Chapter 1 – THE SURPRISE

Tapping her fingers impatiently on the polished mahogany desk with her legs churning out of nervousness, Mackenzie wondered what her fate would be. Would she be lucky this time?

She noticed the clock across the office tick. It’s noon.

Shortly after, the door opened. A man in a lab coat entered with a report in his right hand. Mackenzie stood up with a curious yet worried gaze as she looked up at the doctor with a glazy expression.

"Doctor Paul!" Mrs. Axford's voice rang out.

The doctor nodded in acknowledgment, his gaze focused on her. "I have received your report, Mrs. Axford."

"H-how is it?" Her voice trembled with anxiety.

The doctor adjusted his glasses shrewdly, using his left hand before stepping into the room.

"Am I pregnant?" Her voice quivered with hope and fear.

"Why don't we have a seat and talk more about that, Mrs. Axford?" The doctor suggested calmly, gesturing toward the chairs nearby.

Now acutely aware of her anxiety, Mrs. Axford nodded, her heart racing and thoughts racing even faster. "Yes, doctor."

They settled into their designated seats, Doctor Paul easing into his chair while Mackenzie took the seat meant for patients or visitors, her body tense with anticipation.

"So, what have you found out, doctor? Am I pregnant?" Mackenzie's hands pressed against the desk as she leaned forward, her gaze locked onto the doctor's face, a mix of desperation and anticipation in her eyes. It was all she could do to maintain a semblance of composure.

After losing her child the previous year, her husband had been drifting away from her. It was obvious! He no longer looked at her like he used to. If she hadn't told him that she was trying for another child, he would stop coming to bed with her completely!

But these recent days, she found a ray of hope.

Hope.

A throbbing headache and feeling of nausea? Lightheadedness? Many would hate having these symptoms. But for her, it was everything! Mackenzie's hands unconsciously rested on her belly.

A pregnancy.

That was her hope to get back the attention and love of her husband. Just the confirmation of her pregnancy from the doctor after all the symptoms she's had the past couple of weeks. Her relationship with her husband would go back to how it was.

Blissful.

Loving.

Kind.

"I regret to inform you that your pregnancy test came back negative, Mrs. Axford," Doctor Paul conveyed gently yet directly.

Her hope crumbled, just like that. Mackenzie's voice was laced with disbelief. "What?!" She threw her hands over the desk rigidly, rising to her feet, her eyes glistening with tears. “No way!"

Doctor Paul's demeanor remained composed. As the Axford family's longstanding physician, he had developed an understanding of their dynamics. While Mackenzie had joined the family more recently, he recognized the significance of her potential pregnancy for her relationship with her husband.

"I even had some pregnancy symptoms!" Mackenzie interjected, her voice wavering.

Doctor Paul regarded Mackenzie sympathetically as her words tumbled out in a rush. "I had a splitting headache. I felt lightheaded and weak whenever I did not eat on time!" She declared, her disbelief still evident.

"About that, Mrs. Axford…" Doctor Paul's gaze remained attentive as he spoke, "You might want to sit down for this."

Distraught, Mackenzie sank back into the chair, her distress mirrored in her posture.

"The body scan indicated that you are not pregnant, Mrs. Axford. However, we found something else—"

"—Enough of the suspense, Doctor Paul. If you have anything to say, please say it!" Mackenzie's usually deliberate manner was overshadowed by her frustration. Doctor Paul's repeated emphasis on her not being pregnant, despite her symptoms, had chipped away at her patience. If it wasn't pregnancy, then what was it?!

"You've been confirmed to have Meningioma." The doctor pushed the report lying in front of him towards Mackenzie.

"W-what?" She shuddered, feeling her stomach tighten.

"That must have been the reason for your headaches."

"What's a Meningioma?" Mackenzie did not know what it was, even though she knew it sounded like something she should dread.

"A meningioma is a tumor…"

Mackenzie's stomach dropped.

A tumor?

"Yes. It is a kind of tumor that forms on membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord inside the skull."

Mackenzie swallowed, her heart, breaking, and throat closing up. How could she have such a horrible diagnosis? Just this morning, her mother-in-law had looked at her with such hopeful eyes. Her husband too… had looked at her a bit differently.

How could she go back home and tell them that she wasn't only 'not pregnant’ but that she had a tumor as well? It was beyond shameful to her. It made her scared. She did not want to die after all her struggles to live a good life started paying off.

Memories of her life back in the fields where she lived with her father in North Dakota consumed her and they made her want to cry.

Her father.

Her poor father.

She had not done anything for him yet. How could she have this deadly disease? How could she die and leave her poor father alone in this world? Would he even survive the heartbreak of losing his only daughter? He had gone through so much to raise her alone after her mother left the world when she was only a baby.

"Mrs. Axford, are you listening?"

Mackenzie was snapped out of her thoughts on hearing the doctor's voice. "Oh, yes." She said quickly.

