The first time I caught Derek Hayes cheating, he cried, swore on everything, and begged for my forgiveness. I caved, but what waited for me was his second affair. That time, he dragged my family into it, playing the victim, and I had no choice but to let it go. By the third time I caught him, Derek didn’t even bother to put on an act. He just smirked, completely at ease, “If you don’t like it, go find someone yourself!” So, I found a young male model and didn’t come home all night. Derek finally panicked. It was the night of my fifth wedding anniversary with Derek. I walked into the house and saw a woman’s purse on the living room sofa. Derek was nowhere in sight. My gut told me Derek was cheating again. I headed straight upstairs, and Mrs. Davis, our housekeeper, scurried after me. “Mrs. Wallace! Mrs. Wallace! Mr. Hayes is in a meeting upstairs!” I kicked open the study door. Sure enough, Derek, supposedly “in a meeting,” was standing at the desk. But beneath him was another woman, Amber Reed, his secretary. The air hung heavy with a sickening, messy scent. “What are you doing back so early?” Derek touched his nose, his voice sharp, slowly moving away from Amber. I was so enraged I laughed. “Do you even know what day it is?” Before Derek could speak, Amber, clearly annoyed by my interruption, cut in, “What’s wrong, sis? Isn’t it just your wedding anniversary today? Mr. Hayes remembers! He even had me prepare a gift.” She pulled down her bodycon skirt, which Derek had wrinkled, and swayed her hips as she walked towards me. With a flick of her hand through her long hair, she took off the necklace from her neck and dangled it in front of me. “Look, it’s Van Cleef & Arpels’ new collection, costs a fortune!” I snatched the necklace from her hand. While she was rolling her eyes and admiring her nails, I slapped her across the face. “How dare you hit me!” “I’ll take the necklace. And that slap? It’s to tell you, don’t just take what’s not yours!” “Serena Wallace! What are you doing?!” Derek rushed forward, shielding Amber behind him, squeezing my wrist until it bruised. He looked at me and then, unexpectedly, smiled. “We were just having some fun. Is that really worth this kind of outburst?” “I provide for you every month, food, clothes… what more could you possibly want?” “If you don’t like it, go find someone yourself!” I wrenched my hand free and slapped him again, leaving his face ashen. “Fine! I will! And I don’t need your reminder!” Downstairs, Mrs. Davis nervously approached me. “Mrs. Wallace, Mr. Hayes truly cares about you. Look at this table, it’s all for your anniversary…” On the dining table, a perfectly cooked Wellington beef, Bordeaux red wine, and candles flickering gently. Everything felt like a cruel joke. Without hesitation, I grabbed Amber’s purse and swept everything off the table. The crashing and shattering sounds were the perfect soundtrack for this anniversary.
This wasn’t Derek’s first time cheating. And he never doubted I’d make up with him. The first time I found out was in the car. I found a woman’s lipstick in the passenger seat. He tried everything to cover it up with lies, but he didn’t fool me. Finally, Derek confessed, claiming it was someone a client forced on him, and he had to play along to secure a deal. To beg for my forgiveness, Derek, running a 102-degree fever, knelt all night in the pouring rain outside the villa, swearing he’d never do it again. It wasn’t until he collapsed in the rain and our driver took him to the hospital that I finally gave in. I hadn’t forgiven him; I just felt sorry for him. Unexpectedly, less than six months later, I found a used condom under his office desk. I didn’t say a word that time. I just smiled, grabbed my bag, and left. Derek was both ashamed and furious. He immediately called my parents. As the CEO of a major company, Derek was someone my financially dependent parents and sister couldn’t afford to cross. He knew he wouldn’t have to say much; others would naturally “reason” with me on his behalf. Sure enough, the night I moved back in with my parents, my dad literally threw my bags out. “We know what happened, but the Hayes family has been nothing but generous to us! If you break up with Derek, who’s going to get your brother-in-law that job? Who’s going to cover your mom’s medical bills? And all my friends, they only kiss up to me because of Derek! You’d really just throw all that away?” “Exactly! You can’t be so selfish! If you ask me, you’re just not capable enough to keep a man’s heart!” My mom chimed in viciously. “Sis, maybe you should just have a kid like I did. You know, a baby really makes a man settle down!” My sister pretended to offer kind advice. I tried to argue with them, but not only did no one speak up for me, my mom even pulled her classic ‘heart attack’ move, clutching her chest and collapsing to the floor. “You get back to Derek right now and apologize! Or I’ll die right here in front of you!” Completely broken, I returned to Derek. Derek was overjoyed and gave me a large sum of money as an apology. But from that moment on, my heart turned to ashes.
