Three

I sat behind my mirror, taking off my earrings and trying to shake off the events of the evening, but my mind wouldn't quiet down. It was going up and down in my thoughts like a crazy loop.

Knowing that going back into that house was like stepping into the lion's den, I had to beg the chauffeur to take me back home. Even though the whole family lived on the same estate on the hills, I was glad to be in the safety of my matrimonial house.

"Stop thinking about him," I mumbled while using my face wipes, rubbing them vigorously against my face as if they could take away the memories of tonight. What would I do? Who would I tell? What would become of me?

On one hand, I toyed with the idea of running away with my son, but I knew that was a mission impossible. They'd find us before I even leave the estate gate, worsening the situation.

Why did Justin appear out of nowhere to turn my life upside down like the Titanic ship? I had gotten past being bitter about my husband's cheating. Byron even brought Kiara into our mansion. We never shared the same bedroom. Sometimes, I could hear him with his other woman, but he always kept discreet so our son wouldn't find out. It wasn’t a disastrous situation for me—I was used to it.

This was different.

Byron and Kiara weren't fated mates. I had found my mate—someone who would pine for me and never cheat. Well, if what his father had said about him being a fan of different women was true, I didn’t know how that would turn out.

"You're a mean bitch," I pointed at the sky, talking to the goddess. "You always give me the worst. You made me suffer as the first child, gave me a shitty mother and a shitty husband, and now this. I hate you so much."

I scoffed, remembering she was immortal. She better fix this by making Justin reject me. Seeing how Byron tried to act superior to his brother, I knew he would never let me go. He would use this against us. Why couldn't the goddess make my life easier, like my best friend Genevieve, who was born into an average family just like me but found her mate, Alex, and they were happily married? I envied her life. She found true love while I was stuck in a loveless marriage, always crying in her arms.

I was drowning in my thoughts when I heard Byron's voice from downstairs, and I rushed like a volcano into my son's room. Typically, I would have worn some crappy lingerie to get my husband's attention and to touch me, but that was the last thing on my mind. My wolf was even irritated at the thought of another man touching me.

The following day being, Sunday, we sat down for breakfast—Byron, Valen, and I ate together like an average family. Byron would head to the golf club to meet his friends after breakfast, and my son and I usually spent most of the day together.

Valen, who was a picky eater, was particularly demanding today. "Come on, darling, you need fish to be strong like your daddy," I said to him, trying to feed him, but he snatched his spoon.

"I'm a big boy. I can feed myself.”

Byron was reading the news on his iPad but looked up and smiled when our son joked about having stronger muscles than his daddy.

"Yes, my boy, you will be stronger and better than your daddy. I'll make sure that happens."

Byron returned to his iPad, and I monitored Valen until he finished his food and then began to clear the table. Even though the maid would normally do it, I liked to help out. It gave me something to do. It's not like I was born rich like my husband's cousins, who never lifted a finger.

"I'm heading out," Byron said moments later, dressed in his golf gear. "I'll be back for dinner."

I didn't know what came over me, whether it was a demon or something, but I stopped him with a smile and skipped towards him. "I wanted to ask you about your brother. How come you have not told me about him, and also, is he back to stay?"

He turned sharply and glared at me. "Why are you asking me that?" he asked, speaking through his teeth. I flinched at the iciness of his tone. "Are you that jobless that all you do is gossip?"

"Of course not, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just wanted to know."

Without warning, Byron grabbed me by the collar and pulled me close, his eyes blazing with fury. "If I ever hear you mention that name in this house, or I see you looking at him the way you did last night, I'll make sure you never see Valen again."

"But, Byron, I didn’t mean—"

With his free hand, he slapped me hard across the cheek. "You heard me. Never mention his name in my house again."

Then he pushed me, and I almost tripped over the tiles. My hand flew to my cheek, and my eyes widened in shock as I watched him storm out of the house. I looked around to be sure that my son was not anywhere near. I didn’t want to expose him to violence. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, and my gaze bounced from place to place before I attempted to calm my racing thoughts. Then it dawned on me that Byron had slapped me for the first time since we met.