His Regret, Her Redemption.

Cat's heart beat against her chest to the roar of the slamming front door shut after her. Her breath came in shallow gasps, and her mind struggled to keep up with what her eyes had just seen. Then, right there in the center of their marriage bed, was her husband-her husband, with another woman.

The woman lay in the bed, her legs all spread out, and his tongue moving in and out of her, her scream vibrating across the room. She stood and watched as her husband was rough handling another woman's breast making her cum and also him cum without doing too much, her heart bleed as the sight. Her husband has refused to touch her claiming he was too weak and tired to do anything, even if she pleasure his cock, sucking on it as its life depends on it, he would only snap and tell her not to do it again. She felt the sting of the betrayal like a blow from a truck, and then, in that instant, she came to a reality and dashed at the door again.

Her hands shook as she grabbed the frame of the doorway, and the flood of anger and disbelief washed over her, the building wave ready to drag her under. The woman was on him now, their bodies intertwined in a beautiful rhythm that resulted in a strong shaking that ran through Cat bodily like a surge, she was moving herself down to his cock and going back up in a melody that made something stuck on her throat. Her knees gave way, but she pushed herself forward, her vocal cords tight but strong as she screamed, "Stop! Stop! What the hell is going on here?"

But he didn't even flinch. Her husband, with his cold, detached expression, turned his head towards her, his eyes cold and unbothered. He didn't even have the decency to stop. Rather, he casually addressed the woman with a grin, "Just don't mind her. Keep going. I'm almost to the point of releasing my seed into your perfect heaven."

Cat sensed her chest constrict, the humiliation and rage morphing into a pressure that felt like a fire in a hose, flowing through her veins. She didn't know whether to scream, to cry, or to simply collapse in defeat. But she refused to show weakness in front of him.

"What. What's this?, she inquired, trying to make sense of the scene in front of her.

They still didn't mind her. The woman moved faster as her husband screamed and she brought her breast to him to suck the hell out from her. Cat refuses to let her tears fall again for him.

Her voice wavered, but she couldn't stop herself. "I went to the supermarket today, and the account. It's empty. She paused, the realization hitting her like a cold slap. "Did you- did you use it to bet again? You know that money is barely enough to keep us going? We haven't paid rent for this month, and we were holding the landlord for last month. Do you want us to get evicted? To starve to death?"

Her husband didn't even look her way, only staring at the woman in his arms and whose soft laughter did terrible things to Cat's gut. He didn't care enough to even look at the woman he had sworn to love. The woman he promised to live his entire life with, in sickness or in wealth-- until death do them part.

"You're always looking at my bad side, Cat". His voice was low, mocking, as if she were nothing more than an annoyance to him. He slid out from the woman's pussy but didn't bother to dress up. "Maybe you should get better first, and rather not stand here sulking every day. You look older than me, and it's disgusting. I'm done with it." He redirected himself towards the other woman, leaving his wife behind, a distinct person altogether.

Cat could feel the tears welling up, but she refused to let them fall. Not yet. She wasn't weak- she wouldn't break in front of him. She had worked so hard to build a life with him, and now, in an instant, everything had been shattered. "What did you use our savings to do? I want to know?"

He looked at her with hatred and disgust. if looks could kill, she would be dead by now. "What do you think I used it for? I got a new wife, and I needed a ring to propose to her. You were always so stupid and dumb."

Her throat hurts, she tried to swallow, but the lump refused to go down. "You've been using our savings... to buy a ring for her? Her voice broke, but she held on to her anger. How could he do this?

Her own husband made a grunt sound and seized the woman in his hands so that he was up to the level of her chin and gave a kiss to the woman. "She's everything you're not, Cat." He whispered in the woman's ear, and she blushed, hiding behind his hand as if it were a shield.

