CHAPTER THREE: LAST TIME

SELENA'S POV

My eyes slowly opened as the warmth of the morning sun brushed against my face.

For a moment, I didn't move. My head was heavy, my body sore in places that made memories of last night rush back like a sudden wave, the club, the drinks, the stranger.

My heart skipped.

Slowly, I turned my head to the right.

And there he was.

He was still asleep, one arm thrown lazily over the pillow, his chest rising and falling in a calm rhythm. In the soft morning light, he looked unreal, like some kind of fallen demigod resting after a war. His jawline was sharp, his dark hair slightly messy from sleep, and his bare chest looked even broader than I remembered.

My cheeks warmed as flashes of the night before played in my mind. The way he had touched me, held me, looked at me like I was something worth worshipping. No man had ever made me feel that way, not even Kelvin. I admitted that to myself shamelessly.

I swallowed.

Too bad I would never see him again. Last night had been nothing but a fantasy, a reckless escape from a broken reality. Now morning had come, and with it came the truth. Divorce. Betrayal. A bastard husband.

I slowly slid out of the bed, careful not to wake him. My legs trembled slightly as my feet touched the floor. I gathered my clothes quietly and slipped them on, then looked back at him one last time.

He really was dangerously handsome. The type of man women probably fought over.

I shook my head.

Last night was just a mistake or maybe a necessary escape. Nothing more.

I reached into my bag, pulled out a few dollar notes, and placed them gently on the bedside table beside him. At least I should pay for his service. The thought made me laugh quietly at myself. Look at me, a married woman leaving money on a stranger's nightstand like some cheap transaction. Life was funny sometimes.

I walked to the door, opened it gently, and slipped out before closing it behind me. Only when I reached the hallway did I finally let out the breath I had been holding.

Good. I didn't get caught.

I hurried downstairs, stepped outside, and got into my car. Within seconds, the engine roared to life and I drove away, back to the place that used to be my home. The place that held a facade of happiness.

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

When I arrived, the house looked exactly the same as it always did. Big, beautiful, and completely empty. Kelvin was still not back. Better.

I stepped inside quietly and locked the door behind me. The silence was almost mocking.

I walked upstairs, peeled off my clothes, and stood in front of the mirror. For a moment, I just stared at myself. My body had changed, fuller in some places, softer in others. I had gained weight, and I knew it.

Calista was the opposite. Slim, tall, effortlessly perfect. The kind of woman men stared at when she walked into a room.

I bit my lip before I could stop myself.

"I guess every man wants her," I muttered to my reflection.

Then I shook my head firmly. "Stop it. Don't compare yourself to that bitch."

I turned away and stepped into the shower. The warm water ran over my body, washing away the scent of last night but not the memories. Not the pain. Not the betrayal.

When I came back downstairs, old habits took over without my permission. Even with a broken heart and a looming divorce, I found myself doing my usual wifely duties, cleaning the living room, arranging the kitchen, then cooking. Maybe I was stalling. Maybe I just needed to keep my hands busy while I waited for Kelvin.

And finally, the front door opened.

My hands froze.

Kelvin walked in. The moment his eyes landed on me, he stopped, and his expression twisted into something close to disgust. He didn't say a word. He simply walked past me and went upstairs like I was furniture he was tired of seeing.

That devil.

I clenched my teeth and stayed silent.

A few minutes later, he came back down with a file in his hand.

"Sign it." He threw it onto the table like coming any closer to me might contaminate him.

I picked it up slowly. Divorce papers. I thought I had prepared myself for this moment, but seeing it written so officially still sent a dull ache through my chest.

"Can I say something?" I asked quietly.

Kelvin looked at me for a long moment, his expression cold and impatient.

"Come with me somewhere," I said. "And I'll sign the divorce papers after."

The vein in his forehead popped immediately. "You don't fucking have a choice," he snapped.

"Please."

The word tasted bitter in my mouth. But I needed this… just one answer, just one truth. After a few seconds, he gave a short, impatient nod.

"Fine."

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

The drive was completely silent. Kelvin shifted in his seat several times, his irritation practically radiating off him. I let out a quiet, bitter smile and kept my eyes on the road.

"Remember the first time you taught me how to drive?" I asked.

No response. Of course.

After a few more minutes, I finally stopped the car. Kelvin stepped out immediately, frowning as he looked around.

"What are we doing here?"

I stepped out slowly. The wind brushed against my hair as I looked around Fountain Valley, this exact spot. My chest squeezed with the weight of what this place used to mean.

Five years ago, everything had been different.

I turned to face him. "This is where you proposed to me."

Kelvin rolled his eyes like I had just bored him to death. But I didn't care. I needed to ask. Needed to hear it. Despite everything he had done, some part of me still loved him, this man I had given years of my life to. And I needed just one thing from him, one honest answer, before I could finally let go.

I took a step closer, my eyes locking onto his.

"I stand here today to ask you one thing." My voice was steadier than I expected. "Did you ever love me?"

For the first time since he had arrived, Kelvin didn't look annoyed. Something shifted in his expression, a hesitation I hadn't expected, a flicker of something almost human.

"I—"

His phone rang.

The sound sliced through the moment like a knife. Kelvin pulled it out of his pocket without a second thought, and I saw the name glowing on the screen before he could hide it.

Cali..

A slow smile pulled at my lips even as tears rolled quietly down my cheeks. I wiped them away.

Of course. Even here, even now.. she came first.

That was all I needed to know.