"Then why don't we continue—"

"—No, I have something to do so why don't we continue this conversation another time?" Mackenzie said, grabbing her report and her handbag which was slung on the chair.

She was scared.

And she didn't want to hear a thing that would crush her soul any further. Most importantly, she didn't want to hear her death date. She was certain her mind would collapse if she heard that.

"Mrs. Axford, I understand that this result may be frightening for you. But with the right treatments, you can overcome it. Please come with your husband the next time you come for a consultation. That way, we can talk in-depth about your health and the best way to treat it as soon as possible."

That was as far as Mackenzie was willing to listen to before she walked out the door, hot tears rolling down her cheeks.

Chapter 2 – AS IF HE DIDN’T JUST CHEAT

She strolled down the hallway, remembering vividly the day she left home and got married. That stunning evening, her eyes were determined to move on to the next phase of her life.

She had thought that leaving her father would be the best option. That way, she would not be a burden to him, and she would even help him. But now that she was married, she had not been able to do a single thing to help him. Neither had she allowed him to visit her.

How could she?

Her father was poor and unsophisticated. He was no match for the class of the family she married into. Although she was the same as her father, her husband had upgraded her standard of living to his family’s own.

Mackenzie's tears continued to fall as she exited the hallway and headed for the exit.

What could she do now?

Once she got home and told her husband and mother-in-law that she was not pregnant and instead had a tumor. What would be their reaction?

As Mackenzie walked past the moving doors, the cold wind hit her face but it felt like a bucket of cold water had hit her. Her current situation dawned on her and she wiped her tears, suddenly having an insight into how to handle the situation.

Flipping her hair back, she moved away from the building to the parking lot, where her driver, Ben was waiting for her.

"Congratulations, ma’am." The driver said once they were within the same proximity. Mackenzie simply ignored him and entered the car.

Even the driver was looking forward to news of her pregnancy. She could only imagine how disappointed the others would be.

The ride home was quiet.

There was some tension in the air, and the occasional glances the driver sent Mackenzie's way proved that he could feel that something wasn't right with her. However, he would be out of line to ask.

As they reached familiar lands, Mackenzie winded down the windows and stared out to see the villa that stood dignified among the surrounding trees and plants.

They drove a bit further until they were up in front of a yard that separated the main house from the smaller unit. This was where Mackenzie resided with her husband. Although it was smaller than the main house, it was bigger than an average apartment and had a big park and garden. It even had a patio.

The driver pulled over in front of the house in the small parking lot next to a black Benz Mackenzie had seen before. But not at her house. Ever.

Mackenzie looked at the car again and exhaled seeing the resemblance to her sister-in-law's. Maybe Selene dropped by to say hello to her husband after greeting their father-in-law.

At the thought of that, Mackenzie's misery calmed a bit. She had had some personal contact with Selene and she could say with her heart that Selene was a sweet woman. Despite her tight schedule, she found the time to come and visit. She's so sweet.

Mackenzie thought as she walked into the house and assessed the door. Strangely, it was not locked.

Mackenzie smiled. It was a funny habit of her husband to leave the door unlocked. She didn't think much of it and proceeded inside. However, she as took a step inside, she noticed something odd.

A Louis Vuitton bag was laying right in the middle of the stairway.

Did Selene have an accident and fall?

Mackenzie remembered always seeing Selene in heels so that was the only possibility she could think of when she saw the expensive bag laying in the stairway.

Slowly, she strutted through the staircase and passed the hallway to her bedroom which she shared with her darling husband. However, just as she neared the door…

"ARGH! YESS!"

The sounds of someone's wet pussy getting pounded filled her ears.

"You love that, don't you, my love?"

"Mmh you bet I do, you monster— Aarhh yess!"

The sound of hips thrusting into each other in perfect sync with moans and groans of a man and woman reaching their climax.

Mackenzie would almost find that beautiful if she didn't recognize those voices. With her heart in her throat, she turned the doorknob and her heart sank further into despair as she was acclimated to see the proof of what beseeched those oh-so-incredible moans.

Selene's legs tightly laced around her husband's neck and her husband's pleasure organ, which was supposed to be preserved for her, was buried in Selene's protruding pussy.

That scene alone was gory but the reaction on their faces being caught was what horrified her. She could not even believe what she was seeing.

Jeffrey moved off Selene, holding his shaft which was going limp from his release and fixed her with a nonchalant stare. "What's the matter, woman? Cat got your tongue?"

Mackenzie shuddered seeing the expression of indifference on her husband's face. Neither did the woman he was in bed with look shamed. It felt like a rude slap on her face, a harsh reminder of exactly how valued she was to him.

"J-Jeff," Mackenzie struggled to say with quivering lips. "H-how could you do this?"

She looked at Selene next who was untangling herself from her husband's neck, her expression dull compared to before. It looked like Selene did not even care about the fact that Mackenzie just caught her fucking her husband. “S-Selene," Mackenzie was shaking now with both anger and dismay.

