Adam didn't bother disguising the annoyance from his face and looked at me with evident anger. His lips moved, but he didn't say anything as he stood and advanced toward me.

"Pick it up," he said with a voice as cold as winter.

Unfazed, I didn't move and stood toe to toe in front of him.

"No," I said with a voice that, surprisingly, did not flutter.

I thought I saw surprise mixed with amazement in Adam's eyes. But even if I did, the man had easily swept any emotion from his face, his eyes turning wintry blue in an instant.

I shivered but refused to wrap my arms around me to stop myself from trembling.

"It's so not like you to be stubborn, Sophia," the man said, contrasting the fact that he remembered me as much as he wanted to hide it. "Take the dress and put it on."

When I opened my lips to say something, Adam beat me to it. "Don't make me repeat myself, Sophia. If you don't like to put the dress on, consider yourself out of work right this minute."

The confidence I was able to muster to stand up to Adam shriveled into nothing while the anger I felt toward the injustice of this all burned hot and deep inside my gut.

I gritted my teeth and swallowed the bitter words I wanted to shout at the man. I was tempted, too, to grab the dress and throw it in Adam's annoyingly serene but cold face. But then, I stopped myself, knowing full well that I shouldn't do anything to lose my job. It was the only thing that was keeping me alive right now, so I couldn't afford to live without it.

While Bob tried his best to keep me happy, I was still in a loveless marriage. And my family was… around.

'To each their own,' I always thought. So I smiled through gritted teeth and hoped my smile would still look like a smile.

"I apologize," I said in defeat, took back the dress, and gripped it to my side. "I'll change and meet you downstairs."

Even though the white dress represented purity with its color, it left nothing to the imagination. It was a dress made to entice, and it did so by hugging every curve of one's body. So when I put it on, if I could have, I would have avoided the mirror to avoid looking at myself in the dress.

I couldn't, though. The bathroom in the company building was furnished with full-length mirrors on its walls. Even the elevator I rode to get to the lower ground was designed with mirrors! So by the time I exited the elevator, I was ready to run away.

"How could he?" I kept asking myself. How could Adam force me to wear the same dress he'd given me on our first anniversary as a couple? It was supposed to be our "thing" because it was my first time wearing such a dress, and I only did so in front of Adam.

Yet the man wanted me to wear it to show a stranger — No! Derek, of all people. It disgusted me! And by the time I rode Adam's car without looking at him, I was ready to run and forget about keeping my job.

But I didn't. Regardless of my inward rants, my feet moved on their own and followed Adam inside the restaurant.

...

I didn't understand a word Adam and Derek were saying throughout dinner, mostly because I wasn't listening and had no intention of involving myself more than what was asked of me: to wear the dress and accompany Adam to the business dinner.

So I sat, quiet as a mouse, beside Adam while Derek discussed business with him across the table. As much as I hate Adam at the moment, I would still prefer sitting beside him rather than Derek. While the latter tried his best to hide it, I saw how he had been leering at me since I entered the room with Adam.

The way Derek looked at me when Adam wasn't looking and his subtle questions to get me to join their conversation were enough for me to tremble in fear and anger at both of them.

I didn't know what terrible deed I had committed in the past to deserve such a punishment from the heavens, but it seemed to me that whoever was in charge wasn't satisfied with only having me meet Adam again. So, they even made him my boss, who only had to use his authority to involve me with Derek.

Helpless, I secretly checked the time. It was now past seven in the evening, and I had not yet called Bob to inform him that I wouldn't be able to join him for dinner.

"... you'll excuse me," Adam's voice snapped me back to my senses. Frowning, I watched as he stood from his seat. "I need to use the men's room a bit."

"A—"

I wanted to protest and stop him from leaving, but Derek interjected, saying, "Take your time, Adam." He smiled at me, and my hand turned cold. "I'm sure the lady over here can keep me entertained for a bit. Isn't that right, Sophia?"

I couldn't speak and looked at Adam with pleading eyes. But intentionally or not, he didn't look at me and smiled at Derek. "That's why she's here." Adam looked at me, warning me to behave. "I'll be quick."