"Why–" her voice broke, her eyes burning. "You promised me that we would always be together. You freaking promised"

The woman glanced at Cat with a smirk, her lips curling in disdain. "He doesn't want you anymore, sweetheart. Her voice dripped with venom. "I'm the one he loves. I'm the one who can satisfy him. You're just a shadow in his life. You meant nothing to him, just take a good look at you, do you think he is going to choose you over me."

Cat's chest tightened at the words. "How dare they?"

"No... this can't be real. Please, tell me this is a prank. Cat's voice wavered with desperation as she stepped forward, reaching out to her husband. "Please, tell me you didn't do this... I can overlook that you made a mistake and brought a prostitute to our bed. Please-"

The woman groaned at me, her eyes staring dagger. "Who do you think is called a prostitute? I am his fucking bride. She showed cat the ring. The diamond is shining and glinting in the room.

"You told me you couldn't afford a ring on my own wedding day but you bought a diamond for another person" the tear that threatened to fall started pouring. This was the height of it all

But her husband didn't even flinch. He scoffed, his eyes glinting with malicious amusement as he reached for something on the bedside table. "It's not a prank, Cat. It's over," He raised a piece of paper, a divorce. Without hesitation, he slapped it onto her chest. "Sign it, or get out. I don't want to see your face ever again. You sticks and my wife can't be smelling you in her room"

Cat recoiled, her heart shattering in the face of his coldness. "You've got to be kidding me. She took a step back, unable to believe what was happening. All that we've been through. And that's how you repay me?"

He sneered at her, his gaze hardening. "We've been through nothing, Cat. You're just a mistake I'm fixing. He stepped closer, his hands gripping her by the neck, his touch suffocating. "Sign it, or I'll make sure you never see another dime. This money was from our joint account. I have the right to it too. You loved me right and want my happiness, my happiness is you leaving me and signing the divorce papers"

Tears spilled down Cat's cheeks as she trembled. The weight of his words crushed her, but she fought to keep her composure. She felt like screaming, rebelling, but all she could come up with was that she stood there dumbfounded. "You're making a mistake... You are going to wish that you didn't do this. I promise you."

He inserted the pen into her hand, his face a picture of pleasure. "Sign it, or I'll make sure you regret it."

Cat stared at the paper, her tears making the text become unclear. She didn't want to-she didn't want to-but her hand shook as she wrote her name. The divorce was official.

Her husband took the paper, waving it in front of her like a victory flag, a cruel smirk spreading across his face. "Finally. I'm free of you. He pushed her out of his way with a force that knocked her to the floor. "Now get out and never show your disgusting face here again."

Cat rose from a kneeling position with trembling limbs, her body riddled with the force of her feelings. She wanted to collapse, but she refused to show weakness. Instead, she turned toward the door, her voice barely above a whisper but filled with venom, "You'll pay for this. Everything you've done to me... I'll make sure of it. You will regret this."

She vowed to herself as she walked out, still bleeding, that she would never let him take her whole. She wasn't done. Not yet.

Cold air slapped against Catherine's face as she ran, blinded by tears, her chest heaving with each breath. Her legs burned, but she didn't stop. Not until her foot caught on an uneven pavement did she crash to the ground. Pain shot up her leg with a scraped knee, but she did not notice it much. The ache in her chest, the suffocating weight of betrayal, swallowed every other sensation.

She lifted herself pushing herself up, stumbling on wobbly legs, and at last, seeing her surroundings. Her breath hitched.

The club.

The place where she and Alex had spent countless nights, where they had celebrated his birthday, where she had first met the man who shattered her heart.

Memories pestered her, but rather than flinch, she stepped closer to the inside.

The thumping bass vibrated through her bones. Low neon lights washed the scene in reds and blues. Laughter, toasting, and the smell of liquor hung in the air. She reached the bar, pushing herself for balance while grasping its edge. Prostitution attendees hold onto each other while dancing on the pole. Their movements are daring and beautiful.

"I need something strong, " she rasped, barely able to hear herself over the music.

