Chapter 1

The sounds from the next room grew louder and louder. There were the unmistakable sounds of a woman's moans and a man's rhythmic grunts. The noise disturbed the serene, peaceful night.

I couldn't knock on the door to stop them, though. After all, it was my mother-in-law and her new boyfriend causing the commotion.

My name is Jenna Cross. My husband, Chester Dalton, and I had only gotten married three years ago. Since then, we'd lived with Chester's mother, Frida Sherman.

While I didn't exactly have a good relationship with Frida, my busy work schedule had helped keep our interactions minimal. I always thought of it as a blessing in disguise.

That continued until recently when Frida found herself a boyfriend, Bryson Ewing, and brought him home.

Her son was already married, and she herself had been widowed for years. Considering her age, one would expect her new boyfriend to be someone of a similar standing. Yet, she defied expectations by dating a man ten years younger than her.

And he wasn't just young—he was attractive. Bryson was tall, debonair, and undeniably handsome.

It was obvious that he was smitten with Frida. Every night, the two would get intimate for at least half an hour. Their energy was so boundless that it left me speechless.

Bryson was so robust—Frida must have been enjoying herself a lot. The thought alone made me instinctively cross my legs.

Chester had been traveling for work frequently over the past year. We hardly saw each other, let alone sleep with each other.

Every time he came home, I wanted nothing more than to tear his clothes off and get intimate with him. However, he always passed out from exhaustion and paid no attention to my needs.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't crave physical intimacy, but Chester was working hard for our future. So, I constantly told myself to be more understanding.

Still, as a young wife left wanting, it stung to hear Frida passionately enjoying herself just a wall away every night.

"Ugh… What kind of life is this?" I ranted, trying to suppress my irritation.

I grabbed my mug and stood up. They clearly weren't going to stop anytime soon, so I figured I could go to the living room for water without worrying that I would bump into either of them.

After filling my mug, I took an ice cream bar from the fridge. Just as I shut the fridge door, a tall figure appeared in my sight out of nowhere, startling me greatly.

Bryson was about five feet 11 inches tall, and his muscular frame was on full display. Judging by the sheen of sweat glistening on his abs, he must've just finished some vigorous horizontal exercise. This made him look even sexier.

He was only wearing boxer shorts, and it wasn't exactly subtle—there was a noticeably huge bulge in the front. I glanced at it involuntarily before quickly looking away.

Ever since Frida brought him home, I'd made a habit of retreating to my room right after showering. I did my best to minimize my presence in the house to avoid awkward encounters like this.

Even though Bryson might technically become family one day, he was still a stranger to me. So, I couldn't help but put up my guard against him.

But he and Frida seemed to have no sense of shame whatsoever. Not only were they noisy every night, but they also often displayed their affection right in front of me.

Like now—Bryson didn't seem the least bit embarrassed. He just looked at me calmly.

"Getting yourself some water?" he asked, his eyes scanning me from head to toe before settling on a particular spot.

Then, he added, "The weather's been so hot lately. You should wear lighter clothes to stay cool."

It was the height of summer, with daily temperatures climbing past 104°F. His reminder sounded innocent enough, but something about his tone felt off.

I was already dressed lightly because I was wearing a silk camisole nightgown. I had even ditched my padded bra for comfort.

Wait… I wasn't wearing a bra!

Upon realizing this, my face flushed a deep shade of scarlet. I immediately crossed my arms over my chest, nodded politely, and turned to leave.

Before I could step away, he was suddenly right behind me. He extended one hand to prop the fridge door open as he reached in with the other.

"I need to eat something after exercising," he said, his body leaning close. He had me trapped between him and the fridge.

The position was way too suggestive. It felt like he was holding me in his arms, and to make matters worse, he deliberately leaned in even more. His manhood pressed against me as he leaned forward to grab something from inside the fridge.

"Hey!" I gasped, frozen in shock at his unexpected move. It took me a moment to recover and wriggle free.

"What's wrong? I was just grabbing something to eat," Bryson said with a smirk, his eyes glinting with mischief. It was obvious he was doing this on purpose.

I wanted to slap him, but my hands were still busy shielding my chest. All I could do was glare at him.

"Ugh!" I exclaimed in disgust and rushed back to my room.