Chapter Three

Damien’s pov

Hours after my wedding blew up in my face, I was finally home. A stack of papers and the wedding ring commissioned from the top designers at my company sat in plain view on my coffee table. 

“I’m going to change into something more comfortable.” Vanessa said before heading upstairs.

I walked over to the living room and flipped through the papers. It was a divorce agreement already filled out and signed. I couldn’t help but chuckle.

Celeste was looking for attention.

She was just a spoiled housewife. She’d be begging me to take her back in a couple of days when she realised she’s nothing without me.

I tossed the papers aside and sunk into the sofa, exhausted. Today was a massive failure that hurt both my pride and my pocket. Celeste was always good at wasting my money, but today really took the cake.

I sighed. At least Vanessa had handled announcing the wedding cancellation surprisingly well. I was happy to learn she had other talents besides incredible sex.

“You threw our family away when you slept with that backstabbing bitch.”

Celeste’s words hung around my mind like mosquitos. I did my best to swat them away, but they stuck around, ringing in my ear.

It irritated me that Celeste chose our wedding day to discover my relationship with Vanessa. We had been sleeping together for months already. But she was so dense I thought she’d never catch on.

I certainly never thought she’d give me divorce papers.

“Babe?” Vanessa called out.

“I’m in the living room.”

She wore one of Celeste’s lace nightgowns. It fit Vanessa better, showing off her curves. Her hips swayed deliciously as she walked over.

“Where’s Bonnie?” I asked as she settled into the cushions beside me.

“Oh, she’s playing in her room.”

Vanessa rested her head on my shoulder and looked up at me with warm brown eyes.

“How are you holding up?” She asked gently.

I exhaled and faced the TV. “Let’s just say today didn’t go as planned.”

“Don’t be upset, babe. There’s a bright side to all this.” Her voice became a purr. “I understand you so much better than she did.”

“Is that so?” I raised an eyebrow.

Vanessa leaned closer. Her lips touched my ear as she whispered.

“Ah-huh. I know just how to make you happy.” 

My body immediately responded. All good reason flew out the door when Vanessa decided it was time to play. Much like earlier in the fitting room.

“And how exactly will you do that?” I asked, as desire flooded my veins.

Vanessa’s fingers trailed down my arm. 

“Why don’t we take this to the bedroom and I’ll show you?”

She punctuated the sentence by playfully biting my earlobe.

I couldn’t stand her teasing any longer. I grabbed her by the jaw and lifted her face to devour her mouth.

“Daddy, I’m hungry.” 

I pulled us apart to see Bonnie walking into the living room, rubbing her belly.

“I want food.” She demanded.

That was the second time today that someone interrupted my fun. I suppressed a groan.

Vanessa was adjusting her clothes beside me. 

“Go make Bonnie something to eat.”

She froze. The silence stretched, and I felt my patience slip. 

“I actually don’t know how to cook.” She laughed nervously. “Let’s just order takeout.”

How had I not realised how undomesticated she was?

Thinking back to our late nights at the office and so-called business trips, she had not cooked once for me. This revelation caught me off guard. It was an extreme inconvenience.

What kind of woman didn’t know how to cook?

“Fine.” I said, my mood soured, “Order something. Just feed her.”

Bonnie folded her arms and pouted.

She muttered under her breath. “I want Mommy’s cooking.”

Bonnie’s scrunched up face pulled on my heartstrings. 

I didn’t want to be the one to call first. I was already revelling in Celeste’s inevitable return with her tail between her legs.

But it was hard for me to see my daughter so unhappy. I did everything I could to provide her with the very best. 

If she wanted her mother’s cooking, that’s what she’d get.

“Don’t sulk, Bon-Bon.” I said. “I’ll get you Mommy’s cooking.”

She smiled at me like I was a superhero. Finally, a win today.

I dug my phone out of my pocket.

 “Why do you need to call her? Takeout would only take like thirty minutes.” Vanessa nagged.

I gave her a hard look. “This wouldn’t be a problem if you knew how to cook.”

She looked away as I dialled Celeste. The phone rang for several moments. With each ring I felt a frustration build up inside me I couldn’t place.

Just when I was about to end the call, she picked up.

“What do you want?”

Her clipped tone and rude demeanor stunned me. Was this the same woman I had been married to for five years?

My voice was firm. “Come home and make dinner.”

Celeste laughed. It was so unexpected. I hadn’t heard that sound in ages.

“You’re kidding, right?” She asked as her laughter subsided.

What was wrong with her? Did she have a mental break after finding out about my affair? Whatever it was, it was annoying the hell out of me.

“I’m being serious, Celeste. Bonnie is hungry, so get your lazy ass home now and make us something to eat.”

“Why don’t you ask Vanessa to cook for you?” 

My annoyance was becoming anger. How many times did I have to tell her something before it got through her thick head? 

I stood up and paced the living room.

“She can’t cook.” I said through gritted teeth. “Just get over here now or so help me Celeste I will—”

“You’ll what? Have an affair?” Contempt laced her voice. “If your whore can’t cook, then you better pick up a spatula and start learning, Damien.”

She cut the call.

My jaw dropped. Never in all the time I had known her, had Celeste ever refused me or spoken to me like that.

“Is Mommy coming?” Bonnie asked with wide eyes.

My grip on my phone tightened as the sickening feeling of something slipping out of reach tormented me.