The bartender, a tough guy with a keen look, pushed a wine glass at her. Immediately, she held it up to her mouth and swallowed it in one bite. The burn seared her throat, but the pain was welcome. It was safer than the void eating away at the inside of her.

She ordered another. And another.

Her vision blurred, and the world around her tilted slightly. However, as soon as a rough hand seized her arm, pulled her from the barstool, a clear bucket of ice water hit her like a full glass on the back.

"Come on, girl. You're up," a gruff voice ordered.

"What?" Cat frowned, struggling to stay upright.

"No games," the man snapped. "You were paid for. Now, go get cleaned up."

"I don't understand what you are talking about, I am just here for a drink. Nothing else," I replied, while I struggled to pull away, yet it proved impossible.

"You assume you are just going to get my money and do not need to earn it. You wanted to run, right?" He asked me.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Can you let go of me for a moment?" I said as I tried to balance myself from tipping over or vomiting all over the place.

He signals a sign.

A woman appeared beside him, gripping my wrist like a vice. "Move."

"I don't- I'm not- The words tumbled from her lips in confusion, but the woman wasn't listening.

Cat braced herself to the floor, but she was not strong enough, too far gone in addiction and sorrow. She was pulled through a back corridor and tossed into a dark bathroom.

"Take a bath," the woman instructed coldly. "Your client doesn't like filth."

"I'm not a-"

She frowned at me. "Why do you always like to run with his money?"

" What?" I said to myself, thinking it was just the alcohol I drank. "I don't owe anybody anything, ma. You took the wrong person."

"You are tonight," the woman interrupted. Her gaze hardened. "You either do the job or return the money. Your choice."

"I am not a prostitute," I shouted, straining my voice. Finally, I got her attention. She looked at me with a cold stare.

"Erica, are you trying to run away from your responsibilities?" my woman responded, folding her hands around her breast.

"I am not Erica, I just got divorced, and I came here to drink my sorrow away, not sleeping with anybody."

" Ohh my dear," the woman moved closer to me, she took my hand and started to rub it gently. "I'm sorry about your marriage, but you can't wallow in alcohol and cry yourself to sleep. Do something that will make you forget him."

" How–" I can barely say the words.

"Just one night, we can't afford to lose this client. Do it for yourself, too. Maybe destiny wanted you to be here tonight and let it work its magic again."

Panic squeezed Cat's chest. She hadn't agreed to this. But the woman's words echoed in her mind. Destiny already had this in store for you.

Perhaps this was fate's way of telling her to just let go. She was no longer Alex's wife. No longer the woman who had built her whole life around a man who betrayed her.

A new life. A new beginning.

Her hands vibrated as she disrobed and moved into the cold shower. It tumbled over her, water washing the blood from her knee, numbing the remaining throb of her indecision.

As she popped out from beneath the counter, the woman handed her a pair of stringy G-strings and nothing else.

Cat's stomach churned. "I-"

"You'll get used to it," the woman cut in. "Now go."

Her bare feet padded down the cold hallway. She got to a door, and her heart beat so hard it drowned out the background music.

She knocked.

A deep, cold voice answered. "Enter."

The room was dark, except for the glow of a fireplace in the corner. Shadows flickered against the walls, casting eerie shapes. She hesitated, fingers gripping the doorframe.

"Come forward," the voice commanded again.

Her breath hitched. "I-I can't see," she stammered. "I don't want to fall."

A soft click. One lamp flickered on, illuminating the room in shimmering gold light.

And there he was.

Seated on an expensive leather chair, one leg crossed over the other, was a man who exuded power. Tall. Broad shoulders. Appearance, A sculpted jaw, as if it had been made from stone. His piercing gaze locked onto her, dark and unreadable.

Her pulse skittered.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Crawl."

Her spine stiffened. "Excuse me?"

His expression didn't change. "Crawl to me."

Heat flared in her cheeks, mixing with shame and something dangerously close to intrigue. She clenched her fists. Was he testing her?

But then she remembered the woman's threat. "If you screw this up, the boss will come for ya."

