After a fight with my husband, I went to my boyfriend for comfort. We were, unfortunately, discovered. My boyfriend stepped in front of me, glaring at my husband. "The one who isn't loved is the real third wheel." I hissed, "Keep your voice down. Is this something to be proud of?" 1 Three years after I broke up with Leo, he texted me. "Still mad?" "Holding a grudge this long is childish, don't you think?" "If you wait any longer, I might not give you another chance." I stared at the messages, my thumb hovering over the 'block' button, as I was literally walking out the door to celebrate my second wedding anniversary. 2 I had no intention of replying to Leo. But that was before my dead-inside husband, Julian, bailed on our anniversary dinner, sending me a text after I'd already been waiting at the restaurant for two hours. He seemed to have just remembered. The message was brief and cold: "Sorry. A deal in Chicago hit a snag." I stared at the screen. Leo's texts kept buzzing. "Did you not get my message?" "It's Leo. Hello?" "Fine. I'm sorry, okay? Was that what you wanted?" "...Please? I was wrong." Zero f*cks given. Still, it was the first time Leo had ever apologized for anything. I toggled back to my chat with Julian. Our conversation history looked like it was generated by a bot. This merger-marriage was really the deal of a lifetime. I forwarded the restaurant's address to Leo. He replied instantly: "Heh. What's this?" "Asking me to dinner?" "Playing hard to get all this time, and now you're this eager?" "I'll see if I'm free in an hour." I texted back: "10 minutes." Leo: "?" "Is that your attitude?" "Don't think I'm desperate to see you." "Answer me." Me: "Not coming. I'm leaving." Leo: "...Can you do 20?" "15?" "...On my way. Don't move." 3 Leo slid into the booth at the eleven-minute mark, panting. He hadn't changed much. Still had that entitled, arrogant air, but there was a new caution in his eyes when he looked at me. For someone who couldn't shut up via text, he was surprisingly silent through the meal. Until the waiter brought out the cake I'd pre-ordered for the anniversary. Leo stared at the chocolate script: "Happy 2nd Anniversary." His eyes filled with a dawning, horrified understanding. I just stared back, waiting. This was it. The fatal blow I'd waited three years to deliver. A perfect revenge for how he'd ended things. He finally spoke. "Wow, this place gives out free cake for their second anniversary? Nice gimmick." I... I felt that specific, soul-crushing exhaustion of having to explain a punchline to a brick wall. 4 Fine. I'd just have to say it. As I opened my mouth, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Mia. "Sienna," she yelled, "you will not believe what that bastard Julian is doing!" "He flew to Chicago on your anniversary to see his old flame!" "Get yourself to The Gilded Lily right now. I'm ordering eight escorts." "My girl is not sitting at home feeling sorry for herself. Not on my watch." She immediately sent a photo to prove it. Julian and some woman, standing side-by-side, perfectly framed. Damn. They looked good together. As for the escorts... I glanced at Leo, who was now eyeing the cake with suspicion. "No need," I told Mia. "I've got a premium version right here." 5 I had Leo drive me home. The second the door closed, I pushed him against it. Just as things were getting interesting, he actually pushed me away. His ears were red. "I didn't come here for this." "Sienna, these three years... did you ever miss me?" I brushed his hair back. "Yes. Are we doing this or not?" Leo's eyes lit up. "It was all my fault before... Can we start over? For real?" I nodded. "Good. Are we doing this or not?" He gritted his teeth. "Is that seriously all you can think about?" "Yes," I said. "Are we doing this or not?" "...Fine." 6 And so, Leo and I became... well, cheaters. At first, I felt a flicker of guilt. But Julian was spending half his time in Chicago, so I figured the guilt in this marriage was pretty evenly distributed. Until two months later. Julian came home, looking exhausted but... content. He pulled me into a hug. "It's done. I'm finished with the Chicago trips for a while." What, you two break up? When I didn't respond, he sighed. "I know I've been absent. This deal to acquire Étoile Jewelers... it was complicated." I froze. "Étoile Jewelers?" That was only my favorite jewelry brand on the planet. Julian tucked my hair behind my ear. "Mhm. I'm having them design a custom piece for you. It should be ready next month." "The shares are being transferred to your name. You're the new majority stockholder." "Consider it a late anniversary present." I was reeling. "But... what about your old flame? Eliza?" Julian frowned. "What old flame? Who's been feeding you gossip?" "Eliza is Étoile's chief designer. She's the one who brokered the deal for me. I couldn't have done it without her." Oh, crap. Then what did that make my last two months of adultery? 7 Tough luck for him, I guess. Now that the deal was done, Julian seemed intent on making up for his absence. He was suddenly... around. A lot. I tried to be the understanding wife. "You should get back to work. I'm fine, really. I'm happy." He stroked my cheek. "You don't have to be 'fine' all the time." Wait, who was this? This wasn't the Julian I married. I prodded, "You seem... different." His eyes were warmer than I'd ever seen them. "Yeah. I... I wasn't good at expressing things before. I know I let you down." He paused. "Eliza told me something. That love isn't real unless the other person can see it and feel it." Eliza, you are screwing me right now.
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