buff guy, but not so muscular that he would seem off putting. He looked like he came from old money, with his expensive suits and flashy Rolex watches. "I'm not gonna lie, Liv," he said, sitting up straight. "This is going to be messy. Like Rebels versus the Empire messy. I've known Marcus for over two decades now, and he's going to come for you with everything he's got.""So I've been told," I said. "That's why I came to you. You're the best at what you do. And if there's anyone who can make sure I don't get screwed over, it's going to be you."Maybe I was stroking his ego a little bit, but I had to
Ciara Walters looked like she belonged on a runway that in a courtroom. She was absolutely stunning, her dark skin and luscious, jet-black hair making her look more like a wealthy heiress than a cutthroat lawyer. She was wearing a navy blue suit, and her Louboutin heels dangled off her feet as she sat across from David and me. Her piercing green eyes settled on me, and I felt small and insignificant in front of her as she stared into my soul. "So, let me get this straight," she said in a crisp English accent. "You want me to take on what could turn out to be the biggest and messiest divorce case in the country, without even getting paid?""A settlement can be agreed afterwards," David said. "You owe me, Walters. Don’t forget that."She glared at him as he said this, and something about the way she looked at him made me feel uneasy. But I knew David wasn’t that kind of man. He would never cheat on Brenda. No matter how hot Ciara Walters might be. “Well I’ll be damned,” Ciara chuckled
I was fully prepared for the uproar that the divorce would create. I prepared myself for the shitstorm that was headed my way, and I thought I would have it all figured out. But all of that changed the moment the news got out. Suddenly, I was being hounded by paparazzi everywhere I went. I thought it was stressful before, but that was when I was always being followed by the Reynard security personnel. With that layer of security gone, I was left standing naked against the storm, as a hurricane blew through and ripped me apart. And I had to somehow find a way to survive the sea of questions they hurled at me. “WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR YOUR DIVORCE WITH MARCUS?”“ARE YOU PLANNING TO SUE REYNARD TECH AS WELL?”“DID MARCUS CHEAT ON YOU?”“HAVE YOU SEEN MARCUS RECENTLY?”I wished I could just stand there and answer all their questions. I wished I could stand there and give them all the details they needed, and tell them about how heartbroken I was when I found out he was cheating on me.
There was always the calm before the storm. You could feel it in the air, and you could almost taste it. I first felt an inkling that something was about to happen when I woke up to find seven missed calls from Ciara, and two missed calls from David. That immediately told me that something was wrong, but before I could call either of them back, I saw a text message from David, which was one simple line:‘Stay off the internet.’That immediately sent a chill down my spine, and I started to wonder if something terrible had happened. Could it be something related to Marcus? My parents? What could possibly have happened that would make them think I needed to stay off the internet completely?Against my better judgement, I knew I had to check it out. So I hopped onto Twitter and scrolled to the search page. Since my timeline was curated based on my location and my particular interests (which had mostly been updates about me and Marcus recently), the first news article I saw went through m
I'd never felt more fear in my entire life than I did staring down the barrel of a gun, with Chris standing on the other end. To say that I was terrified would have been the understatement of the century. I froze completely, like a deer caught in headlights. And it was as if my brain had switched off completely. I hadn't seen him in months. I hadn't even considered that I might see him again, because it was obvious that things wouldn't work out between us since I chose Ethan over him. And yet there he was, standing in front of me so calmly and tilting his head to the side like he found my fear amusing. He looked different than the last time I'd seen him, with a scruffier beard which made him look homeless and disheveled, like he hadn't taken a shower in weeks. He was thinner than I remembered as well, and his eyes had sunken in so much that his head looked like a skull with paper thin skin wrapped over it. If it wasn't for his eyes, I probably wouldn't even have recognized him. "Yo
"Please tell me you're joking," I said, staring at his canvas in disbelief. "If you tilt your head slightly to the side, it's not so bad," he replied. "Seriously, I think it's even flattering.""Ethan, is this really how you see me?" I asked. "All you've done is draw a slim brunette with huge tits and a large ass.""If you think about it, isn't it flattering?" he smirked. "I mean you look hot.""Unbelievable!" I groaned, wanting to smack him across the face for his. "You're impossible sometimes."I thrust my own canvas in front of him, glaring daggers at him. "That's what you were supposed to do," I said. "I know it's not an accurate depiction of you, but I did the best I could. Notice how I didn't draw you naked, standing over a crowd of people with your dick swinging about."He stared at the painting for a while, and something in me shifted as I stared at him. Maybe it was the mist which came over his eyes, or the way he gently touched the painting with his mouth slightly open "I
By the time we finished having breakfast, the sun had already broken through the trees, and it was starting to feel like early spring. I stood in the kitchen doorway with my arms crossed and eyes squinting into the light as I stared outside at the lake. It was a beautiful day, my stomach was full, I’d had the most amazing quickie just this morning, and life couldn’t have been more perfect. "We should do something today," I said.Ethan looked up halfway through drying the dishes, and he gave me a questioning look. "Like what?"“I don’t know,” I replied. “Something fun. We can go fishing. Or spend the day painting.”“Painting?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah,” I replied. “It would be such a shame if we allowed this day to go to waste. I brought some canvases and some art supplies. I thought it might be fun.""Babe, I can barely draw a stick figure without it looking like a crime scene,” he said. “Trust me, if you look at anything I tried to paint, you’ll instantly decide to brea
