My Husband’s Mistress Visited Our Home

Inside the most luxurious presidential suite at the Ritz in New York City, the lighting was soft and intimate. Lainey Fisher stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, looking effortlessly elegant in a bold red, sleeveless evening gown. She cracked the window open, letting in a gust of chilly air, hoping it would clear the fog in her brain.

Today was supposed to be her wedding day, but there was zero joy in her heart. Her fingers found the heart-shaped pendant hanging from a thin silver chain around her neck. Where had he gone? Why hadn’t she heard a single word from him? It had been a whole year; not one call.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. Now she was someone else’s wife. Was he even worth thinking about anymore?

Her hand moved to take off the necklace, but the line of liqueurs on the coffee table caught her eye. She sank into the couch, grabbed a glass, and downed it in one go. The sweet, fruity flavor mixed with a faint burn of alcohol. It was her first drink ever, and suddenly, she got why people talked about alcohol the way they did.

They said too much would make you drunk, and that’s exactly what she needed—to get drunk enough to believe this was all some messed-up dream. That his leaving wasn’t real, this marriage wasn’t real. That when she woke up, she’d still just be Lainey Fisher, a regular college student.

Glass after glass disappeared without her even noticing. Her head got heavy, her cheeks flushed, and her small frame just melted deeper into the couch cushions.

She had no idea how much time passed before the suite door swung open and a tall, broad-shouldered man stepped inside. He had his white tux jacket slung over one arm, and he tossed it onto the sofa as he walked toward her.

Lainey heard the noise and tried to peel her eyes open to see who it was. “You, you…”

Aries Wilson smirked a little. He’d figured his new bride would be waiting patiently for him in the room. So much for that. She’d decided to drink solo. Half the booze on the table was already gone.

Lainey tried to stand, but a wave of dizziness hit her hard, and she stumbled right into his arms.

He caught her easily, a teasing grin on his lips. “Guess you really were eager to see me. Threw yourself right into my arms, huh?”

“I’m sorry!” Lainey struggled to get up, but she was too weak to even move much.

“Wifey, you are wasted,” Aries informed her, arms wrapped securely around her.

Frowning, Lainey insisted, “No, I’m not drunk.” Her rosy lips pouted a little before she giggled softly.

“Yeah? You know who I am then?” Aries asked, his voice low and gentle.

“You? I have no clue who you are. Wait—who are you? Why are you here? This is my room,” Lainey shot back, glaring at him.

Aries chuckled. “Nope, not your room. This is our room—our honeymoon suite.” And with that, he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom, which was all warm-toned and decorated like a cozy love nest.

Lainey landed on the ultra-plush bed, immediately rolling over to snuggle into the comforter and find a comfy spot. “So sleepy…”

Aries watched her and thought back to the ceremony—how tense she’d been, her hands faintly clammy. Even when he’d kissed her, she’d almost moved away. Seeing her like this now, totally drunk? That was a surprise. Was she just scared, or was there something else going on?

He walked over to the liquor cabinet, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, poured himself a glass, and stood by the window, staring out at the city.

“Willis, Willis…” The soft murmur from the bed hit his ears, and Aries spun around sharply, striding over to her. He put the glass down, took her chin between his fingers, and said, “Lainey Fisher!”

Lainey’s eyes fluttered open. She winced. “That hurts!”

“Can you see who I am now?” Aries’ deep voice cut right through the haze, his intense stare locking onto hers.

“You…” Lainey sat up straight, shoving his hand away and scooting all the way to the edge of the bed.

Aries laughed softly. “Good, now that you recognize me, remember who I am. From now on, there’s only room in your life for me. I’m your husband.” As he spoke, he pulled her back into his arms, his lips grazing her neck, his hands sliding over the bare skin of her back.

“No! Don’t touch me!” Lainey kept struggling.

“Is that right?” Aries studied the tiny woman in his arms, his voice a seductive whisper right next to her ear. “What if I insist?”

“You’re such a creep! Have you no shame?” The words popped out of Lainey’s mouth before she could stop them. As much as she admitted she’d married him, having him this close still totally freaked her out.