The thing I most feared happened the instant Adam shut the door to the private room he rented for this dinner.

"So, are you supposed to be Adam's secretary of some sort, Sophia?" Derek asked as he slowly stood and made his way to me.

I forced out a smile and tried my best not to stand up from my seat and run toward the door. "I work for Adam, but I'm not his secretary."

"Hmmm." Derek was closer now and stood beside me, his long legs directly at my eye level. He half-leaned at the table and crossed his legs, an act which boldly implied he was confident with his sex appeal.

Derek wasn't half-bad, if I may say. Whenever my workmates talked about him, I had always imagined him to be a man in his forties with balding hair and a bulging stomach.

But surprisingly, I was wrong.

Derek might not look as handsome as Adam was, but he had a good build, a thick matt of brown hair, and an amiable smile. If I wasn't married and hadn't known that Derek hid his perverted side under his smile, I might have wanted to get to know him better.

But I wasn't, and it was getting harder for me to breathe since Adam had left the room.

'Where is he?'

It had been more than five minutes since he'd left. Surely, Adam was on his way back now. Right?

I was a bundle of nerves and was afraid I would ruin this business meeting. Derek was interested in investing in our company, which would greatly help the business. So if I did something that would make Derek back off from his investment plans, all my efforts to keep my job a few minutes ago would be for naught.

"So what do you say about ditching this meeting and going somewhere… fun?" I heard Derek say a few minutes after. I understood what he meant, and I was sure my face turned red with anger. But the man must have read it as me blushing in happiness about his proposal because the next thing I knew, he started caressing my bare arms.

I shivered in disgust, but again, the man took it as a response to his "teasing."

"You like that, don't you?" he asked, smiling like a wild beast. That was when I knew I was in so much trouble.

Forget about keeping my job. I wouldn't sit there and wait for the man to pounce on me! I might not be as rich as Derek or Adam, but I had my pride as a woman.

"Adam might have lost his way here," I said while slowly standing from my seat. "I should go look —"

"Come on, Sophia. Adam is a big boy." I didn't know it was possible, but Derek's eyes turned fiercer, and his usually gentle smile turned into a scowl. "Stay here and keep me entertained." He must have seen my reluctance because he added in a threatening voice, "You wouldn't want me to withdraw from this deal, would you?"

"Of course not," I said, letting out a nervous laugh. "That's why I want to call Adam."

Derek laughed then, but I couldn't tell why. I also laughed a little and tried to talk, but I could only whimper when the man grabbed me by my cheeks.

"P–Please, it hurts," I pleaded through the pain from Derek's tight grasp. When I saw the anger in Derek's brown eyes, I knew I had dug my own grave.

I figured then that he was a man who wouldn't take no for an answer. As suffocating thoughts flashed inside my head, my whole body trembled in fear.

"Maybe you didn't understand what I was saying a while ago," Derek said in a voice that sounded so much like the grim reaper. "I'll forgive you for that. So let me say it in a way you would. Let me fu—"

"What's going on?"

Derek's hand fell on his side, and I quickly backed away from the man.

Relieved that Adam came back when he did, I felt like I could almost — almost forgive him for forcing me to wear this dress and leaving me behind. But with the relief came the dread that Adam was no longer the man I once knew.

“Adam,” Derek’s amiable smile was back. "Sophia and I were just playing around. You don't mind, do you?"

Adam's gaze fell on me, and I should have said something then but decided to shut my mouth instead.

'Let him think what he wants.' I thought stubbornly. With or without Adam's permission, I would damn well get out of this place as soon as possible.

Adam looked at me with a frown, quietly asking me if Derek's words were true, but I merely looked at him and stayed quiet.

I had no idea what Adam was thinking, but after a few seconds, he said to Derek, "Get out." Adam didn't even bother looking at the man.

"Excuse me?" Derek asked in bewilderment.

"I said get out, Derek," Adam replied, his eyes as cold as steel when he looked back at him.

"Adam —"

"Don't make me repeat myself," Adam added.

Derek looked at Adam, then at me with disbelief, then smirked. "You'll regret this, Adam," he said and left, cursing.

