Chapter 5 The Ex Returns

(Esther's Point of view)

It began as a mere whisper.

A sensation, an odd change in the atmosphere, like a storm brewing on the horizon, threatening to upend the fragile equilibrium I'd painstakingly established with Matthew. I'd been attempting, in my own understated fashion, to acclimate to my life here. The contract, the chill of our marriage, the space he maintained-at least it was consistent. I was still acting the part, but I believed I was improving.

Then, I saw her.

Rebecca.

I didn't recognize her immediately. The woman across the room, laughing with a cluster of guests. She seemed so composed, so utterly in command, and everything about her radiated authority. Her long, blonde hair fell in a smooth cascade, and the red dress she wore hugged her figure with the kind of confidence only a woman certain of her beauty could manage. It was effortless.

It was too easy.

Then, our eyes locked from across the room, and everything fell into place.

Rebecca.

She was watching me. Not just a casual glance, but a full-on stare, as if she held a secret I was oblivious to. As if she was daring me to discover it. And in that instant, something twisted inside me. I couldn't identify it immediately, but it was a feeling I didn't want to confront. Jealousy.

But not just my own.

I saw Rebecca's lips curl into a smirk, the kind that sent a shiver down my spine. I could feel her-her very essence. She was Matthew's history, and yet, there she was, right in front of me, poised to upend everything I believed about him.

I should have walked away. I should have hunted down Matthew and dragged him away from this. Anything to sidestep the inevitable, but I just stood there, paralyzed, as she drew closer.

With each step, the atmosphere thickened, crackling with an energy I couldn't quite identify. I inhaled sharply, attempting to compose myself, but the words that followed were a physical blow.

"Well, well. If it isn't Matthew's new plaything."

Her voice was a sugary poison, laced with a sweetness that made my skin crawl. She wasn't here for pleasantries. She wasn't here to be civil. No, she was here to deliver a message. And I was the intended recipient.

I fought to maintain my composure, forcing a smile.

"Excuse me?" I managed, caught between feeling threatened and just plain furious.

Her eyes danced with a hint of amusement as she closed the distance, invading my personal space with deliberate intent. "I said, you're just a toy. Haven't you figured that out? Something to kill time."

I opened my mouth, but no sound emerged. My heart raced as the truth of her words sank in. She wasn't just speaking to me; she was speaking about me. She was trying to make me feel small, inconsequential.

"You see," Rebecca continued, her voice dropping, "Matthew doesn't keep people around for long. You're just a temporary distraction for him."

You really think he's going to let you in? He never does. Not truly."

Her words landed hard. I wanted to snap at her, to insist she was mistaken, that Matthew was different. But I couldn't-because a part of me feared she was right.

Heat rushed to my face, and my body went rigid. "I think you're wrong," I said, my voice unsteady, but my words resolute.

Rebecca tilted her head, observing me. She was relishing this, the control she had. "Am I? You honestly believe he'll stay with you? You're just a temporary fix."

A pretty little distraction.

I wanted to flee, to escape, to sidestep the inevitable, yet I remained where I was. I couldn't let her get to me. I couldn't.

Rebecca wasn't finished. "Let's be honest. You're just a piece in his game, Esther. That's all you'll ever be."

That's when I spotted Matthew.

He strode across the room, his presence still as powerful, but his eyes-his eyes darted between us, a barely noticeable flicker of something I couldn't identify. He halted just before us, and his gaze turned steely when it met Rebecca's.

"Rebecca."

His voice dropped, a clear warning.

I couldn't see his face, but the way he said her name-like he was trying to hold back a growl-made my stomach twist.

Rebecca smiled, all sugar, her gaze fixed on me. "Matthew, darling," she cooed, her voice thick with insincerity. "I was just having a little chat with your wife. She's so... delightful."

His jaw tightened, and for a heartbeat, the air between us felt heavy. I could sense Matthew's anger building, a tempest ready to unleash.

"I think it's time you went," Matthew said, his voice a frigid whisper.

Rebecca arched an eyebrow, clearly unfazed. "Leaving already? But we were just getting started."

Her gaze darted toward me, the smirk still firmly in place.

Matthew remained unmoved. "I said, leave."

Rebecca's smile dimmed, though she didn't protest. She simply pivoted and strode away, pausing only to cast a final look back at me. "You've been warned," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, just loud enough for me to catch it. "He doesn't stay with people like you."

I stood there, watching her go, my pulse racing. Every fiber of my being screamed at Matthew, demanding to know why he let her talk to me that way. Why didn't he stand up for me? But I didn't. I couldn't.

Matthew moved nearer, his mere presence a force, and I couldn't quite tell if I felt comforted or even more lost. His gaze was locked on me, and for a heartbeat, the world around us fell silent.

"Esther," he murmured at last, his voice low, though still wary. "She's mistaken."

I remained silent, just watching him, grappling with all the words he'd spoken, the words she'd spoken, and what it all meant for me.

The doubt, the nagging worry that Rebecca might be onto something, refused to budge. Not now.