Chapter 2 - The Shattered Sanctuary
A pair of Julian's expensive Italian leather shoes were discarded carelessly at the base of the grand staircase.
My heart skipped a slight beat, but I quickly tried to rationalize it.
Perhaps his important meeting had been canceled and he had come home early to surprise me.
I smiled to myself, feeling a sudden rush of warmth and affection.
I left the groceries on the large kitchen island and walked quietly up the stairs.
I wanted to catch him off guard and wrap my arms around him from behind.
But halfway up the wooden stairs, I noticed a piece of clothing draped over the polished banister.
It was a delicate, cheap white lace bra.
It absolutely did not belong to me.
My stomach plummeted as a cold sweat broke out across the back of my neck.
I instantly recognized that specific cheap lace pattern.
It was from a set I had seen Mia unpacking in the laundry room just weeks ago.
I stopped breathing entirely.
The heavy silence of the house was suddenly broken by a faint, echoing sound.
It was a sharp, high-pitched giggle.
It was coming directly from my personal sanctuary.
The master bathroom.
I walked down the long hallway, feeling like I was moving through thick mud.
Every single step was heavy, agonizing, and filled with dread.
The heavy oak door to the master suite was slightly ajar.
I pushed it open silently, careful not to make a single sound.
The soft ambient lighting of the bathroom spilled out into the dark bedroom.
I heard the rhythmic splashing of water coming from the custom jacuzzi tub.
I heard Julian's voice, low and husky, murmuring words of affection.
I heard Mia giggle again, a sound that made my blood run instantly cold.
I crept toward the bathroom door, my vision blurring with angry tears.
Through the narrow crack in the door, I finally saw them.
They were tangled together in the expensive heart-shaped tub I had designed specifically for my marriage.
Julian was kissing her neck with a passion he had not shown me in years.
Mia was running her hands through his wet hair, whispering his name.
May you like
My husband and the young woman I had treated like my own family were defiling the one place I considered sacred.
My entire world shattered in a matter of terrible seconds.