Even if her husband, Jeff cheated on her, he could have done it with someone else. Why his brother's wife, Selene?

It wasn't only her husband that was the culprit so she had to make Selene take responsibility as well. If she hadn't agreed to her husband's advances, they wouldn't be in this situation right now.

"How could you do this, Selene?! You're married to my husband's brother—"

"—Shut it," Selene moved away from Jeffrey on the bed and stood on her feet, showing her glistening body in its full glory.

Perky, small breasts that dangled when she moved, with the flattest stomach to make up for it. She did not have wide hips but she had a slim waist that made up for it and the longest legs Mackenzie had ever seen before. What’s more, she had the clearest of skin and she smelt like heaven.

Who could not want her?

But still… this was wrong!

"Because your stupid interruption ruined the mood, I'm no longer interested. And to think I left a gig just to have some fun," Selene stated unabashedly before letting out a yawn.

Selene O'Malley – that was her name. Amber-haired, with a pair of captivating green eyes. An exclusive model for Elite Model Management. Undoubtedly beautiful, but her current demeanor revealed a side of her that made Mackenzie see her as repulsive. All the pleasant behavior Selene had exhibited turned out to be nothing more than deceitful gestures.

"Listen closely, leech," Selene growled, stepping closer to Mackenzie and lifting her chin to meet her gaze.

"If you breathe a word to anyone about what you just witnessed, I'll tear apart everything you hold dear."

Although Selene's voice wasn't too loud, Mackenzie felt threatened. She froze, and as Selene picked up her things and left, Mackenzie felt defeated enough to know that she will not be doing anything about it. She was too frightened and too weak, despite the fact that what she just witnessed made her angry.

"Do as Selene said, alright?" Jeffrey's voice came across nonchalant, while he pulled on a pair of pants and casually draped a t-shirt over his shoulder.

Before exiting the room, he cast a brief glance in her direction and added, "Catch you later, alright?"

And with that, he strolled out, the subsequent door slam striking Mackenzie like a physical blow.

"Catch you later, alright?"

His words reverberated in her ears.

How could he say that? As if he hadn't just betrayed her?

"HOW?!" She cried out in anguish.

Chapter 3 – THE CURE WITH BODY PARTS

Mackenzie dunked down another glass wishing that the alcohol would dissolve the weight on her heart.

How could her husband whom she worshiped for years in their marriage cheat on her with…?

A tear rolled down her cheek.

Three years ago, she was a bustling young refreshing woman at the peak of life. Although she lived in the fields with her father, she was happy because she could help him out and give him a foot massage when he needed it after his tedious day at the farm. They lived a very limited life but since she was with her father and the neighboring sisters, she did not hate it.

Then Jeffrey came along, sweeping her off her feet the instant they laid their eyes on each other— Or was it her who fell in love first?

Jeffrey was a newbie in North Dakota and he'd somehow wandered off and got missing in the Noose Hage village due to the night's heavy rain. Like the lovely lady that she was, she helped him through the rain with her umbrella.

Sex happened and it created a passionate romance. She got pregnant, and Jeffrey married her straight away. Blinded by love, she did not give herself the benefit of the doubt. Neither did she turn around and look back at her old man. She had made herself believe she could bring to him what seemed to be a better life.

Mackenzie dunked down another drink and cried.

She'd thought of Jeffrey too much as a god and looked at him with a distorted eye view.

He dressed nicely. Along with his fine attires, he was a man of a charming disposition and sophisticated personality. That was how she saw him but then…

One day, he requested that she straighten her hair. Her natural chunk of black curls was too uncouth for her to wear in the presence of his family.

Without understanding the underlying meaning, she'd straighten her hair and slowly watch the shine in her eyes disappear along with the passion to be herself.

She started to live for her husband and the baby they were expecting.

And when she finally put to bed, the baby was delivered dead. She hadn't managed to breathe life into her offspring.

That was when the twist began.

Her husband changed. Not a 180-degree change but since she'd dedicated herself to him, she perceived the subtle shift from within him. However, that shift soon became something she feared when her mother-in-law started acting mean to her like she didn't just lose a child.

She didn't even have time to mourn her dead baby. Instead, she spent that moment of hardship trying to pacify her husband and mother-in-law so they wouldn't neglect her. Her husband was still important to her even when it seemed as though he didn't hold the same weight for her in his heart after the loss of their child.

How could a woman whose new life was dependent on her husband live?

She wanted his attention back. And most importantly, his affection. She'd seen a glimpse of how important having a child was to him so she decided to sacrifice her inner wounds to give him another.

A living child.

She lived through her mother-in-law's insults and husband's neglect. Recently, their behavior toward her began to be more positive when they suspected that she was pregnant with all the sleepiness, lethargy, and lightheadedness- symptoms women who have once been pregnant could attest to as the early stages of pregnancy.