Aries loosened his hold. “Well, since you said it, should I give you what you’re asking for?” He reached for the hidden zipper at the back of her dress.

The more she pushed against him, the tighter he held her, lifting the necklace she was wearing with his other hand. “Looks like the esteemed Miss Fisher isn’t too impressed with the diamond necklace I gave you.”

He’d already noticed she hadn’t worn the flashy diamond set; instead, she’d chosen this simple little thing.

Lainey suddenly remembered the necklace she’d been about to remove earlier. “That’s not it! The necklace just seems too valuable, and I’m afraid…”

“Afraid of what? You prefer this cheap piece over mine? Is it really that important to you?” As he spoke, the necklace slipped into his grasp.

“Give it back!” Lainey reached out, but he easily dodged her.

“You already married me. Some things aren’t necessary anymore.” He tossed the necklace aside. It clinked against the window before dropping to the floor.

“My necklace!” Lainey lunged for it, but Aries caught her, his solid body pressing her down on the bed.

His face was right above hers now. “Lainey Fisher, you want necklaces? I can give you thousands. But remember, you’re married to me now.” Then his lips were on hers.

Lainey’s resistance was useless against how determined he was. Her clothes were soon scattered.

“Do you actually want to do this?” Lainey knew she couldn’t dodge this forever. If he really wanted her, she couldn’t exactly refuse, right? Wrong, but…

Aries looked into her eyes and saw the bleak emptiness there. He knew she hadn’t married him willingly—a college sophomore marrying a guy she’d never met.

And he’d married her just to follow his father’s orders.

Lainey saw the hesitation in him. She bit her lip, staring up at him.

Suddenly, Aries let her go. “It’s late. Get some sleep.” He turned, lay down on the couch, and shut his eyes.

In the dim room, Lainey watched him for a second before grabbing a set of sleepwear and tiptoeing into the bathroom.

A little while later, she came out and stood next to the sofa. Was this man really going to be her husband from now on? She looked at him with his eyes closed, his handsome face set in a slight frown, his straight nose, his lips pressed tight—the kind of man who was both gorgeous and loaded. A dream for so many women. Too bad he wasn’t hers, but they were stuck together in this marriage anyway.

After hesitating for a moment, she gently laid a small throw blanket over him, then crawled back into bed. She turned down the bedside lamp to just a faint glow, not wanting total darkness to swallow the room.

Aries opened his eyes and gazed at Lainey’s curled-up silhouette on the bed. He said nothing as he shut his eyes again.

---

He didn’t spare so much as a glance at Sylvia Burns. Instead, he wrapped an arm around Lainey and steered her right out of the hall.

Sylvia whipped her head around and saw Inaya Price glaring at her. “What are you looking at me like that for?”

“Inaya, stop stirring things up. If you bring up outsiders one more time in front of Aries, you’ll be the first one kicked out!” Inaya headed for the sofa.

“What? You’re kicking me out? Is it because now you finally have a son, you want to kick us out too? If I hadn’t agreed back then, would you even have been able to bring that kid home? I’ve put up with so much, and you’ve never once shown me an ounce of gratitude! You’re heartless!” Sylvia lashed out, furious.

Inaya just looked at her and waved it off. “That’s enough! What do you want? Haven’t I given you everything all these years? Act your age; we don’t need the drama. Aren’t you even a little worried the servants will get a laugh out of this?”

Sylvia wiped her tears and dropped onto the couch beside him. “Then let her come home!” That was the whole point.

“I said I’ll handle it. When the time is right, she’ll be back.” Inaya wasn’t budging.

Seeing the firmness in his tone, Sylvia shut up, knowing she shouldn’t push her luck.

---

Aries drove Lainey back to the villa. Lainey sat there holding their dog, just quietly putting up with the occasional whimper in the cramped space of the car.

As the car sped along, the scenery blurred past, but her mind was somewhere else entirely. All she wanted was to get back to her apartment, out of this enclosed space where they could hear each other’s soft breathing.

The black Cayenne didn’t pull into the underground garage like usual. It stopped right at the apartment entrance. Lainey glanced at Aries behind the wheel. He didn’t say a word as she opened the door and climbed out. The second she turned, his car was already gone from sight.

