I found out my husband's old flame got divorced.

I confronted my husband that same night.

My husband laughed. "Are you sure? Should I call my secretary right now and cancel the Butterfly haute couture?"

I...??

Waaah, let me rethink this.

1

Unexpectedly, my husband's old flame returned a little earlier than I'd anticipated.

I was soaking in a milk bath with a face mask on, looking at a social media post from one of his friends.

In the photo, Julian Sterling stood close beside a graceful-looking woman. They both looked overjoyed, their smiles reaching their eyes.

I only got the chance to marry him because Eleanor Wynne left.

Even though I knew from the very beginning this marriage had no future, I still dove in headfirst. The reason was simple: Julian Sterling was loaded.

After all, things you can solve with money are a lot simpler than getting feelings involved.

For the past two years, our marriage has been all about pleasure, not love.

And as it turns out, being with him is actually a lot of fun. He's well-endowed, great in bed, gorgeous, and willing to spend a ton of money on me. A pretty decent husband, all things considered.

I had just stepped out of the tub when I heard the squeal of brakes from outside.

It was Julian Sterling, back in a frantic hurry to come divorce me, no doubt.

That's Julian Sterling for you, always a cut above the rest. Even when he's cheating, he manages to give both sides his full attention.

He tore off his tie and pulled me into his arms, dipping his head to press a fierce kiss onto my shoulder.

"Milk?"

I was ticklish and started to shrink back.

'He smelled of another woman's perfume, a crime my nose was quick to detect. Fresh from a date, and now he's here trying to seduce me. What incredible stamina he has.'

"What did you call me for earlier?" His eyes were practically smoldering.

I quickly pulled my nightgown closed. 'I wouldn't call him for no reason. The truth is, I was looking for his secretary.'

"Because I missed my husband, of course," I said, putting on a show of being cute.

"Nora Ashwood, you've never been able to lie," he said, watching me with an unreadable smile.

'He's right, I can't lie to save my life. For the past two years, I've always just asked Julian Sterling directly for whatever I wanted. He'd give me anything—anything but his love.'

"I just wanted to ask when the Butterfly haute couture you promised me is going to arrive?" 'His secretary was handling it, so who else was I going to ask?'

Julian Sterling's eyes narrowed as he studied me thoughtfully. "In a hurry to wear it?"

'Well, Eleanor Wynne is back, so...'

I bit back the rest of my sentence.

'Forget it. I might as well just lay my cards on the table.'

"When should we get our business taken care of? Just pick a date and have your secretary inform me," I said softly, nestled in his arms.

"What business?" he asked, his brow furrowing.

I...???

'Figures. A man in love really is an idiot. What happened to his usual sharpness? How could he not pick up on what I was saying?'

"I guess I'll go pack my bags, then." 'I had no desire to play along with his act anymore. So childish.'

I had just started to get up when he seized my wrist and yanked me down beneath him.

Before I could even process what was happening, his fiery kisses descended, blanketing me. Julian Sterling ripped at my clothes, far rougher than usual.

'I knew he was angry. I must have struck a nerve.'

'Heh. To think the man who's usually so cool and composed could be such a hypocrite.'

I instinctively tried to dodge his kiss. But for a man who always had the upper hand, how could he tolerate being slighted? He redoubled his efforts to dominate me.

The next morning, I woke up aching all over, just as I'd expected. I couldn't even lift my wrist.

I tried to slip out of bed quietly, but a large hand pressed me back down.

"You're going to be late for work," I whispered.

He pulled me tighter into his embrace, burying his face in the crook of my neck.

'This position felt so intimate. How ironic. Our relationship was strictly about pleasure. Anything more was just a pipe dream.'

"Not going. Taking today off," he muttered, his eyes still closed.

'Of course. It was for Eleanor Wynne.'

'He wouldn't even take a day off for our wedding anniversary, but the moment Eleanor Wynne gets a divorce, he's ready to let his business go to ruin.'

2

It was already noon by the time we woke up. Julian Sterling carried me to the bathroom for a shower, but we ended up fooling around in the bathtub for ages.

I leaned lazily against him, feeling completely drained.

His stamina was incredible, even more vigorous than when we first got married.

That evening, he took me out for dinner.

When I got out of the car, my legs felt weak. Luckily, he caught me just in time.

Julian Sterling laughed, the amusement in his eyes impossible to hide.

He took me to dinner with his friends. There were five of them, all close buddies of his whom I'd only met once or twice.

In our two years of marriage, the place we spent the most time was in bed, with the occasional trip.

'So what's this all about today?'

I was finding him harder and harder to understand.

Less than fifteen minutes later, someone else arrived. It was Eleanor Wynne.