Was it that the universe was shining kindness on her once again?

Would she be accepted and loved once again after telling them what they wanted to hear? That she was pregnant?

Mackenzie grabbed the liquor and chugged it down, feeling nothing but an indescribable feeling of emptiness as she drank away her sorrow.

But when she got to the hospital…

Instead of being diagnosed with pregnancy, she was diagnosed with a fucking tumor!

Why?!

Mackenzie was screaming in her head. Her drowsy system and unresponsive body wouldn't let her let out the screams. Tears rolled further down her cheeks which she didn't bother to wipe.

The bar lights were dimmed. The music was pretty loud. She was alone in a crowded room, completely and utterly drunk.

As if cupid interfered, on the seat next to her was a man whose whole disposition screamed wealth and power.

"If you can't handle your drink, then don't have any," he advised her, his attention shifting to the waiter as he placed his order.

The lights seemed to dim further as Mackenzie looked up with equal disregard at the man who had spoken to her with contempt. From her side view of him, she could easily tell that he was a huge man. Even sitting, his toned and strong looking shoulders were a mile long in his shirt.

Did that stop her righteous indignation? No.

How dare he?

Did he know what she was dealing with? No. Did he have any idea that there was no hope for her? No. So he definitely did not have the right to sit next to her on the table only to pick on her!

"If…" Her voice trembled as she spoke, the heat of her anger radiating off of her. "If you don't know… what someone is going through, then you have no right to be mean to them!"

There seemed to be a pause as the bar lights went even dimmer to flash swift spotlights to fit the soft but frenzy music blasting in the background.

The man looked at her, awed by the rawness in her voice and the fierceness in her eyes. He noticed the parted sweep of silky hair covering her face and the dullness of the lights. She glared back at him, getting a glimpse of intense blue eyes through her swimmy vision, but she was too pissed off to care right now.

Without another word, Mackenzie got off the seat with the liquor tightly in her grip, placed a wad of cash on the table, and found her way outside.

As she got away from the club's vicinity, she felt droplets of cold liquid fall on her face. She dunked down the liquor she was holding to contain herself but as the heaviness in the sky thickened and sent down an overwhelming amount of rain, she exploded into tears and the bottle fell next to her feet, breaking into a thousand pieces.

"WHY?!" She roared into the rain.

A crowd passed her frantically to search for shelter away from the rain, only she didn't move from where she was standing despite the consistent but unintended shove on her side and shoulders.

It continued to rain thunderously and she just stood there, drenched and soaked. She felt a mess just like she was on the inside.

"Hey! You, over here!" a voice called out.

She glanced up, a strand of her once-straightened hair falling across her face.

It felt eerily familiar,

Just like the first time she had met Jeffrey, her hair had been wet and naturally curly. Mackenzie's fingers instinctively reached to touch her hair as another shout pierced the air.

"Miss! Are you getting in or not?!"

Following the sound, Mackenzie's gaze landed on a waiting taxi a few meters away, its door opens and a hand beckoning to her. As if on autopilot, she moved toward the cab, her movements disconnected from her thoughts. Sliding into the back seat, she shut the door and only then fully realized how drenched she was.

"Sorry, I'm completely soaked," she muttered in a monotone voice.

"Don't worry about it. Where can I take you?" the driver inquired.

Mackenzie told him to drive her to the nearest hotel. Unlike many fortunate people, she no longer had a home. At least for tonight, she would feel more comfortable anywhere in Greensville hills. As long as she wasn't in her husband's house.

When they arrived at the hotel, it had stopped pouring. Mackenzie paid her fare and got into the hotel.

She got checked in and got a key for room number 223.

By now, she was completely tired and wasted. She could no longer hold control over her body. Although it was her spirit that was broken, it affected every piece of her being.

Ding!

Mackenzie got off the elevator and started to unbutton her shirt when she saw what seemed to be her room number in sight. She opened the door freely, forgetting that she must have needed a key.

"Wrong room—" A voice said

"No…" She whispered.

It was the man from earlier. That deep, masculine voice was the same. His heated blue gaze washed over her skin, taking in her disheveled and wet appearance. His lips twitched when he heard her.

Mackenzie unbuttoned the last of her shirt and tossed it aside, revealing her wet but sturdy bra that tugged so close against her chest, enunciating her ample breasts.

Before the man could say anything else, she slid off her skirt and the man only reached her as her skirt hit the floor.

"Miss,"

She stumbled and he caught her before she could fall, enveloping her in his strong arms.

He would've loved to keep an oh-so-dear distance between them but it seemed almost impossible because this woman clearly could not even stand.

He shivered, aware of the meshing of her skin with his. Despite its coldness, he found his body induce another layer of warmth into his skin. He could not ignore the rapid throbbing between his legs underneath his towel.

This naturally intelligent man looked at Mackenzie's face and was astonished.

He'd seen many women but none felt as real and innocent as her.