What was that? He said he wanted to come back, and now he’d bolted. Was he in a hurry to see some other woman?

Lainey’s suspicions flared. She’d caught a hint of a woman’s perfume lingering in the car. Not exactly shocking that he had other women, right? So why did her chest feel so heavy, her body so unsettled? She convinced herself it was just an allergic reaction to the perfume.

Who cared who he was seeing or how many women he had? The more, the merrier—it meant less time for him to bother her.

Lainey lifted her gaze to the evening sky, watching the last light of day fade before she turned into her apartment building.

It wasn’t until she’d disappeared inside that Dakota Willis emerged from a side street, standing silently, staring at the entrance.

Worried about Lainey, he’d driven over and waited all day without catching a glimpse of her coming outside. Just as he was about to leave, he saw Aries’ car pull up and Lainey get out.

Watching her retreating back gave him a bittersweet kind of comfort. He couldn’t get close to her anymore; all he could do was watch from a distance. Even just one glance was enough. He just wanted her to be happy—nothing more.

Night settled in, city lights twinkling in a dazzling show. Dakota felt wrapped in a cloak of bone-deep loneliness. A long time passed before he finally turned away, got into his car, and drove off.

---

Over the next few days, Aries didn’t come back to the apartment, so Lainey had total freedom. She kept busy with classes, her part-time job, and preparing her grandfather’s birthday gift with Mya Aguilar.

Lainey and Mya grinned at the finished project spread out on the coffee table in her apartment’s living room.

“Finally done. That’s awesome,” Mya said, stretching with a yawn.

Lainey laughed. “Yes! Grandpa’s birthday is tomorrow.” After working nonstop for so many days, the completion gave her a deep, satisfying sense of relief.

Mya checked the time. “Whoa, it’s already so late. I gotta run.”

“Okay, be careful heading back.” Lainey tidied up the items on the coffee table, placing them into a beautifully crafted box before walking Mya to the door. Once she saw Mya safely into the elevator, Lainey went back inside.

As she stepped in, she noticed their dog, Joel, trying to pry the lid off the box with his nose. “Snowball, you little troublemaker. You can’t touch that!” She hurried over to the sofa and scooped him up into her arms.

Snowball looked up at her with those big, curious eyes.

“Snowball, you hungry? Is that why you were trying to chew on the box? But you can’t ruin this. It’s for Grandpa’s birthday tomorrow!” Lainey gave him an affectionate pat on the head, then carried him into the kitchen to fill his bowl with dog food. She crouched down to let him eat.

Snowball dug in enthusiastically, letting out happy little sounds.

“You’ve put on some weight lately,” Lainey observed, noticing the once-scrawny dog was now round and chubby.

Snowball paused, tail wagging, his big round eyes gleaming as he came over to gently lick her feet.

“Alright, you keep eating!” Lainey laughed, but her smile froze when she heard a door creak open.

Was he back? Lainey’s expression tensed. She hopped to her feet and saw Aries walk into the room. He looked totally wrecked—dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his skin was pale.

“Are you okay?” Lainey moved toward him, and his heavy frame slumped against her slight one. She couldn’t support his weight, and they both collapsed onto the soft sofa.

Aries grunted as his arm smacked the armrest. “I’m fine.”

His voice was rough, and Lainey pressed her cool hand to his forehead. “You’re burning up. You’ve got a fever.”

“It’s nothing. I’m not dying,” Aries managed, his awareness fading.

Lainey nudged him, trying to wiggle out from under him. “Get up for a sec. I’ll help you to bed.”

With difficulty, Aries pushed himself up, almost all his weight crushing down on her.

She helped him, step by slow step, into the bedroom. By the time he lay on the bed, she was completely out of breath, a light sheen of sweat on her forehead.

Lainey remembered she’d been waiting for a ride to school but fainted because she got dizzy. Guess she’d been overdoing it lately.

“Thank you, I’m okay now.” As Lainey spoke, she tried to get off the bed, but a nurse stopped her. “You can’t get up yet.”

“Huh?” Lainey asked, confused. “Why? Is there something wrong with me?”