Swallowing hard, she bent down at the knees, hands and knees, and into a fetal position, humiliation coursing through her veins. Slowly, she crawled toward him, feeling his gaze trace every inch of her body.

When she got to his feet, he lifted her chin with a single finger. His contact was unexpectedly soft, but his countenance was still stoic.

"Beautiful," he murmured, almost to himself.

Cat's breath caught. The room felt smaller, the air thicker. His fragrance-a blend of musk and designer perfume-enfolded her, disoriented her senses.

"What's your name? he asked, his voice low and smooth.

" Catherine," She hesitated, her senses overriding her to ask first the questions of her being. However, before she could, he made contact with her lips by pressing a finger against her lips.

"No questions." His tone was final. "Obey, and you won't be punished."

A shiver ran down her spine.

He leaned closer, his lips brushing against her ear. "Unfasten my belt."

Her fingers fumbled as she obeyed, slipping the leather from its loops. His hands found her waist, lifting her with effortless strength. Before she could even react, she was sitting on top of him, her knees sinking into the soft padding of his chair.

His face was inches from hers now. The flickering light caught the sharp angles of his features, making him look almost unreal.

He held her cheek and caressed the under lip with his thumb. "You're trembling," he observed.

She was. But not just from fear.

A dangerous hunger swirled in his eyes, one that mirrored the unfamiliar heat building in her core.

"It's just one night," she reminded herself silently. "Nothing could go wrong."

He leaned in. She let him.

The first touch of his lips was slow, testing. Then, as if something snapped, he deepened the kiss, claiming her mouth with a need that sent fire rushing through her veins.

Her hands tangled in his hair, gripping tight. He moaned against her mouth, his fingers ran down her back, making her shake.

He pulled back just enough to whisper, "Tell me, do you want me?

Her breath hitched.

His fingers ghosted over her breast, teasing. Her body arched instinctively.

A hoarse "yes" escaped her lips.

That was all he needed.

He held her breast softly, folding it gently; they made Catherine moan in pleasure. She arches herself towards him. He pulled down the small garment covering her breast and brought his mouth toward it. His hot, wet mouth drew an intense scream from her as she used her hand to push his head further, surrendering herself totally to him.

The following second faded to heat, affect, and desire so intense, Cat lost all thought of the past. Of Alex. Of betrayal.

Because tonight, she wasn't Catherine Landon, the abandoned wife.

She was someone else. Someone who didn't care.

And for once, she welcomed it.

Warmth wrapped her. A solid arm draped over her waist, and a steady heartbeat thrummed against her back. The scent of expensive cologne and musk filled her senses.

Catherine's eyes fluttered open, the unfamiliar ceiling above her bringing reality crashing down like a tidal wave.

Her breath hitched.

'Last night...'

Heat rushed to her cheeks as flashes of tangled sheets, heated kisses, and whispered words replayed in her mind. Her pulse quickened when she felt the firm grip around her waist tighten slightly, as if the man beside her wasn't ready to let go.

A mix of emotions churned inside her. Shame. Regret. A lingering, unwanted thrill.

Her fingers curled into the sheets. 'What have I done?'

A bitter taste coated her tongue. She had become the very thing she despised-someone like her husband. A cheater. A liar. And now a prostitute.

Her throat tightened as she pried his arm off her body, careful not to wake him. The warmth disappeared instantly, replaced by the cold bite of reality.

Slipping out of bed, she moved quickly. The wooden floor was cold beneath her feet as she grabbed her dress and stumbled into the bathroom.

The moment she turned on the shower, icy water cascaded over her skin, making her gasp. She scrubbed her body until her skin burned, as if she could wash away the night's mistakes. But no matter how hard she tried, the ghost of his touch lingered.

She exhaled shakily. 'Get a grip, Catherine. He did it first, and you are no longer married to him. Stop feeling guilty.