Mackenzie threw her arms over his neck, all her uptightness and conformity to her own rules, broken.

It hadn't gotten her far in her marriage anyway.

If she would have to end up doing something this obscene, she didn't mind it. Not that her rigidity towards her husband's standards mattered anyway. He still cheated.

So she kissed the dear stranger, a tear trickling down her face as she did.

The stranger froze, taken aback by the woman's boldness. But he was much more surprised by how much he found his body reacting to her touch. Her lips…

However, he broke away and gently pushed her away but she seemed to find her way back to him. He was about to push her away once again but when he stared down at her pleading eyes, he hesitated.

Mackenzie grabbed the stranger's hands and said with shaky lips, "Please… touch me."

Intimacy.

What was it exactly?

The stranger took her to his bed and went to close the door before tossing aside his towel. Then he got on top of her, muttering one more time. "Are you sure?"

She touched his lower body and muttered a yes.

Her eyes were teary but firm, showing her resolve. The stranger didn't know what it was but he felt as though this woman needed something and somehow, he had the cure.

So he made love to her. Taking her with a passion she thought she knew, but was missing in her life all along.

Intimacy…

Was it just the connection of two bodies? Or was it much more?

Like, the connection of two souls, one of them healing the other's hurt?

The night had slowly passed, along with the cupid's arrow of passion that seemed to have been fired previously.

Beep

Beep

The sound of the message notification seemed barely enough to wake a ponderous man like Chase but it did.

Chase woke up and when he did, his woman was not in his arms.

His woman?! Where is She?

Chapter 4 – WHAT TO DO NEXT

Chase sat up in bed, rubbing the heaviness in his eyes but it didn't seem to be any good. He brushed back his tousled-from-sex hair and let out a breath.

Last night…

The innocence of that woman's voice, the intensity of feelings in her eyes, and the precision with which her curves were carved. The beautiful curls that danced across her face, her melodious moans when she cried with pleasure. It was beyond incredible the amount of effect she had on him to make him mad enough to wish she was his woman.

But where was she?

He touched his lips and when he stared down at the sheets, he was convinced she had been here in his room.

She hadn't been a dream!

Chase's gaze shifted to the nightstand and the pile of cash next to a written note moved him.

Did the woman from last night leave that here?

His guess proved to be precisely that when he grabbed the note and scanned through it.

Hi… It's me, the woman you had a one-night stand with. I'm sorry… but please, forget it ever happened. I'm a married woman and last night happened due to my negligence. I'm really sorry, please accept my apology.

Chase reread the note and squeezed it over the palm of his fingers, anger stemming from him as gazed at the pile of cash on the nightstand.

What in the world did she think of him?

How could she call last night… a mistake?

He remembered the kneading of her breasts and how vulnerable she'd been underneath him. How her body ignited his passion and help him make her cum?

Chase was not a dunce. He'd seen beautiful women. Many of high caliber, some of them had even had cosmetic procedures to commensurate their already breath-taking beauty to appeal to him. Indeed, they were appealing but he wasn't attracted to them. Not even his own wife, a beauty queen who hadn't undergone any cosmetic enhancements.

Many would wonder, why would a man who had a beautiful wife have a one-night stand with a woman who didn't compare to his wives’ beauty.

Chase didn't know either.

But he did know that his mystery woman had sparked a flame within him that he thought would remain missing in his life. Something his wife had never been able to get out of him. Not that he even remembered the last time he'd been intimate with his perfect wife.

Ring!

Ring!

The ringing of the phone got Chase's attention and now he just had to pick it up while trying to cater to the rejection of the mystery woman that had left no trace of who she was. She hadn't even dropped her name.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Chase, it's about time you picked up. What were you up to last night? I tried reaching you, couldn't get through. Don't tell me you're buried in work during your break, Mr. Workaholic?" An enthusiastic yet teasing voice responded.

Chase rubbed his temples.

It was his close friend and cousin, West, who derived pleasure in taunting him.

**********************

Mackenzie had thought tiptoeing into the house for her not to alert her husband on her night out escapades but the moment she arrived at the top of the stairs, she met her mother-in-law in the walkway.

"Mackenzie," her mother-in-law's gaze fixed on her, causing her to freeze. "Where were you last night? You didn't even bother to swing by the mansion and share the good news with me and your grandfather."

Mackenzie felt a shiver run down her spine.

"G-good news?" Her words came out in a stutter.

Nothing good had come out from the previous day's endeavors, especially not her drunken night's endeavor.

But the deed had been done and to face her behavior now made her feel like a failure. What was the point of last night if she couldn't even own it? To look at her mother-in-law now made her want to break. How much to face her husband?

He was a proud cheat, she was not.

"You know…" her mother-in-law hinted with a subtle wink, "your little trip to the hospital."

Mackenzie was well aware of that.

But to be honest...

She just couldn't.

"You don't have to tell me about it right now!"

"What—"

"You can share it with the whole family during dinner."

