3
The sound of water stopped.
Dominic Blackwell walked out of the bathroom, a towel carelessly slung around his waist.
Seeing me in tears, he looked genuinely concerned. “What’s wrong? Is your stomach bothering you?”
His worry felt so real, so sincere, that it was hard to connect him with the man from the messages I’d just read.
Wordlessly, I handed him his phone. The screen was still lit, displaying the Boys‘ Group Chat.
Dominic instantly understood. Wrapping an arm around me affectionately, he began to explain.
“It’s just some banter between friends–nothing serious.”
“If it bothers you, I’ll have them delete the picture right now.”
He sent a message to the chat and showed me the screen to prove it.
Then he added, “Celeste’s a public figure, you know. I didn’t want it to get out and cause trouble.”
Dominic always did this–picking up on my emotions quickly and offering an apology.
It used to give me the illusion that he cared.
I pushed his arm away and bolted to the bathroom.
The double–faced act made me feel physically ill.
Dominic followed, about to say something, but a notification from his phone interrupted him.
By the time I came out, he had already changed clothes and was ready to leave.
“Audrey, there’s an issue at the office I need to handle,” he said as he adjusted his coat.
2:34 PM
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Before heading out, he gently touched my head. “Don’t dwell on what happened earlier. I’ve sent you the doctor’s number–call if you feel unwell.”
He left in a rush without looking back.
No sooner had Dominic stepped out than I received a message from Celeste Monroe.
We’d connected on social media after the wedding but never exchanged more than pleasantries.
Yet for the past two months, she’d religiously posted pictures of her lunches in her Instagram Stories.
Now, it all made sense–she was dining with my husband.
Her message included a screenshot of her chat with Dominic.
She’d taken a moody photo from her sofa, the dim light highlighting her legs.
“Dom, there’s a blackout at my place. I’m feeling a little scared–can you come over?”
It was a cliché move, but Dominic had fallen for it.
At midnight, while I was struggling with pregnancy nausea, he left me alone to comfort another woman.
