After My Husband's Betrayal, I Am No Longer His Moon

"What are you doing here? Get out!"

Clayton scolded her in a low voice, his tone sharp but controlled.

"I missed you," Odessa murmured with a faint smile, her gaze darting to me provocatively before she sauntered off.

Clayton froze, his expression tightening. He hesitated for a moment, but when he noticed the lack of reaction on my face, he exhaled in relief.

"Irene, I’ve got a bit of a stomachache. I need to use the bathroom."

"Don’t wander off. I’ll be back in just a few minutes."

I lowered my gaze, a mocking smile tugging at my lips. "Go ahead."

Without another word, he practically bolted as if escaping some unseen threat.

Barely a minute later, I stood and made my way to the bathroom.

As I approached, faint murmurs of scolding drifted through the door, the tension behind them unmistakable.

"Do you have a death wish? Why did you deliberately show yourself in front of my wife?"

The harsh sound of a belt-tightening against wrists followed.

The girl whimpered, her voice trembling with hurt. "You’ve been with her all this time. I waited for you for so long, but you didn’t come. I had no choice but to check on you..."

"Besides, I was in a waitress uniform. Your wife wouldn’t have recognized me. She won’t suspect a thing."

Clayton let out a cold snort, sharp and dismissive.

Soon, her pleading voice turned soft and tearful.

"I’m sorry... I won’t appear in front of your wife again..."

Their voices mingled, low and intimate, filling the silence.

I pressed my back against the wall, despair gripping my chest as tears streamed down my face.

"Are you wearing it?" her teasing voice suddenly broke through.

Clayton’s sneer carried through the thin wall. "No need. If she gets pregnant, she’ll keep the baby."

Odessa laughed, her tone triumphant.

"Clayton, I knew you loved me. Otherwise, why wouldn’t you ever use protection?"

Clayton’s voice dropped, sharp and scornful. "Irene is afraid of the pain. That’s why I didn’t let her have children. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be any of this with you."

A bitter smile curled on my lips, the taste of betrayal thick and suffocating. This wasn’t the man I thought I knew.

Separated only by a thin wall, he used the guise of our anniversary to steal moments with his lover.

Was he so intoxicated by youthful allure? Or was it the thrill of something forbidden that kept him hooked?

I shook my head, heartbreak clawing at my chest and turned to leave. Just as I pivoted, I was suddenly pinned against the wall.

Matias, his eyes burning red with emotion, held me firmly in place.

"Irene, why do you insist on torturing yourself like this?"

It turned out he had been silently watching me from the shadows all along.

"If he’s betrayed you, why not take revenge? I wouldn’t mind being your weapon for payback..." he said, his voice dropping as he leaned in to kiss me.

But I pushed him away before he could get any closer.

A flicker of sadness danced in his eyes before he masked it with a bitter smile. "I knew it, Irene. You still love him, don’t you?"

I shook my head, my voice steady. "Not at this moment."

His gaze lingered on me, searching for something unspoken.

I let out a cold sneer. "I might consider dating you, but only after I’ve divorced him."

A look of stunned disbelief crossed Matias’s face. "You’re serious?"

"Fine. I’ll wait for you."

"Walk with me. I need to sober up," I said.

Half an hour later, Clayton emerged from the bathroom, his expression smug and satisfied. But when he returned to the suite, I was nowhere to be found.

He panicked.

"Irene! Where did you go?"

His calls came through, but I silenced them, letting his desperation echo unanswered.

When he finally found me, I was walking toward the suite door with Matias by my side.

"Irene, where on earth were you? I called, and you didn’t answer. You scared me!" he exclaimed, pulling me into an eager embrace, his relief palpable.

"Good girl, don’t wander off again. You gave me quite a fright."

"Thanks, Matias. You’re such a reliable brother. I owe you a meal for bringing Irene back."

He clung to his fantasy, preferring to believe I had simply gotten lost and that Matias had been my savior rather than confront the truth of his own betrayal.

As we made our way back, I broke the silence. "If I ever disappeared for real, would you be this worried?"

Clayton pulled me closer, his tone sickeningly tender. "Of course, Irene. You’re my whole world."