Chapter 5
Isabella was in a low mood. A friend called and invited her out for drinks. When she arrived, she
realized it was at the same place Alexander was meeting for a business deal.
She hesitated for a moment but decided to leave.
When she reached the underground parking garage, she froze. Not far off, a car door was ajar, and inside, a man and woman were entangled in the middle of a heated encounter.
Ivy’s lower body was bare, her legs dangling weakly, while Alexander hovered over her, his movements fierce and urgent.
“Faster… faster… ah!!!”
Her voice rose and fell, desperate and sharp.
Isabella didn’t know how long she had been standing there. Her legs ached from standing, and yet they showed no sign of stopping.
The moans and gasps, rising and falling with their movements, cut into her ears like knives,
gripping her chest so tightly she could barely breathe.
Suddenly, she bolted away, retching violently.
Yet she still felt nauseous, disgusted, and humiliated.
All those years of her devotion was wasted on that jerk.
Alexander came home drunk that night. Isabella was already asleep.
Watching the woman sleeping deeply in the large bed, he felt a little unsettled.
In the past, no matter how late it was, Isabella would always wait for him to return before sleeping; she never ignored him.
Recalling the events of the day, he adjusted her position and asked, “Are you upset?”
Isabella, groggy from being woken, replied with icy eyes, “Shouldn’t I be?”
Alexander sighed. “It happened so suddenly today. I didn’t expect Ivy to suddenly get this deal. Don’t be angry. I’ve already taught her a lesson, told her never to disturb us again, no matter
what.”
Taught her a lesson?
Isabella thought of what she had witnessed in the underground parking garage.
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Was that… a lesson?
…And quite a harsh one at that, lasting over an hour.
She turned her head, not wanting to deal with Alexander. “I’m on my period, and my stomach.
hurts a bit. Go sleep in the guest room.”
Alexander nodded but froze as he left.
Isabella’s gaze had been so strange, so cold, so… unusual.
A strange unease stirred in him, so the next day he booked plane tickets to Islavia, intending to make up for their missed honeymoon.
The skies were clear, and the crisp air of Islavia seemed to blow away Isabella’s gloom.
It felt like the early days of their marriage, when they spent every moment together. Alexander
would video–call her the instant he couldn’t see her.
She wanted to ride a sled; though he was a scaredy–cat, he’d go along.
She couldn’t stomach the local food; he borrowed a kitchen to clumsily make a grilled cheese
sandwich for her.
She complimented a pool; he rented the entire beach the next day.
For days, he was attentive to her every need. Even though Isabella had given up on him long ago,
she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of hope in her chest.
He had loved her once, hadn’t he?
Otherwise, why would he treat her so well?
But as the cold wind bit her skin, Isabella shivered and went upstairs to fetch a shawl.
Rounding the corner, she overheard two waiters talking.
“Did you hear? A rich CEO checked in yesterday, booked two suites on a different floor–one for his wife, one for his mistress. Running back and forth every day. Wow, that’s tiring.”
“Not just hearsay. Look, these are the ten condoms he ordered by phone. They’re going up now.”
“Ten? That’s intense!”
“Young bodies, you know. Last night he only ordered five, and now during the day… Oh, and they say he’s from Eldoria. No wonder he’s so energetic!”
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The rest blurred in Isabella’s ears.
Eldoria? The only man from Eldoria who had checked in yesterday was Alexander.
Who was the mistress he brought with? Ivy?
He had clearly said they were on a vacation together, meant to enjoy their time alone. But why had it become a trip for three in the end?
Her head buzzed as she returned to the suite. Alexander hadn’t come back yet.
She gave a bitter, ironic smile. As expected.
During those two hours, she thought about so many things.
She thought about her first time with Alexander. He had been nervous, afraid of hurting her,
saying he would wait until marriage because she was his most precious treasure.
Finally married, that night he was gentle. Every movement accompanied by concern, asking if she
was in pain.
She blushed and clung to him, too shy to answer.
She could still remember him holding her face, swearing he belonged only to her for life.
And yet, in a blink, he was in bed with another woman.
And that woman was staying up and down her in the same suite complex, while he ran back and forth every day without seeming tired.
Even some of their intimate moments might still have carried Ivy’s scent.
The thought made Isabella nauseous.
Staggering to her feet, she packed her things and booked a flight home that same evening.
Chapter 5