Left alone, Adam and I stared at each other for a full minute before I broke our eye contact.

I walked over to take my things, turned to look back at Adam, and said, "I'm leaving."

Adam didn't say anything. Not that I was surprised. Since we met again, Adam had nothing to say to me. But it was honestly— a relief. I had no words to say to him, too, anyway.

"Was I wrong then?" Right before I opened the door, I heard Adam ask.

Frowning, I turned around. "What?"

"I thought you were in trouble with Derek a while ago, so I saved you. But was I wrong?" Adam raised a brow. "Are you leaving so you can catch up to him?" I heard a tinge of anger in the way he said those words, but I stopped listening to the word "save."

'Save me?' Was he hoping I would thank him for "saving me?" If it weren't for him, I wouldn't even have to meet Derek in the first place and get myself in trouble!

So, save me? Really?

I couldn't believe Adam dared to say such a word. For three years, I had been living miserably since he left. He owed me, not the other way around.

"...guess you weren't satisfied…," Adam continued, his blue eyes flashing with contained fury.

I guessed it wasn't enough that Adam came back to embarrass me. For revenge, which I believed was his reason for showing up, he would do anything to break me into pieces — an impossible feat since I was already in pieces after he left three years ago.

"...running to meet Derek."

Adam's words were a blur. And before I could stop myself, my lips moved on their own. I wasn't sure what drove me to say those words. But looking back, I thought it was those words that sealed my fate from that day forward.

"Don't be silly," I rebuked him, my voice bordering on bitterness. "Why would I want anyone to satisfy me when I already have a loving husband?"

"You didn't really think I was just wearing this ring for a show, did you?" I asked Adam while I twirled the dazzling ring on my finger. His eyes caught the act. But other than that, he didn't reveal his thoughts or emotions.

Adam had changed, and that I was sure of. Unlike before, when I could easily gauge his mood, he had learned to hide his emotions now, so I couldn't tell what he was thinking.

"Goodnight, Adam," I said and left without turning back.

"Miss, are you alright?" I turned toward the voice and saw one restaurant staff looking at me with concerned eyes. I was almost at the door when the woman staff approached me.

"I—" I hiccuped and moved to cover my lips. The moment I did, I felt the wetness of my cheek.

'Oh!' I was crying and didn't even know I was. I angrily wiped the tears away but smiled at the staff and quickly walked away.

I had no reason to cry. Adam and I broke up three years ago. And I knew, the moment I broke up with him on the day he was going to propose to me, that he would hate me.

I expected it, and so was the pain and hurt that came with it. Not that it was anything new, though. I had, after all, experienced it before, and I would move from it again. Maybe, how badly I struggled these past years could make up for the pain I also caused him. We should be quits then, right?

Still, I just hoped that Bob would still be there after everything. Selfish. I know. But Bob had always been there for me. And I might not love him as much as he did with me, but I do value our time together.

So when I stepped inside the room and Bob was there to meet me, I smiled and became the version of myself who had forgotten Adam in front of him.

...

I was a little high-strung in the days following my encounter with Adam. Thankfully, I was too busy with work, and the latter must have been too because we didn't see each other for the rest of the week.

As I worked hand in hand with Alexa in our department, she made me the person in charge of the reporting, which meant I had to make sure our reports were in order. So Saturday of the same week, I decided to do overtime to check those reports.

Absentminded, I forgot the said reports at home and only found out about my mistake when I entered our company building.

'Damn it!' I cursed, laughing at my own stupidity, and went back home.

I wasted precious time but didn't mind going home again and seeing Bob. I checked my watch and saw it was around nine in the morning. If I were right, Bob would be on his computer doing whatever he was currently working on.

I smiled and thought I could pull a small prank on him. I wanted to surprise him and get inside without him knowing.

It was a good plan but what happened afterward wasn't the scenario I had in mind.

I got inside the house just fine, without Bob knowing. But when I got to the second floor and his office, I found it open but empty. I frowned and opened my lips to call his name, but a banging sound that seemed to come from our room made me stop.