Dressing hurriedly, she cast one last glance at the sleeping man. His face was peaceful, his dark hair tousled from sleep. She felt a strange pull in her chest, but she shoved it away.

She had to leave.

Without a sound, she slipped out of the room, her heels clicking against the marble floor as she ran.

---

Catherine barely remembered how she got home. The moment she stepped into the house she once called hers, she froze.

A heavy silence filled the room, broken only by the ticking of the grandfather clock.

Then, her stomach dropped.

Alexis family.

They were all seated in the spacious living room, their judgmental eyes pinning her in place.

Her mother-in-law's sharp gaze flickered over her disheveled state before her nose wrinkled. "What is that stench?" she demanded.

Catherine blinked in confusion.

Alex's cousin sneered. "She reeks of a man."

Panic shot through her veins. "No... no, they can't know."

Her husband-no, ex-husband-sat-sat with his arms crossed, a self-satisfied smirk tugging at his lips.

"She finally decided to show up," Alex drawled. "Tell us, Catherine. Where exactly were you last night?"

His words dripped with mockery, but his eyes held something colder. Something triumphant.

Her hands balled into fists. "I came to pack my things."

His mother scoffed, standing to her full height. "Pack your things? After abandoning your husband? After whoring around?"

His cousin looked at her with venom in her eyes. "I always didn't like her, I knew something was up with her. Finally, you all can see her bad behavior, sleeping around with different men."

Catherine flinched as if struck.

"You dare walk in here smelling like another man?" Alex's uncle spat. "And you wonder why your husband replaced you."

Her chest tightened. Anger flared, fighting against the lump forming in her throat. "Replaced me?" she echoed, her voice shaking.

Alex leaned back lazily. "Of course. I already told my family the truth-you were never a good wife."

Catherine's nails dug into her palms. "The truth?" she bit out.

"Yes," his mother chimed in, her gaze filled with disgust. "You refused to give him children, refused to take care of him like a proper wife. A man has needs, Catherine. And you-" she looked her up and down with disdain "-you were too busy gallivanting to satisfy your husband. You were rebelling against him and making him feel less."

Catherine's breath came in short, sharp gasps. The injustice of it all clawed at her throat.

"I sacrificed everything for this marriage!" she snapped, her voice raw with betrayal. "I supported him, took up a different job so that we could have something to eat, I worked alongside him, and what did he do? He used our savings to wed another woman!"

Silence.

Then, Alex's mother scoffed. "Excuses. A marriage without intimacy is bound to fail."

Catherine's vision blurred. Her heart pounded, her body trembling with rage.

"You never even asked for my side of the story," she whispered.

"You've said enough," Alex's cousin interjected. "We don't need the words of a-"

A sharp slap cut through the tension.

Catherine barely had time to react before Aaron's mother lifted her hand again, fury blazing in her eyes.

"You will not insult my son in front of me!" she shouted.

Catherine stood frozen, her entire body vibrating with suppressed emotion. Her lips parted, but before she could speak-

A deep, commanding voice sliced through the chaos.

"I'd suggest you rethink that."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Catherine turned, her breath catching in her throat.

A tall figure leaned against the doorway, his dark eyes scanning the room with cold amusement. He was dressed in a crisp suit, his presence demanding attention.

Her stomach twisted into knots.

No. It can't be...

Alex's face twisted in shock. "You-"

Catherine's blood ran cold.

The man from last night.

The stranger who had held her, kissed her, and touched her.

And now-

"Your flight was scheduled for tomorrow, you came early, Aaron," Alex's mother greeted him.

He didn't answer her.

I turned to look at him, praying he wouldn't remember my face. The shame curled like a fist hitting me hard. I swallowed as I tried to act normal.

Her husband's outcast stepbrother.

Her pulse roared in her ears as panic took hold.

He turned to Alex's mother, his lips curling into a smirk. "I just arrived. Did I miss something?"

Catherine's heart pounded so loudly she could barely hear anything else.

What was he doing here?

And more importantly-

*Did he know who she was?*