Chapter 204

Disappointment floods my chest, a sense of disbelief washing over me. “You think I would trust you again after everything? After how you treated me? You expect me to just come back and forget?”

His eyes narrow, disappointment etched into his features. “You were faithless. I thought you’d be loyal. I never expected you to abandon everything we built together.”

“Built?” I retort, anger boiling just beneath the surface. “You think what you built was something I wanted? You tore apart the life I wanted to create, Christian! You made choices that left me no choice but to run!”

He takes a step closer, the distance between us charged with tension. “And you think you’re blameless? You think you had no hand in this? You could have fought for us, for our family. You chose to run, Iris. You left me – for – for fucking him.” Christian’s hand twists in his hair as he turns to me, and I see that the pain of this still runs deep.

After five years Christian…is still wounded about this.

Honestly, I’m a little shocked. After all, I moved on.

But he, clearly, never re-married. Never had kids. Never built a new life. Instead, he just entrenched in this one.

I lift my chin, defiant. “I wanted a simple life,” I say quietly. “Free from fear and violence, for me and for any children I brought into this world. But you made it clear that wasn’t what you wanted.”

Christian falls silent for a moment, the air between us thick with unresolved emotions. But then, I sense a shift. I’ve pushed him, and I can see it in the way his jaw tightens.

“Tell me, Iris,” he says, his tone colder than before. “Did you ever love me? Did you ever really care?”

I feel the weight of the question settle on my chest, and I know my answer must be honest. “I did love you,” I say finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “But you turned that love into something twisted. I wanted a partner, not a monster.”

His eyes flash with a mix of emotions—hurt, anger, and something else I can’t quite identify. “You were supposed to be my wife. You were supposed to stand by me. If you had just trusted me…”

“And what about Lucy?” I interrupt, the question escaping my lips before I can stop it.

Christian stares at me, a flicker of anger and surprise crossing his features. “What does Lucy have to do with this?” he murmurs, taking a sip of his whiskey. My attention peaks at this, at the way Christian has backed off a little here.

“Lucy has everything to do with this,” I reply, leaning forward to better observe his reaction. “You betrayed me with her, and you expect me to forget that? You expect me to pretend everything is fine?”

His expression shifts, anger flaring. “I never crossed a line with Lucy.”

“Oh, yes you did,” I say, narrowing my eyes at him. “Lucy, offering herself to you on your knees? And you lied to me – telling me you turned her down, when you didn’t – you wanted her to think that you were considering it so that she would continue to serve you – and you were probably going to take her up on it at some point! After all, you’ve never just had one girl, have you?”

Christian snarls, his hand tightening on his glass. “Nothing. Happened.”

I cock my head to the side, calmer than I thought I’d be. But I realize, suddenly, that I have the righteous position for once and he knows it now. “Where is she now, Christian?”

He turns his face away.

I scoff, a little laugh tumbling out of my mouth. “Oh my god,” I whisper. “Is she still here?”

He clenches his jaw.

“Oh gross,” I sigh, slumping back on my seat, knowing that it doesn’t matter anyway. I mean, it’s not like I was faithful to my marriage in the past five years. But still, the idea that he kept her – his brother’s fiancé – as his little mistress in this house all this time –

That he brought me back here with her in some room down the hall –

“Lucy is not your concern,” he snaps, whipping his eyes back to me.

“And what should my kids call her when they see her in the kitchen?” I ask, dry, tilting my head to the side. “Auntie Lucy?”

“Yes,” he answers, a growl in his voice. “That should suit just fine.”

I laugh at the irony in this and shake my head, looking away. “So now you want me to come back, to pretend as if nothing ever happened? You expect me to just accept this, the way things are now?”

Christian opens his mouth to respond, but then closes it, frustration evident in his demeanor. I can see the battle raging within him, a storm of emotions colliding in a way that mirrors my own turmoil.

“Iris,” he finally says, his voice low and pained. “I’m trying to fix this. I’m trying to make it right. But you have to meet me halfway.”

“Meet you halfway?” I echo, incredulous. “You want me to forget your betrayals, the chaos, and just fall back into the role of the perfect wife who just…accepts everything on your terms? Accepts you having a mistress down the hall!?”

“As much as I accept you back into my home with a daughter who is the result of your own affair.” Christian snaps, leaning forward towards me. “Yes, Iris, I expect both of us to make concessions in this life.”

“Why do you even want me here, Chris?” I ask, pressing my hands to my heart as I stare at him – at my husband. “Why – why didn’t you just move on? Marry Lucy? Start a life with her? She, clearly, wants this!”

“Because you’re my wife,” Christian replies, his voice low and gritty. “That vow means a great deal to me, even if it meant nothing to you.”

“Infidelity?” I spit out, anger surging through me. “You have the audacity to lecture me about loyalty after what you did?”

Christian laughs, the sound harsh and mocking, echoing off the opulent walls. “That’s rich coming from you, Iris. You ran away with Frankie, for God’s sake. You think you can stand there and preach to me about loyalty?”

“Infidelity is not just about bodies, Christian!” I retort, my voice rising. “You broke the trust we had. You chose to betray me with Lucy, and you think I’d stand by your side after that?”

He shakes his head, a cruel smile twisting his lips. “You talk as if you’ve been the faithful one. You left me! You abandoned everything we built, and now you want to come back and pretend that none of it matters?”

“I left because you forced me to!” I shout, frustration boiling over. “You turned our marriage into a nightmare! I was drowning in your world of violence and deceit. Please, just let me go. Let me live my life without this constant reminder of your betrayal.”

I look away, battling the emotions swirling within me. Can I really take that leap? Can I forgive and forget, the way he wants me to? The questions hang heavy in the air, and I know this is only the beginning of a long, painful journey.

The tension in the master suite hangs thick like a storm cloud, ready to unleash its fury. I can feel the weight of the unspoken words between Christian and me, a chasm that has grown wider with every passing moment.

Christian’s expression hardens, and he steps closer to me, clearly standing his ground. “No, Iris. You married me before God. You’re always my wife, no matter what you did. I will never let you go.”

The weight of his words hangs heavy in the air, and I feel my resolve starting to crack. “You can’t just force me into this. We cannot be a family again. Not after everything that’s happened.”

His eyes flash. “The choice is not up to you, Iris. Not when it comes down to it. Because I’m aware that that boy isn’t Frankie’s child.” His voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. “He’s mine. And you’re a fool if you think I wouldn’t notice, or that I’d let you keep him from me. No, I have a right to my son, and I will raise him myself.”

Frustrated, Christian tosses the rest of his whiskey back and begins to pour another as I sigh, my last little bit of hope slipping away from me.