Afraid and worried, I approached the bedroom as quietly as I could. The bedroom door was slightly ajar when I got near, so I slowly and silently pushed the door open to take a peek.

"Ah, ah, ah… Hmmm."

The sound from inside became louder then, and it confused me because it didn't sound anything like Bob — not that I ever had the chance to hear Bob moan and groan during sex because we never did.

So I pushed the door a little harder.

Right then, the scene in front of me confused me. I thought I was seeing things because, for some reason, a man that looked exactly like my husband was having intercourse with a man who looked like my brother.

I must have said Bob's name out loud because, in the next few seconds, his pleasure-filled face turned into shock and horror.

"Sophia!" Bob called out my name in surprise and scrambled to get off the bed.

Eric's eyes were still closed, and he moaned when Bob suddenly left him. "Honey, Sophia won't be coming back for another — Oh. Hello, Sophia," Eric casually greeted me and smiled as he saw me.

I knew anger, and I also knew how it was to hope for something only for that hope to be dashed away. But what I never knew was the bitter taste of betrayal until that moment.

I looked at Bob, my eyes already stinging with angry tears. "Seriously, Bob? With my brother?" Those were the only words that came from my lips, my voice barely audible with the anger that shook my body.

Bob had already grabbed a boxer, put it on, and was now approaching me. "Soph, I can expla—"

"Don't be such a drama queen, Sophia."

"Eric!"

Bob hissed at my brother, but the latter only rolled his eyes and continued, "Weren't you ever curious why Bob never bed you?"

I did, but I had always thought that Bob could never get it up to… anyone. Well, it turned out I was wrong.

"So you aren't as stupid as you look, dear sister." Eric laughed. He must have seen the answer to his question in my shocked eyes.

Eric got up, not even bothering to cover himself, and wrapped his arms around Bob's arm. Instead of looking at my brother, I looked at Bob. He looked… guilty, as he should.

"Don't blame yourself, Sophia. It's just that Bob and I are in love. So it would be really nice if you stepped out of the way now."

"Eric," Bob reprimanded my brother. And before the latter could say another word, Bob added, "Go home for now. I'll deal with your sister."

Eric looked like he would protest, but Bob stopped him with a kiss.

Shocked and still reeling from the scene, I looked away. I wanted to hurl and run far away, but my feet didn't move.

"I want a divorce," I found myself saying when Eric left and Bob and I were left alone. I didn't know how I managed to stay inside the room with the two, but I did, only because I wanted the whole thing to be over.

"No!" Bob's answer made me look at him with renewed shock.

"What?" I asked. Did he really think I would stay with him after this? "Bob, are you insane?"

Bob gritted his teeth but didn't answer my question. Then his eyes turned into their usual warm smiling color as he said happily, "I told you before, didn't I, Sophia? I'll be promoted soon, and it would be bad if I had a divorce at this critical moment. So you have to stay with—"

Faced with my husband's unimaginable shamelessness, my hand moved on its own and slapped his unrepentant face to shut him up.

"I don't fucking care about your promotion, Bob. I want a divorce!" I shouted at my shameless husband in rage.

When I finished my remark, I saw that Bob's expression had transformed into a menacing scowl. His once-warm and kind persona faded as his features darkened and hardened. Now, he looked like he had turned into a totally different person.

I shivered as I looked at him, slowly stepping back.

However, as I retreated, Bob stepped forward and leaned closer to me.

Coldly, he scowled, "You're a complete bitch! Do you think I'm that stupid not to know what you've also been doing behind my back?"

All of a sudden, I began to feel nervous and confused. "What are you talking about?" I asked.

Without responding to me, he stormed to the other room and fetched a stack of photos. Then, he angrily threw them at the table and said, "Take a look at that!"

As soon as I picked up a photograph, I felt my brain stutter for a moment, and my eyes widened in surprise. It was a photo of Adam and me looking very intimate in the club.

I wondered how he could have gotten it.

"See? Don't come blaming me for something you, yourself, were doing as well, Sophia. Stop acting so innocent!" Bob snorted.