"Dinner?" Mackenzie's voice came out in a small whisper.

"Exactly. Your grandfather has requested that you and Jeffrey join us for dinner. And there's one more thing, your brother-in-law and his wife will also be there, so be prepared."

"Shall I inquire about the dinner menu, so I can oversee the kitchen sta—"

"—No!" Her mother-in-law's interruption was a touch too swift, prompting Mackenzie to give her a skeptical look.

It had always been normal for Mackenzie to supervise cooking at her husband's house and organize special dinners for gatherings at her father-in-law's place, so her involvement in meal preparation was usually appreciated. Mackenzie couldn't help but wonder why this time was any different.

"Well," her mother-in-law said playfully, dragging a perfectly manicured finger across her neck. "What I'm trying to say is… you don't need to cook tonight, or for any upcoming meals. Look at you," her mother-in-law's expression turned concerned, and Mackenzie found it difficult to decipher if the concern was genuine or not.

"You appear pale, and those dark circles..."

Her mother-in-law abruptly gasped and caressed Mackenzie's face. "Don't tell me that stubborn son of mine is stressing you too much. Really, he can be a lot to handle sometimes but I can assure you that he loves you very much!"

The atmosphere between them suddenly changed as Mackenzie stared down at her feet as though indignant to speak.

Her mother-in-law also picked up on this but brushed it off with a nervous laugh. "Why don't you go to your room and rest, huh? Relax and tell me if you need anything, okay."

After patting Mackenzie's palms, she walked off with an enthusiastic stride.

Mackenzie just knew.

Her mother-in-law was treating her well because she thought she was pregnant.

Mackenzie bowed her head. Even though she did not like that her husband had cheated on her, she felt that maybe things would somehow work out and they would remain a happy family.

She entered her room and pulled open the cabinets where she usually kept her supplements but what she saw next made her almost have a heart attack. It was a pack of condoms!

She knew that she and Jeffery never used condoms when they were together because they were planning on having a baby, but for Jeffrey to have this many condoms?

Mackenzie checked the nearby garbage can and immediately leaned back against the wall from the sight of the multiple used condoms.

Now that she paid attention to the room, the smell of cum reproached her. She couldn't even cry anymore.

Jeffrey had taken even that from her. Her will to grief for the loss of the affection of her husband.

So she left the room, taking with her a vitamin supplement and her bag.

Downstairs, there was a small room next to the patio.

In the past, it had been her safe haven because she could engage in a hobby she was fond of. Woodwork.

Since her teen years, she'd been interested in woodwork in furniture that she usually extended her help to those who needed her assistance and for free as well.

Even though she got married, her interest in furniture didn't cease but unfortunately, her mother-in-law didn't like that, so she threw out some of the furniture that she made leaving only a few scraps.

Mackenzie caressed the surface of one of the stools from the past that she had left incomplete.

After all, her mother-in-law had told her,

"Woodwork is dirty. You can no longer do that! Now that you've married my son, you have to pay attention to everything you do so as not to put him and our family to shame!"

Mackenzie didn't know how long she stood there, admiring her incomplete crafts and wishing she could experiment with them for a bit when she heard voices coming from the patio. She couldn't help not hearing the disturbance, after all, this room of hers was the closest to the patio.

Mackenzie moved closer to the window and opened just a creak and saw her husband and mother-in-law standing outside. They looked to be in a heated conversation judging by the tones of their voice and body language.

However, Jeffrey seemed more laid back.

Usually, Mackenzie would avoid listening to a conversation between the mother and son but she felt drawn to hearing this one. For some reason, she felt as though there was a message in their conversation that was meant for her.

"Jeffrey, could you please try to be a little kinder to Mackenzie?"

"You're referring to that hag?"

Mackenzie's eyes widened.

Hag?

Hearing that word from her husband's lips made her feel low. Although she understood that when she first met Jeffery, she hadn't paid too much attention to her looks but after they got married she'd touched up her looks to appear more attractive to him. Did he not even consider that?

"Whatever! I heard that you didn't go to the office this morning and instead you went to a hotel with some gorgeous lady. I heard she ditched you and that's why you're back home early and not because you finished your work on time."

Silence

"Did you think I wouldn't find out? What the hell do you think of me!"

"Mother, it's not as if my contributions matter. Just let my assistant do all the work as usual."

"You idiot!"

"But you know it's true, mother. As long as you have my back, nothing bad will happen. And about Mackenzie, there's no problem. Even if I cheat in her face, she won't ever leave me. That's just the way she is, that weak woman."

Mackenzie easily let go of the window and leaned back against the wall.

"A weak woman, he said." She muttered with a pained expression.

"Still, be good to her. She's pregnant. Right now is a crucial time for her and us as well."

"Ahh, that woman is such a bother. Why did she have to get pregnant so easily back then if she was going to deliver a dead child."