This time, I didn’t go back to my parents’ place. I went straight to a high-end club and booked a private room. People say the best way to forget someone is to meet someone new. I took the black card Derek gave me, waved my hand, and told the manager to send a few male models over. Five minutes later, several young, muscular men, all over 6 feet tall, entered the room. Each one was tall and toned, and as they sat beside me, their raw masculine energy filled the air. We played games, chugging an entire case of foreign liquor. Finally, I swayed an empty bottle, tipsily asking them, “Each of you, tell me one good thing about me. The one who says the most will stay with me tonight.” The male models were instantly hyped. Finn, a red-haired guy, spoke first. “You’re gorgeous, sis! Beautiful skin, stunning and those long legs…” “Your personality is amazing, sis, you’re so cool and sweet at the same time, I love that!” “Your style, sis, it’s just so tasteful…” Perhaps it was the sudden rush of emotions from being drunk, but listening to them babble, I suddenly smashed the wine bottle to the floor. A loud *CRASH* echoed, startling everyone. I covered my face and started crying. “If I’m so great, why does he keep cheating on me?! Why?!” “What did I do wrong…” The young models were all taken aback, exchanging bewildered glances, speechless. Then, a male model who had been standing silently by the door spoke. “When you use someone else’s mistakes as a mirror, all you’ll see is a distorted version of yourself.” “True worth is never about who loved or betrayed you, but how you choose to love yourself.” At his words, I stopped crying and looked up. This male model seemed unfamiliar. He had sharp, striking features and dressed impeccably, with the best aura among all the models there. He looked like someone who could help me forget Derek. I wiped my tears and, choked up, reached out to him. “What’s all that philosophical mumbo jumbo? Come on, sleep with me.”
After being with Julian Carter, I gradually understood why Derek always cheated. The vibrant, youthful body and just the right amount of emotional intimacy – I had no reason not to like it. After that night, hooked on the thrill, I stayed at Julian’s place for several days straight. If I hadn’t run into Derek and Amber at the mall, I might have completely forgotten I was still a married woman. “Serena Wallace?” I heard someone call my name while I was picking out clothes at The Grand Pavilion Mall. I looked up, meeting Derek’s confused gaze. “What are you doing here?” How annoying. Amber was clinging to Derek’s arm, pouting. “Oh, wow, I didn’t realize you came to places this high-end now, sis.” In the past, I’d been with Derek through his struggles, knowing how hard he worked to start his business, so I never splurged. No wonder Derek’s friends used to say I was tacky and stingy, not classy enough. I wasn’t annoyed. I just tossed the men’s clothing I was holding onto the counter and waved to Liam, the sales associate. “Excuse me, could you bag these up for me? Mr. Hayes will be paying.” Liam, the SA, eagerly brought over the POS machine. I looked at Derek and Amber and said, “Well, I just realized something. If I don’t spend my own husband’s money, some random gold-digger will spend it for me.” “So I might as well be the one to spend it!” “Mr. Hayes, look at her! Is she saying *I’m* some ‘random nobody’?” Amber whined, shaking Derek’s arm. Derek, surprisingly, ignored her. Instead, he asked hesitantly, “Why are you buying so many men’s clothes?” “None of your business. From now on, I won’t meddle in your affairs, and you won’t meddle in mine!” I smiled, snatched his card, swiped it on the POS machine, grabbed the clothes, and walked away. “Serena Wallace, wait.” Derek quickly caught up to me, his voice dark. “I know you’ve been staying with your parents lately. Stay there as long as you want, but I’ll just say this: my mom is still waiting for a grandchild. If you don’t have one, plenty of other people will.” “So I advise you to know when to quit, before things get messy!” I nodded, feigning innocence. “I never said I wouldn’t have a baby. It just might not be yours. Would you like that?” “What do you mean?!” Derek was furious. “Isn’t it obvious? I found a man!” I left Derek standing there, walking away without a backward glance.
