This Is War

When I woke up, William was no longer by my side. His scent lingered on the blankets, which made me feel repulsed for some reason.

Once I got dressed, I went to a nearby consulate to apply for a visa. Not long after, I got a message from William that read, "I'm hosting a party for you today. I'll pick you up later."

After applying for my visa, I went back home. I saw bright lights reflected in the window, and when I got closer, I heard the charming voice of a familiar woman.

"I'm so jealous that you're holding a party for Stephanie. When will it be my turn to get a celebration like that?"

Through a gap in the door, I could see William's expression change suddenly. He grabbed Emily's chin and replied, "As long as you don't make a fuss in front of Stephanie, I'll give you whatever you want. The only thing I can't do is give you an official label."

With a petulant tone, Emily insisted, "I want the ruby necklace Stephanie has!"

William readily agreed. "As long as you don't go running to her like a dummy, what's hers is yours."

It turned out that he had only pretended to be angry in front of me.

I thought William would hold back more after what happened last time. I thought he would cherish the opportunity and not make the same mistake. However, he never even thought he did anything wrong. He just thought he hadn't hidden it well enough.

At the same time, my phone started buzzing. It was a call from Emily. It seemed she was calling just in case I hadn't overheard their flirting.

"Okay, I'm going to go pick Stephanie up now."

Emily grabbed William's collar and dragged him into a room, without shutting the door. "Won't you stay with me a little longer? Once Stephanie is here, you're going to be with her all day…"

"I can't. I have to go pick Stephanie up. She's pregnant, and her body is weak right now. She's at higher risk of a miscarriage," William said.

"All you care about is the child in her womb. Have you forgotten that I'm carrying your child, too? Why won't you dote on me?" Emily whined.

"Of course I will. You're my precious baby, after all."

Pretending to have just arrived at the party, I asked, "What are you guys celebrating?"

"Mr. Parker said he was worried that you would be in a bad mood from the pregnancy, so he prepared a party for you."

The way everyone was helping William cover up the affair was ridiculous to me. I glanced toward the room, and even though I couldn't see William and Emily, the shadows on the ground showed two people intertwined with each other as they moved. It was obvious what was going on.

William seemed to have heard my voice and tried to stop Emily. "Okay, that's enough. If Stephanie finds out, things will get bad. I won't be able to handle the consequences."

"Really? Don't you feel like that's even more exciting? It's been a long time since we last did it, too. I bet Stephanie would be furious if she found out that we've been together for three years."

"I'll have to punish you if you keep being so naughty."

I didn't hear William's voice over the phone after that. All I could hear were quiet pants coming from both of them. My nails dug into my palms, and it hurt so badly that I trembled from the pain.

He kept trampling on me again and again.

Half an hour later, William finally came out of the room, pretending like he had been busy with work. His face was still flushed from the fun he had had with Emily, and there was a gentle smile on his face. It was so disgusting that I almost threw up.

He put his hand on my belly and stroked it gently, his palm still warm from Emily's body heat. "Was the baby good today, honey? You know how long I've wanted this child, right, Stephanie?"

For ten years, William had whispered to me every night, telling me how badly he wanted a child. That never stopped him from pretending to love me with his dirty hands that had touched another woman, though.

The affection and happiness I thought we shared turned out to be full of nothing but secrets and lies. Now that I had uncovered his true colors, the reality was nothing short of despair.