The Marriage Rival

Perhaps he isn’t reacting because back at home, he has a distraction. Someone who isn’t me. A perfect woman in all accounts and once belonged to him.

A woman who can complete him in ways I can’t.

Eloise.

The name burns like acid on my skin. I loathe her. And seeing Eloise inside his office, the way he laughed along with her before I stepped in, left me completely

empty inside. There’s nothing left to feel, and nothing left to say.

There is nothing left but the void which blankets my mind in swirling blackness.

Sandy jumps off the bed, placing her hands on my arms. “Think about it, Elvis. He doesn’t love you like I do. We were friends first, always will be. You deserve so much more.” I look into her eyes, falling victim to her plea to listen to her. “Stay, with me, here.”

My head turns around to look at the door. There’s nothing stopping me from leaving, but one person begging me to stay. The same person who came back into my life when I’d lost my way in this world.

I have no choice anymore.

For once, I have to do what is best for me.

Nineteen

Haden

I stand at the door, banging my fist rapidly against the sturdy wood.

Anger boils deep inside of me like steaming hot lava pouring out viciously. It churns within, hungry for destruction, my target standing right behind this door.

I have suppressed my rage for long enough, and within seconds, the biggest fight of my life begins.

The door opens slowly. Cassandra is dressed in a robe, barely poking her head out. I know she is hiding something from me, her bloodshot eyes a dead giveaway of her intoxicated state.

“Where is she?”

“She’s not here.”

“Don’t fucking mess with me,” I shout, clutching my fists against my thighs. “You’ve done enough.”

Cassandra places her hand against the wall, blocking my entrance. Her robe slips slightly, revealing a black bra. I’m out of my mind, terrified of the truth behind this door because maybe I allowed my stubborn ego to drag this fight out for longer than I should have.

What if I’m too late?

What if I’ve lost her?

“You know what? I don’t care who you are, Haden. Boss or no boss, don’t you go accusing me of anything. Presley deserves better. Are you even surprised she wants to leave you?”

The threat rattles me, words flow from her mouth with a purpose to hurt me. There’s a satisfied gleam in her eyes as she realizes the pain she’s causing me. My hands begin to clench again, then unclench, jumping from one extreme to another.

Violence is not the answer, I chant to myself.

But all I see is her smug face and her joy in destroying my fucking life.

Unable to hold back, I push the door open, and see a body on the bed. Her shoulders peek through the sheets, and when I shove Cassandra out of the way, desperate for answers, I rip off the sheet to see a woman sleeping.

It’s not Presley.

The hair is brown but not the mane of curls that belong to my wife. The arch of the back is not the same contour that my hands have run over a thousand times. My racing heart begins to even out, the rage subsiding but only just.

“You’re a maniac. I told you it wasn’t Presley.”