That night, Derek lay in bed, the memory of Serena’s words from earlier swirling in his mind. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Amber heard the movement and whined, “Mr. Hayes, are you going to let me sleep or not? We have work tomorrow!” Derek mumbled, “Don’t you think Serena’s been acting a little strange? She rarely went out alone before, never really shopped, and she barely ever wore makeup…” Amber’s hand became restless, stroking down from Derek’s chest, her voice casual. “Has she gotten lonely because you’re always out? Started sneaking around?” For some reason, Derek suddenly erupted in an unprovoked rage, grabbing Amber’s wrist. “What the hell did you just say?!” Amber’s hand hurt so much tears welled up. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hayes, I was wrong! Serena wouldn’t possibly cheat!” Derek scoffed, “Watch your mouth! Know your place!” After making Amber leave, Derek was completely unable to sleep. He smoked a cigarette on the sprawling balcony, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, dialed his in-laws’ number. The line rang busy for a while before his mother-in-law finally picked up. “Derek? So late, what’s wrong?” “Mom, tell Serena to come home tomorrow. I want to take her to see my parents.” “Serena? She’s not with you? She hasn’t been back here for days!” Derek’s mind exploded with a sudden *buzz*.
Being young is great, though it’s almost too much for me to handle. Julian Carter was thrilled with the clothes I bought him, saying he wanted to thank me properly. So… He kept me busy for most of the night, until the first hint of dawn appeared, and still he wouldn’t let me sleep. I clutched the sheets, drenched in sweat. “I really can’t anymore…” “Almost there.” Julian kissed me. “You paid me, so I have to work hard, right?” I was about to say he didn’t have to work *that* hard when my phone rang. It was Derek. I hesitated about answering, but Julian just pressed the screen off. “Serena, focus. Otherwise… I might never finish.” So I had no choice but to respond to his kisses with full attention. My phone screen went dark and lit up again, dark and lit up. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and answered. As Julian gave one last powerful thrust, almost on purpose, he let out a satisfied sigh right next to the phone. Derek, sensitive to the abnormality, his voice icy, “Serena Wallace, where are you?!” “I…” Julian covered my mouth, and I couldn’t speak. “Speak up!” Julian snatched the phone, his voice sharp. “Serena’s with me. Do you have a problem with that?” “Who the hell are you?!” Derek roared, enraged. “The other man, ever heard of it?” Julian scoffed, laughing. Derek cursed and threatened Julian, promising to make him pay. Even if Julian was brave, he was still just a male model. I didn’t want him caught up in my mess with Derek, so I quickly took the phone back. “What’s wrong, didn’t you yourself tell me to go find someone? Now that I actually did, Mr. Hayes isn’t happy?” “Serena Wallace, come home right now. We need to talk.” Derek’s tone was somewhat defeated. “Home? You mean your love nest with Amber Reed? Sorry, I find it dirty.” I intentionally emphasized the word “dirty.” Then I hung up, lay back without another word. Julian came to hug me. “What’s wrong? Hearing his voice upset you?” “No, I’m worried he’ll retaliate against you.” I sighed. “It won’t come to that. He can’t touch me.” Julian held me close. The pleasant scent of pine wood emanated from him, and I felt completely safe. I stopped worrying about any consequences and fell into a deep sleep. The next morning, I timed it so I would arrive home after Derek had left for work, intending to pick up some clothes. But Derek hadn’t left. He was lying on the sofa. The moment I walked in, he sat up, his eyes swirling with an emotion I couldn’t decipher. “Serena, that male model… what exactly does he have that I don’t?” I put my bag down and sat across from Derek. After more than a week apart, Derek seemed to have grown a few shades paler.
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