Chapter 3

• Chapter 3
• I was thinking for ages when I got back, before finally sending a message to Lyon, someone whose number I had had for three years but never called. Sofia: [Uncle Lyon. Can we pretend tonight never happened? I was really drunk and went to the wrong room.]
• I waited for ages, but nothing came back from Lyon. Frowning, I sent another message.
• Sofia: [?]
• The instant I clicked, a red exclamation point came up: [You are no longer friends with this user. Please send a friend request to continue chatting.] I clamped my lip. Lyon had unfriended me. He obviously didn't want to speak about this anymore. Glad, at last I had a semblance of peace.
• I returned home, it was already past 6:00 a.m.
• The instant I entered, I caught sight of Jack lying on the sofa. He turned around from the sound of the door opening, his sleep-deprived eyes. "Where were you last night? I called you dozens of times. Why did you not pick up?"
• Jack stood up and walked towards me quickly, with his hand raised to grasp mine, but I pushed him off.
• He stood there, ready to say something, but I got in first, my voice cold. "You can stay out all night, but I can't?"
• I had always been kind. We had only ever fought a handful of times in our eight years together. This was the first time I had ever addressed him in such a cold manner.
• Jack knew something was amiss and saw my red, puffy eyes. His face darkened, and his fist formed at his side. "You know, don't you?"
• His tone was even, devoid of guilt or panic, as if he had been waiting for this day to arrive.
• Seeing his remorseless face, my long-held anger finally boiled over. I swung my bag at him, my eyes blazing with rage, like a lunatic.
• Everything good that we had, every joyful moment, was ruined at once the moment I caught him in bed with another woman. They could never be assembled together again.
• "Jack Monroe, why did you do something so nasty for?! You could divorce me if you didn't love me anymore. Why did you have to hurt me like this?"
• I had believed no one could ever come between us. But reality was harsh, and it woke me up to the lies he had told me, and turned my love for him into laughter. Sensing my red, tear-filled eyes, Jack's heart stung. He embraced me with all his might and grasped my hand. "Sofia, I'm sorry."
• I shoved him away, wanting to laugh but all that would come was tears. "Don't touch me with your dirty hands!
• "Is it so hard to be faithful?
• "Since I've been married, I've had plenty of wonderful men come my way, and some have even asked me out. But I've never crossed the line. If I can do it, why can't you?!"
• Jack clenched his fists when he saw the anger and frustration in my eyes.
• "Sofia, I love only you. It was an accident with her."
• His apology came out so flimsy that I could not help but laugh and feel sick at the same time.
• "So you're telling me that I can sleep with some other guy and then say it was an accident? That I might have cheated on you physically, but my heart is still yours?"
• A flash of ruthlessness crossed Jack's eyes. "If you dare, I'll murder you and that man together in bed."
• Seeing his icy glare, I experienced a chill in my heart. If he knew that betrayal was unacceptable, why did he keep on betraying me?
• I took a deep breath and spoke leisurely. "Do you recall what I said to you when you were proposing?"
• I had informed him that if ever he would betray me, I would not forgive him but would leave him.
• Jack's expression changed. "I will not let you go!"
• I wiped my tears, my face a mix of ridicule and contempt. "Whether you want it or not, I've made up my mind. I'm divorcing you. You do not deserve forgiveness." With that, I ignored his reaction and proceeded upstairs.
• Jack looked at my back, his eyes dark.
• In the bedroom, I went straight into the bathroom to shower, unable to stand the smell of alcohol on me. When I was applying body wash, I noticed red welts on my chest and stopped. Lyon's hands roaming over my body came into my mind, and I wrinkled my face. I scrubbed marks hard until the skin around them was red, trying to erase his touch. I got out of my shower to see Jack sitting on the bed, his head in his hands, looking very thoughtful. I scowled and decided to ignore him. We were going to be divorced anyway.
• Jack looked up and saw me coming out in just a towel. My wet hair poured water, my freshly washed face red like an opening rose with a seductive fragrance. The towel clung barely to my hips, and my pale, long legs were visible. His breath was taken away, his eyes locked on me.
• I didn't know about Jack's response. I stepped to the closet to grab my pajamas when a pair of arms hugged me from behind.
• "Sofia." Jack's voice was husky, heavy with unbridled hunger.
• Jack had been thinking about how to get me to come back downstairs after I went out. The only idea he could think of was to get a child from me. He came up to try and talk to me about it, planning to approach me slowly. He lost his head seeing me when I came out of the shower.
• When I was a kid, things like that used to make me angry, but today I just felt nauseated. I spun away from him, pushing him off, my eyes full of disgust. "Don't touch me. I feel dirty."
• The hurt flashed in Jack's eyes. He put my hands in his, his expression stern. "Didn't you always want to have a baby? Let's do it now, okay?"
• I shook him off his matter-of-fact attitude. "That was before. I might have a child one day, but it will not be yours."
• His words enraged Jack. He pushed me onto the bed and pinned me down. "Say that again!"
• His eyes were ablaze with rage, but I didn't care. "No matter how many times I tell you. I'm sickened by you. I'd die before I had your child."
• As soon as I'd spoken, Jack passionately kissed me.