Sunlight slowly crept into the room, and I slowly opened my eyes to find Ethan still sleeping beside me, his chest rising and falling slowly. I turned to my side, taking in the peaceful sight of him sleeping and wondering how he could look so handsome even while asleep. It was almost as if his features were softer while he slept, and his sharp jawline was more relaxed while his eyelids fluttered slightly.I briefly wondered what he was dreaming of, and the thought of him dreaming about me brought a smile to my face. I couldn't help but smile as I stared at him. He was so perfect, even in his sleep. I loved the way his hair looked slightly scruffy and disheveled, and the way his lips curled up ever so slightly, as if he was dreaming about something funny. I wanted to rub our heads together so I could get a peek into his head, where I would find the perfect man I’d been looking for my entire life.As I stared at him, my heart swelled with an indescribable emotion. I loved this man so f
MARCUSOne thing I'd come to accept was that every time Richard Jones called, it was never about something good. The last thing I needed was for him to disturb me on a random Saturday evening while I was trying to enjoy a Laker's game. I'd just finished having sex with Emily, and afterwards I'd taken a shower and eaten my dinner. This was not the time for him to be calling me."What the fuck do you want?" I asked as soon as I answered the call. "Is that really how you want to answer a call from an old friend?" he asked calmly. "I thought the animosity was behind us already."“Just tell me what the fuck you want, Richard,” I snapped. “I don’t have time for this shit. I’m watching a game.”“Really?” he asked. “Mind if I join you?”As soon as he said that, the intercom buzzed. I knew it was him, but I half hoped that it would just be someone else. At that point, I wouldn’t have minded if it was Ethan showing up. “I’m sure you don’t mind, right?” he said over the phone. “I just want to
ETHANIt took a while before Liv finally calmed down and fell asleep in the living room. I sat beside her the entire time, stroking her hair and telling her the most random stories until her breathing changed and she calmed down enough to sleep off. That was when I went back outside to the truck and grabbed my phone. I called Richard Jones while sitting in the car, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel and trying to keep my rage in check. It was all I could do to not start banging my fist against the steering, and when he answered the call, it took a monumental effort to not scream at him. “Hello, Ethan,” he said. “How’s the trip going? I thought you weren’t going to be on your phone the entire time?”“Cut the bullshit, Richard,” I snapped. “Where the fuck is Marcus?”“Seriously?” he asked after a brief moment of silence. “May I ask why you want to know where he is?”“That’s none of your concern,” I said through gritted teeth. I just need to know where he is.”“Well, according t
Getting to the summit was easy enough. Getting back down, however, was an entirely different story. By the time Ethan and I got back down to the cabin, we were both exhausted and sweating profusely. Walking down at an incline was so much harder than walking up. And my ankles were screaming by then. "Poor baby," Ethan said, lifting me up in his arms and carrying me across the threshold of the cabin. "You seem so tired.""Thank you," I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck. "You're the sweetest boyfriend ever.""I'll need you to put that down in writing," he said. "So I can hold it against you any time you want to yell at me for something."I rolled my eyes as he took me all the way to the main bedroom, where he set me down in front of the bathroom. "As much as I would love to get in with you," he said, "it's getting kind of late. So I should probably use the second bathroom so I can go get some food before sundown. What do you think?"That made me a little bit sad, since I want
I hated to say it, but I despised Rosa. I knew I was supposed to be nice to her, and I truly wanted to make her feel safe around us, especially if Ethan was right and her husband was an asshole. But it was so hard to put a smile on my face and continue to act like everything was fine when I could tell that she was attracted to my man. I wasn’t being paranoid. It was very obvious, and you could see it in the way she kept clinging onto him, groping his arm and laughing flirtatiously. I was forced to trail behind them like some sort of unpaid bodyguard, and every time Ethan tried to draw me into the conversation, she would immediately shut me out and bring his attention back to her. “Do you know I spent a month in Greece? It was such a beautiful country. I would lie around on the beach all day long and sunbath with only a bikini on.”“I spent a year in Russia actually. But it was so cold, and I swear my nipples could cut glass by the time I left.”“I’m sorry, but I just can’t stop thin
I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside the window. It was almost midday, from how bright the sun was and the warmth in the air. I sat up and stretched lazily, glad that we were having some sunlight at last. I really wanted to go on a hike, and I didn’t want to waste a perfect opportunity like this. Ethan was already out of bed, and I wasn’t surprised. The man never stayed in bed longer than was necessary, and I’d never gotten a chance to wake up before him. I needed to check that off my bucket list, so I could lie awake beside him and watch how handsome he looked while he slept. Almost immediately, I remembered the conversation we’d had yesterday before he’d carried me upstairs and made love to me until we both passed out from exhaustion. As soon as I remembered it, I pushed it to the back of my mind. I wasn’t going to dwell on it at all. I wanted to spend some time with my boyfriend, being happy and enjoying each other’s company instead of dwelling over something like th