Bob and I never had a serious argument, so now that we did, I was utterly new to it. I didn't expect him to say such words, but while it shocked me, the anger in my body reached my head, and I began to tremble more. "Okay! If you think I am a bitch, then let's get a divorce!"

However, Bob obviously didn't want that to happen, so he began threatening me. "I'm only saying this once, so listen, Sophia. Don't ever bring up getting a divorce again because that won't happen. If you keep insisting, I'll send these pictures to your company and let everyone know you're a cheating wife."

Bob's last words rendered me speechless. I couldn't believe he just said what he said. All this time, I had the wrong impression of him. I was so angry that no words came out of my mouth, and I felt like my body suddenly froze, and my heart shattered into a million pieces.

Seeing my reaction, Bob's grin grew even wider. "You know, this wouldn't really impact your reputation because you're just a normal staff. But then, the man in this photo is your CEO, right? Imagine the damage he would suffer if this went out."

For a little second, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

It hadn't been that long since Adam returned, and when he did, he busied himself running his business. I was a living witness to the nights he stayed beyond working hours and the meetings he personally attended just to secure a deal. He gave his all to our company, so I couldn't fathom how much damage this scandal could bring him.

Seeing my pale complexion, Bob shifted the topic and said, "There will be a party tomorrow, and you need to be there with me."

Then, he held up the picture as if to say I had no other choice but to join him.

At this point, I felt like a puppet on a string, frozen and mute in my chair. Still shocked, the three years I spent with this man began flashing in my mind like a montage. Looking at him now, I couldn't help but ask if he was the same Bob I knew. Because for three years, we lived under the same roof and slept in the same bed.

Did I never know him? Was everything just a pretense? Was I really that stupid? How about my brother, Eric? How could he do this to me? How could I not notice that my brother has a secret interest in my husband? Seriously, how stupid was I?

I chuckled in my head as I began questioning my life and myself.

Bob, on the contrary, paid no attention to me anymore. He only sat on the sofa comfortably and picked up the remote.

As soon as he opened the television, a news announcer was in the middle of doing a report. Hearing a familiar name, I shifted my attention to the screen and listened.

"The heir of the S Group and youngest daughter of the White Group announces their engagement to the public." I could hear the host's overly dramatic voice in my head.

I stared at Adam and the woman beside him.

'Is he truly engaged?' I asked myself.

Though Adam appeared emotionless on the screen, the hints of affection in his eyes didn't escape mine. They were so unclear that I almost didn't notice them as well.

The announcer continued talking about the engagement when suddenly Bob turned the television off and looked at me with mockery.

After a moment of silence, Bob sneered. "How thick-faced can you be, Sophia? How fascinating! Who could have imagined you'd have an affair with the heir of the S Group? You're a really great slut." He said as he slowly clapped his hands.

However, at that moment, his insulting words didn't matter to me anymore. Because inside my head, the image of Adam's engagement ring on another person's finger never left my thoughts.

I once had that opportunity. Now, however, I have nothing except a never-ending void of despair.

The following day, Bob continued to threaten me about the party. He forced me to get dressed and join him.

Because of his job, he constantly needed to communicate with others, and I had no choice but to get dragged to socialize with people. I was so tired and angry that I began to feel nauseous. However, Bob didn't care as long as I continued to play pretend.

In the middle of one conversation, I suddenly noticed Bob's face lit up as he glanced in one direction. I followed his gaze and suddenly felt my face turn white at the sight of the couple greeting the other guests.

It was Adam and his fiancee.

Their presence quickly grew attention as more people began approaching them. The woman wore a figure-flattering maroon velvet dress, and Adam donned a suit that perfectly matched hers. Under the bright lights, they looked like a perfect match for each other.

Bob suddenly leaned closer to me and whispered. "Go and say hello to him."

Annoyed, I immediately let go of his hand and remarked, "Are you crazy?"

"I have a project proposal with the S Group, so you must help me here. Or else your photos will be all over the internet," he said as he continued smiling in front of others.

I couldn't believe how shameless he was. I wanted to stride off and leave, but I was left with no other choice.

Damn this man!