DIANA
I had given Damien a child, hadn’t I? A beautiful boy. And yet, he barely looked at me. He gave me a mansion -yes. One dripping in wealth. Gold–plated faucets, crystal chandeliers, a full–time staff, two drivers, a private chef… but he didn’t give me. Not his time. Not his affection. Not even his curiosity.
He showed up only for Jeff. A kiss on the boy’s forehead, a toy in hand, a meal shared…. and then he’d be gone again, off to his meetings, his empire, his world. Never mine.
When I dared complain about how lonely I felt, he looked me straight in the eye and said, “You can marry someone else if that’ll make you happy. I’m not ready for marriage.”
Can you imagine?
To the world, I was his fiancée. But to him, I was a placeholder. A convenient arrangement.
It was two years ago when I finally got him into bed. Not by love–oh, no–but by desperation. I laced his food with a gentle aphrodisiac. Just enough to lower his guard, to make him responsive to my touch. I put on the red silk. played my role, and seduced him like my life depended on it.
And for a while… it worked. His hands were on me. His mouth, his body–I had him. I tasted victory. But the moment it ended, the way he looked at me–disgusted, silent, cold–like I had soiled him.
He left without a word. And after that, he barely spoke to me properly.
Sometimes I wonder if he ever knew what I did that night. I don’t think he cared enough to investigate. But what stung the most wasn’t his suspicion–it was his indifference.
Since then, I’ve had to find comfort in other ways. Quiet, hidden, shameful ways.
A few male escorts here and there. Nothing consistent. Just release. Just… temporary illusion.
But how long can a woman keep pretending she’s satisfied when the one man she wants won’t even look at her?
Sometimes, I asked myself–maybe he’s gay? Maybe he’s broken? But that couldn’t be. He slept with Alicia, didn’t he? That’s how Jeff came into this world.
And the most infuriating part?
He didn’t even know it.
He thought I was the one who bore his son. That it was me he touched that night. I should have had the upper hand. I should have won.
But no. Somehow, she still haunts me.
I see her every time I look at that child.
9:52 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 15
Jeff.
55 vouchers.
That pest. That clingy, wide–eyed, infuriating child who follows me like a shadow I never asked for. Every time he calls me “Mommy,” I want to scream.
He has her face. Her smile. Her cheekbones.
When he laughs, I hear her voice.
And no matter how hard I try to love him… I can’t. Not the way a mother would. Not the way he begs me to. Every morning, he wants me to eat breakfast with him. If I say I’m tired, he pouts. If I ignore him, he sulks.
He wants bedtime stories, like I’m some saintly mother from a fairytale. He wants hugs, and cuddles, and endless affection.
Has his presence made a difference?
No.
I stare at my reflection sometimes, wearing a silk robe worth more than most people’s rent, my hair flawless, my body stunning–and I whisper, Why not me?
I hated how desperate I looked pacing back and forth in this hotel hallway. But what was I supposed to do? Sit pretty while Damien forgot I existed? No. I’ve worked too hard for this. Too damn hard.
Damien still hadn’t married me.
Even after all these years–after raising his child, sacrificing my freedom, my pride–he kept drifting further away like I was nothing but a leaf on water. Useless. Replaceable. And Jeff? That little pest I’d been saddled with in hopes it would draw Damien closer? If he were drowning right now, I wouldn’t lift a finger. Not even a twitch.
But oh, how beautifully I pretended. I smiled at Jeff, stroked his hair, fed him soup I didn’t even taste. I played mother when Damien was watching. And now? Now that Damien had been gone a whole month without so much as a call, I’d dragged that boy across cities just to have an excuse to see the man who couldn’t even stand to touch me.
And yet this morning, Jeff had the nerve to whine about being hungry.
We were supposed to have breakfast together–all of us–a perfect little family portrait. But he couldn’t wait. He kept nagging like the spoiled little brat he was. So I left him. Just outside the hotel. Let him feel what it’s like to be ignored.
When Damien started searching frantically for him, I faked an injury. Nothing dramatic. Just enough to get sympathy. A limp, a little wince. And Damien told me to rest in his suite.
Perfect.
He was finally going to spend time with me in his hotel suite.
9:52 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 15
55 vouchers
I imagined it clearly–he’d return, worried, carry me in his arms, maybe even kiss my forehead. We’d eat together. Laugh a little. Maybe… finally… he’d sleep in the same bed with me again.
But he didn’t come back.
The sun moved across the sky. The day stretched on. My stomach screamed for food but I ignored it. If I looked weak and pale when he came back, it would only help the act. He said the meeting would be short. So where was he?
Annoyed, I called.
Laughter filtered through the phone. Light, soft, female laughter. I froze.
Damien never went to parks–especially not in the morning. That wasn’t his style. My ears strained to catch the background noise. Children. Was that Jeff?
He didn’t tell me anything. Just hung up on me.
Hung up.
My hands trembled. My head buzzed.
I stayed in the room a little longer, but rest was out of the question. Rage sat on my chest like a weight. I needed answers. So I dragged my aching, hungry body out and began pacing around the hotel again, waiting. Watching.
And then I saw him.
Just before sunset, Damien entered through the glass doors carrying a sleeping Jeff in his arms.
That should’ve melted me. But my eyes were fixed on someone else.
The woman beside him.
Slim, graceful, soft curls dancing around her shoulders as she laughed quietly at something Damien said. He was smiling. Smiling. His body was slightly turned toward her like she was the only thing in his world.
My feet stopped working.
My stomach dropped.
Who was she?
I’d never seen him like this with any other woman. Damien didn’t entertain women. He hated clingy ones. Even with me, he rarely smiled. But now? He looked relaxed. Like this woman… pleased him.
I tried to follow, but they entered the elevator before I could catch up. I punched the button for another one and rode up in silence, my reflection mocking me in the mirrored wall.
When I reached their floor, I saw them again.
9:52 Mon, Sep 22
Chapter 15
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They were walking toward his suite. Jeff was still asleep against his chest. The woman slowed her steps, turned to him, and smiled again. I watched her hand reach out and brush Jeff’s curls gently before she turned and entered a room–a room right beside Damien’s.
Her back.
Something about her back seemed familiar. Her gait, her energy. It clawed at my memory like a shadow I couldn’t quite touch.
They entered separate rooms. Damien, with Jeff, slipped into his suite. The woman into hers.
But they smiled before parting.
They smiled.
I was shaking now.
I didn’t realize when I moved, but suddenly I was outside her door. Fists curled. Knocking. Once. Again. Then again. Louder. I kept knocking.
Who are you?
Ten minutes passed. Then fifteen.
Just when I was about to scream, the door creaked open.
And my whole world… stopped.
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