She was even more beautiful in person than in her photos, with a kind of fresh, clean aura about her.

Of course, I didn't feel insecure. I'm beautiful too; Julian Sterling had just complimented me last night.

'What is this, a changing of the guard?'

I hadn't realized Julian Sterling was so into formalities. It felt like he was about to hold a handover ceremony.

"Eleanor, you're back for good this time, right?" someone asked pointedly, clearly for my benefit.

I sat calmly beside Julian Sterling, opening my mouth to eat the shrimp he was feeding me.

It wasn't that I was trying to show off. It was his fault for being so relentless, leaving me without even the strength to peel a shrimp.

Eleanor Wynne looked at me, a ripple disturbing her crystal-clear eyes.

"I'm not leaving again," Eleanor Wynne said with a smile. "I'm looking for a place to live. Does anyone have any recommendations?"

"Doesn't Julian have a place in Southbay? It's still empty, isn't it?" It was the same friend again, steering the conversation toward Julian Sterling.

He continued peeling shrimp for me and replied casually, "My wife handles all my properties. I'm not too sure."

'Me???'

All eyes in the room turned to me in unison.

'This guy is a real pro at passing the buck.'

I really couldn't figure him out. Was he trying to solidify my position, or was he pushing me to back down?

He offered me another peeled shrimp. I bit down and chewed it to pieces.

'I won't have another woman sleeping by my bedside.'

But...

I glanced at Julian Sterling, diligently peeling shrimp for me. He really looked like the poster child for doting husbands.

The more he put on this act, the more my rebellious streak flared up.

My gaze shifted to the friend who had spoken up earlier, and I replied nonchalantly, "Sure. It's just sitting empty anyway. It could use a little life."

It was a casual remark, but it set off a firestorm.

The friend who made the suggestion choked on his drink.

Julian Sterling's hands, in the middle of peeling a shrimp, also froze.

Even Eleanor Wynne shot me a look.

'Was it really that serious?'

I rolled my eyes internally, not wanting to expose their little game.

I figured that from the moment Eleanor Wynne returned, this bunch had been eager to swap out their "sister-in-law."

Their acting was so terrible, even my kindergarten-aged nephew could do better.

I thought my magnanimity would give these hypocrites an easy way out. But the moment the words left my mouth, it was stuffed shut.

A peeled shrimp was shoved right into my mouth, silencing my "grand" offer.

"Eleanor, you should probably look for something else," he said. "My wife and I have lived in that house, after all. It wouldn't be convenient."

"..."

Before I could even react, another shrimp was stuffed into my mouth.

'Julian Sterling, you scoundrel! If you want me to step aside, just say so. Are you trying to choke me to death instead?'

: I Do What I Say

3

When the conversation fizzled out, the others just randomly changed the subject.

The rest of the dinner was just polite small talk. I couldn't be bothered to listen, so I escaped to the restroom for some peace and quiet.

Warm water rushed from the faucet. In the mirror, my own pretty face was filled with confusion.

'I've met the new girl, we've had our breakup sex... I'm supposed to be making my exit now.'

'It was supposed to be a perfect 'new-replaces-old' love-triangle drama. I even delivered my lines according to the script, but this guy is refusing to play his part.'

What on earth was Julian Sterling playing at? I was getting more and more confused.

When I sat back down, I realized Eleanor Wynne was gone.

As for Julian Sterling's friends, they had walked in with 'ready for a show' looks on their faces. But now? Now they didn't dare to even glance my way.

My mind was racing with questions, and I completely lost my appetite.

But Julian Sterling was still in character, continuing to place food on my plate and hand me napkins.

'If we're breaking up, let's just break up! Stop dragging it out!'

I had a stomach full of things I wanted to say, but I could only curse him out in my head.

...

The sky darkened, and the baffling dinner finally came to an end.

We hadn't even reached his parking spot when I couldn't hold it in any longer. I grabbed the sleeve of Julian Sterling's custom-tailored suit.

"Julian, don't you have anything to say to me?"

The man, forced to a halt, turned his head and thoughtfully considered my words.

Finally, he gave me an answer.

"Nothing I want to say, no. But there's plenty I want to do."

He smiled faintly, his narrow, upturned eyes crinkling into a handsome crescent shape.

In an instant, his large hand reversed our positions, pulling me back toward him.

And just like that, I was in the car with him again.

Fifteen minutes later, we were home.

About 100 seconds after that, things became exquisite.

"Nora, you see? I always do what I say I'm going to do."

Julian Sterling put a heavy, deliberate emphasis on the word "do."

"..."

'I'm begging you, please just shut up.'