He stared at my expression—the quiet, knowing look in my eyes—and something in him faltered. The fury on his face seized up. His gaze darted sideways, unable to hold mine.
"What are you talking about? We're husband and wife. There's nothing disgusting about that."
I slammed the door shut. I couldn't stand the sight of him for one more second.
The man I'd once admired—all that cool, aristocratic composure—was nothing but a mask over something vile and shameless.
The next morning, the moment he left for work, I called a private investigator.
When the PI laid the files and footage in front of me, my legs gave out. I sank into the chair, and for one blinding moment, all I wanted was a knife.
Damian Ashford. How could you do this to another human being? Aren't you afraid of burning in hell?
Fine. Every sin you've committed—I will repay double.
I shut myself inside the house for three days straight. I couldn't face those videos. I couldn't bear to imagine how many people had already seen them.
When Damian finally came home, he found me slumped by the window, reeking of liquor, too drunk to stand.
He walked over and pulled me into his arms with a sigh.
"Serena, I'm sorry. Has someone been running their mouth again? If it's too much for you... we can get a divorce."
He looked so pained. So devoted.
I calmly pushed him away and stared straight into his eyes, searching for even a shred of genuine sorrow—some small proof that all the years I'd poured into this marriage had been worth something.
"Damian, I haven't done anything wrong. Why are you doing this to me?"
Damian froze for a moment, then his eyes reddened with what looked like hurt.
"Serena, I'm not... a real man. I understand if you look down on me. But I really don't want to leave you." His voice cracked, and he pulled me close, burying his face against me as he cried.
In that moment, I caught a glimpse of the Damian from ten years ago.
Back then, he followed me everywhere, calling me his "little Serena," pressing the finest pastries into my hands. When he took me hiking, he carried me on his back all the way to the summit.
Under a sky blazing with stars, the boy's eyes shone brighter than any of them. He held my hand so tightly it almost hurt. "Serena, I never want to leave you—not in this lifetime. Let's be together forever, okay?"
I'd believed we would have that forever.