"I know right? Back then, I was the one who persuaded you to marry her because she was pregnant. If I knew that it was no good, I would have told you to desert her but anyhow, now she's pregnant again. If she gives birth to a son, ten percent of the Axford conglomerates will be yours. That was the percentage of the share your father promised you back then, I don't believe he'll forget about it in a hurry."

"Yeah."

"That's all you have to say? That's no good! You have to promise me that you'll be good to Mackenzie. Don't forget, this is for your sake."

"Fine, mother. I'll do as you say."

"That's my good boy!"

That was all Mackenzie heard before the voices and footsteps vanished.

It was right then that she made up her mind on what to do next.

And it definitely didn't have to do with getting back on good terms with her husband.

Chapter 5 – FORCING HER INTO SUBMISSION

The black Lamborghini pulled over at the mansion and once the door opened, three imposing figures stepped out. Two were men, and the third was a familiar woman with a pair of seductive green eyes and amber hair.

"Darling, we're running behind schedule," she remarked to the detached man by her side, glancing at the time on her Patek Philippe wristwatch.

His answer was a simple shrug before walking to the mansion. He didn't want to be here anyway.

The other man placed both hands behind his neck, his playful light brown eyes gleaming with mischief. "Isn't he the coolest?" He said to Selene sarcastically.

Selene looked at him from the corner of his eyes, her eyes unfriendly as she walked past him.

He slowly followed behind the odd couple, a large portion of his brown hair falling over his face as he walked, due to his fringe hairstyle.

He was wearing a white turtleneck knitted shirt and gray pants with a pair of brown sandals. His appearance looked clean, fresh, and laidback like his personality.

The man walking up ahead briefly stopped when he reached the front porch, his parted sweep dancing around his face when the cold wind hit him.

Standing on the front porch reminded him of how things had moved from being sweet and friendly to bitter and disastrous.

It had all started many years ago, the era of a new dawn in his life.

After his mother passed, his father quickly replaced her absence with a hot, savvy woman who worked as a secretary in his workplace.

He swallowed, bringing his thoughts back to the present moment.

There was no use thinking about the past. He didn't care about it anymore.

"Chase,"

The sweet cologne of his perfect wife caught up to his nose and it made him look to his side where she was standing, her eyes shining with delight as she looked at him.

He cleared his throat and stared straight ahead.

It was Selene O'Malley, his wife.

Her face was perfect; her body was perfect.

"I'll go in first," She said softly before walking in front of him to the door.

Even her walking pose was perfect.

And that perfection of hers was what was suffocating to him.

Unlike the woman he had a one-night stand with the previous night, she felt fake. Chase knew comparing his wife to a woman he'd only met briefly was cruel but he couldn't help it. His wife was just too remarkable but she had no depth.

Chase stared at the open door and could subtly hear familiar waves of laughter of excitement from within.

She was even the perfect daughter-in-law.

But all of that didn't matter when she couldn't light a single spark in him as his wife.

"What are you doing?"

Chase looked behind only to find his cousin, West staring at him with a knowing grin. "Won't you go in?"

Chase looked straight ahead and walked in, his cousin moving slowly behind him.

The lights, and chandelier that was hung in the middle of the living room… It hadn't changed but the house was no longer what it used to be. It wasn't his warm and safe haven anymore.

"Chase, you're here!" His father's voice called out from across the room.

"I'm here too, uncle Richard," West remarked playfully, heading towards the dining table.

Chase watched his wife and cousin as they blended beautifully, fitting in with his supposedly cultured family.

His father, Richard Axford was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. Simple clothing, you'd agree but his blue eyes and charming smile made him look beyond simple.

His wife, Eleanor was right by his side wearing a sparkling black dress and a full-face makeup but her straight eyebrows and red lips were the main highlights along with her bob hair.

Her son and Chase's stepbrother, Jeffery, was sitting quietly like a perfect son, not even making an effort to greet him but Chase didn't mind it. He couldn't be bothered either.

Next to Jeffrey was his wife, Mackenzie. She looked normal as usual but then he noticed something different about her tonight. Her aura seemed more sensual than usual and it called out to him.

"Chase, my son!"

Chase's attention was averted once again by his enthusiastic father.

"Apologies for the delay," he addressed his father, though his tone held no hint of remorse.

"No worries. Anyway, I'm pleased you could join us. And you've brought West with you!"

Mackenzie ran a finger over the curls on her face.

Ever since Jeffrey's brother, Chase Axford, and wife, Selene O'Malley joined the table, she'd noticed the subtle look her husband gave Selene and it disgusted her to her very core.

Chase Axford.

He was a graceful man with a handsome appearance but he always seemed so cold and unattainable. She wondered how Selene was lucky enough to bag such a good man and yet cheat on him. But it was also no wonder, after all, Selene was a beautiful woman. There were just some things that were acceptable for her to do.

Everyone finally settled down at the dining table and Mackenzie felt insecure sitting with her husband's family.

