, sharp and brutal, cut through th

flash of genuine anger. A few guests lingering nearby, who had been watching our tense huddle wit

bling with manufactured outrage. "We are trying to do a kind, selfless thing for a m

ive. I was the bad guy for noticing th

arsh laugh escaping my lips

e' d step outside to take. I remembered one night, months ago, when I came home early and found her scent, a distinct mix of her perfume and something else, lingering on K

sk had no record of an Olivia Hayes. I had convinced myself it was a mistake, a differ

r melted away, replaced by a desperate, manipulative softness. She

she had always been a good actress. "Don't do this. Not here. Not now. Let's just get through toda

going "home" with her was nauseating. The house

said, my voice flat and final. "We are not talking this

air between us, sta

e had expected me to be hurt, angry, but ultimately, manageable. Sh

tinued, my gaze unwavering. "I'll have t

new manipulation. Then, her expression hardened. The mask of the victim fe

n't leave. Kevin's father is sick. He

at moment, she made the decision for both of us, confirming everything I suspected. She was not just caught in an affair; she was