Chapter 2 Chapter 2

The weight of Darwin's hand on her waist startled her from a light, restless sleep. It was just before dawn, the room still cloaked in shades of grey.

He shifted, pressing closer, his morning desire evident against her back. His lips found the nape of her neck, warm and wet.

A violent shudder ran through her. The sensation was revolting, a phantom touch of his betrayal.

"Don't," she gasped, pushing him away with more force than she intended. She scrambled to the edge of the bed, her heart hammering against her ribs.

Darwin sat up, blinking in the dim light. His face was a mask of confusion and hurt. "Gloria? What's wrong?"

"I... I'm not feeling well," she lied, her voice tight. She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to stop the trembling. "Just a headache."

She couldn't look at him. The thought of his body touching hers after he had been with Elyssa made her want to scrub her skin raw. It was a deep, cellular disgust.

He accepted her excuse, his expression softening into one of concern. "Oh, honey. Let me get you some water, some aspirin."

He made a move to get up, but she saw him hesitate. She knew that look. He wasn't just concerned; he was assessing. Was she really sick, or was this something else? Was his perfect, predictable wife finally acting out of character?

She glanced over just as he picked up his phone from the nightstand. The screen lit up his face. He thought she was looking away, but she saw it all in the reflection of the bedside lamp.

A text from Elyssa.

The image was a selfie of Elyssa in their marital bed, taken just hours ago while Gloria was at her mission briefing. Elyssa was naked, wrapped in their sheets, a smug smile on her face.

It was a direct, vicious provocation.

Darwin's jaw tightened. A flash of anger crossed his features, not at the betrayal, but at Elyssa's recklessness. He quickly typed a response, his thumbs flying across the screen.

"I told you not to do that. Delete it. Now."

He must have sensed Gloria watching him then, because he suddenly went still. He shoved the phone under his pillow and turned to her, forcing a calm expression.

"Everything okay?" he asked, his voice a little too casual.

Gloria forced a weak smile. "Yes. Just tired."

"Well, get some rest," Darwin said, his voice softening. "Remember, the annual company gala is tomorrow night." Gloria's stomach tightened. Elyssa would be there, of course. The thought was repulsive, but she nodded anyway. She couldn't afford to make waves before she was ready to walk away for good.

The next evening, at the lavish company gala, the charade continued.

"You poor thing," a woman cooed from a nearby table. "You look exhausted. But your husband is taking such good care of you."

The irony was a bitter pill. They were at the annual Mcintosh Corp gala, an event celebrating Darwin's latest business triumphs. He hadn't left her side all evening, his hand possessively on her back, playing the part of the doting husband to perfection.

"They're the perfect couple," someone else whispered. "An inspiration."

Gloria just smiled, a hollow gesture that didn't reach her eyes. She felt like a ghost at her own party, watching a play where she was the lead actress, but someone else had stolen her lines.

They moved through the glittering crowd, a sea of tuxedos and evening gowns. And then, she saw her.

Elyssa Daniel.

She was standing near the champagne fountain, a vision in red. But it wasn't just any red dress. It was the custom-made Valentino Darwin had bought for Gloria for their fifth anniversary. The one he'd said was made for a queen. For his queen.

Elyssa's eyes met hers across the room, a spark of triumph in them. She glided towards them, her smile predatory.

"Gloria, you look lovely tonight," Elyssa said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. She deliberately let her gaze drift to Darwin. "Darwin was just telling me how much he loves you in blue. He said it brings out the color of your eyes."

It was a calculated strike, a piece of intimate knowledge meant to wound.

"And this dress," Elyssa continued, running a hand down the red silk. "Darwin has such impeccable taste, doesn't he? He insisted I wear it tonight. Said it matched my passion."

Gloria felt the air thicken in her lungs. It was hard to breathe. The room seemed to tilt, the cheerful music fading into a dull roar in her ears.

She felt a cold, sharp anger slice through the pain. She looked at Elyssa, a slow, condescending smile spreading across her face.

"It's a beautiful dress," Gloria said, her voice dangerously calm. "But you should know, a mistress should never be so arrogant. It makes you look cheap."

Elyssa's triumphant smirk vanished, replaced by a flash of stunned fury. Her face paled, then flushed a blotchy red. She had expected tears, a retreat. Not a public humiliation.

Her eyes, the same ones Darwin found so captivating, narrowed with malice.

In a flash of movement, Elyssa's hand came up. The sharp sting of a slap echoed in the sudden silence around them.

Gloria's head snapped to the side. For a split second, she was stunned.

Then, her training took over.

Before Elyssa could even lower her arm, Gloria's hand moved with practiced speed. The crack of her palm connecting with Elyssa's cheek was twice as loud as the first.

The entire ballroom fell silent. The music stopped. Every eye was on them.

Elyssa staggered back, her hand flying to her face, a look of pure shock in her eyes.

"What is going on here?"

Darwin's voice, sharp and angry, cut through the silence. He pushed through the crowd, his face a thunderous mask. He had arrived just in time to see his wife slap his mistress.