They all seemed to carry an aura of wealth that she lacked despite the fact that she was wearing her expensive purple dress.

It didn't help matters that she'd left her hair curly as a way to protest against her husband and embrace her real self but somehow, being herself in a sophisticated family like this one felt impossible.

Her mother-in-law's perfect bob made her look younger than her age and her brother-in-law and his wife looked like royalty.

Chase Axford was wearing a simple black suit but on his body, it looked firm and sleek. His face… was like a dream. The parted wave of black hair crossed over his face gave him the perfect conjuring appearance.

His eyes were deep and reminded her of the stormy seas. It was intimidating to look at, yet for some reason, she found herself glancing at him from time to time which was very unlike her.

His perfect nose…

His heart-shaped pink lips and chiseled V-jawline looked as though they were carved by gods. His bulging Adam's apple when he swallowed… was the sexiest motion she had ever seen, for some reason.

Watching him do basic things was, for some reason, turning her on.

Watching his hands as his picked up a glass, the veins flexing against his skin with the motion. The way he lifted it to his lips and drank from it. She was held spellbound, watching him swallow. Then he brought the glass down, a flash of his tongue subtly licking the moisture on his bottom lip.

She wouldn't have paid attention to him at all. She was usually too busy making sure her husband ate well to care but after what her husband did—

She didn't care if admiring his brother's features lustfully was wrong.

As Chase placed his half-filled glass down, his gaze moved to Mackenzie.

As they made eye contact, she froze, her breath hitching in her throat from how unreal he looked. Sea blue clashing against hers.

Intimidated, she looked away.

Chase didn't.

For some reason, she sparked something in him looking like that.

Her curly hair.

Her sexy fiery hazel eyes.

Her natural plump pink lips.

The purple V-neck dress she was wearing hugged her body.

She was beautiful tonight and the awkward shyness that she emitted after getting caught staring at him was cute.

But for some reason, she looked familiar. Her subtle intricacies, and the way she carried herself.

"Mackenzie," Richard Axford said after a couple of minutes.

Some conversation had gone around without Mackenzie getting involved. He wanted to involve her as well.

"Is that a new hairstyle that's in trend these days? It looks lovely on you, dear."

"Thanks, father," Mackenzie said with a smile, "But I have to say, it's my natural hair."

Something in Chase's chest tugged afterward.

Jeffrey's wife's natural hair had always been curly. How could that be? He always saw her wearing straight hair. Tonight is an exception, of course.

"Jeffrey always preferred straighter hair, so I made it a habit of straightening my hair,"

She always had curly hair?

Chase looked at her and immediately remembered last night.

The mystery woman who had crossed his path and seduced him to bed with her fiery eyes and raw passionate tone.

For some reason, Mackenzie and the woman he had a one-night stand with, seemed too similar, or was it just his imagination?

"Why didn't you go for straight hair tonight?" Selene inquired, her tone carrying a hint of superiority.

"I simply wanted to give my hair a break," Mackenzie responded, sweeping her curls aside. It was at that moment that Chase realized something.

He found Mackenzie so familiar because he knew her from last night. She was the woman who'd begged him to make love to her. She was the woman that evoked sexual desires out of him just by looking at him. And right now, he could feel himself getting turned on by her voice and sensual nature that seemed so natural to her.

Chase clenched his fists but kept them hidden under the table.

This innocent wife of his stepbrother was not who she portrayed herself to be.

Chase usually didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs but in this case… He had to show her her place.

How dare she get him involved in her suspicious parade while she was married, and to his half-brother!

It was beyond annoying. He had to get back at her somehow!

While last night had meant a lot to him, to her, it was just a fun activity, a pastime.

Ring!

Ring!

Chase snapped out of his trail of thoughts on hearing his phone ring in his pocket.

It wasn't a call he had to pick, but he used the opportunity to excuse himself from the table to get himself together.

He'd never felt this used in his entire life.

He understood that life had a series of problems and it was inevitable to run into countless few but this joke that was played on him seemed a bit too much from the side of the universe.

How could the woman that had evoked his desires last night be his half-brother's wife? He didn't understand it at all!

While organizing his thoughts, he saw Mackenzie storm down the hallway.

Was she trying to leave because she recognized him? That had to be it! Although, he had to applaud her for maintaining a poker face at the dining table.

Without hesitation, he followed her outside, his heart slamming hard against his ribcage as he did.

"Mackenzie!" He shouted.

She came to an abrupt stop and pivoted to meet his gaze, her eyes trembling as they locked onto his.

"It's you, isn't it?" He pressed, his voice demanding, "The one who pleaded with me to sleep with her last night."

"What are you talking about?" Her voice quavered, recognizing the accusing shades of blue in his eyes.

She didn't understand why he would say something like that to her. He was her brother in law, how could he—

Mackenzie's thoughts went out the window when he leaned in and kissed her hotly, his tongue forcing her into submission.