Chapter 4: The Bar Scene

By the time we arrived at the bar, the others had already gathered. I used to attend these gatherings regularly. I was well aware of what they got up to—things certain men deemed their prerogative. Yet every time, I could never suppress the discomfort. Inside, Daniel sprawled across a plush sofa, his limbs splayed. To either side sat two sultry women, scantily clad. Around him, the other men weren't far behind—some had women perched on their laps, hands roaming. Daniel entered alongside me, his brow creasing. "Leave. All of you. Now." Daniel's gaze drifted toward me, and understanding crossed his face. "My bad. I didn't notice Evelyn was here. Ladies, out!" Only after every woman had filed out did Daniel saunter up, slipping his arm around Daniel's shoulder. "Bro, you've always been this way since college. I've never seen you touch girls like them." My face remained stoic. Daniel had clearly seen far too little of Daniel's past. I'd witnessed Daniel kissing and embracing another woman. My gaze flicked to Daniel—watched as he shoved Daniel back by the shoulder. "I'm married, Daniel. A married man ought to keep himself away from these games. Of course, since you're still single, I don't suppose you understand the rules we adhere to." The room erupted into laughter. Daniel laughed, too. His hand slid smoothly into mine and led me to a seat. There, he turned those dark, ocean-deep eyes toward me and smiled. In that instant, I thought I glimpsed the man I married. "Fruit? Babe?" he asked, plucking a skewer and offering it to me. He waved to his friends. "If you're going to smoke, take it outside. Evelyn doesn't like it." I accepted the fruit from his hand and let him continue. I barely blinked. My attention remained fixed on his expression, desperate for a c***k. But I found nothing. There was nothing beyond his unwavering focus on me. Suddenly, Daniel's gaze flicked downward, catching the exposed skin of my legs. He reacted immediately, shedding his jacket and draping it across my legs. "Don't catch cold, E. Stay warm." Daniel let out an amused laugh. "I knew it. Daniel is the perfect example of a doting husband! It's been three years since you got married, and you're still acting like newlyweds. It's unbelievable." Their laughter carried through the room. Daniel joined in, gracing them with an easy smile. And yet, doubt pulled at my heart. Was it really just an act? I rose abruptly, retreating from the suffocating noise. My thoughts tumbled over each other. "It's late. I want to head home. Enjoy yourselves." Daniel began to follow, but Daniel intercepted him. "Evelyn's heading to bed so early, but not you, man. It's barely eight! It's been long since we last hung out, Bro. Don't be a bummer!" I shrugged Daniel's hand from my wrist. "Yes, a rare chance to catch up. Stay and enjoy yourselves. Have a good night." Without giving Daniel the chance to protest, I slipped from the room. I moved toward the waiting car, ready to instruct the driver to leave. But a flash of recognition stopped me dead. At the entrance stood a woman—impossibly striking, blazing with brazen charms. Platinum blonde hair swept down, cascading across the bright crimson of her tight dress. Black stockings hugged her legs. At her throat sparkled an array of glittering jewels. The men clustered nearby began to whistle. But her face—oh, God, her face—froze me. Amy? What was she doing here? And why now, just after I'd left? My hands trembled, blood running cold. Quietly, I followed her. Amy didn't flinch. With unerring certainty, she approached the very room I'd just left. Adjusting her hair, she spritzed perfume into the air before pushing the door open. Before it closed, she slipped onto Daniel's lap, twisting her hips as her arms slithered around his neck. "A—you promised you'd come to my place tonight. Why'd you get me here instead?" His grin flashed predator-like. "What, you don't like it?" he teased, brushing his fingers against her nose before pulling her into a kiss. His hands began to wander, slipping beneath the hem of her dress. Amy moaned. Her dress fluttered slightly, as if Daniel had s*****d her. "Babe, the moment I laid eyes on you today, I knew I had to do this—" Fabric tore. The audible rip stabbed through my ears—Daniel shredding her stockings. No one found the scene shocking. Another man had a girl's boobs exposed. Others engaged in acts I couldn't force my eyes to linger upon. Daniel's touch became even more explicit, his hand vanishing between Amy's legs. She moaned loudly. "No underwear. I like it." I felt the world tilt beneath me, vertigo spinning the air into suffocating weight. Was it really Daniel? I'd never seen him act like this. He was about to have s*x with Amy in a bar private room. Blood rose thick in my throat. My body grew heavy with exhaustion. I had to brace myself against the wall just to keep my legs from giving out. Daniel's laugh broke through the haze. "Come on, bro. This isn't your bedroom." The exact same scenario played out again. All the men erupted into laughter. This time, it was a knowing, shared smile about what Daniel had done. My throat constricted. My stomach churned with nausea. Daniel—and those hands that touched me, that held me, that shielded me—had touched her v****a. I needed to go home and scrub my skin raw. A hundred showers? No. A thousand. I wanted to escape this filth and shower away the degradation. And yet... Daniel's mention of my name stopped me cold. "Bro, trust me—you've been good enough to Evelyn, but she's just a woman. I mean, come on—what real man with success only has one woman?" The room fell silent. Daniel's face suddenly snapped to clarity as he pulled back from Amy's chest—his expression hardening. "I've told you many times before—whatever I do, don't let Evelyn know. Not a single word. That's my bottom line." Daniel's sudden shift left Daniel bemused. "But we've been careful all this time. Years now—and she doesn't suspect, does she?" "But why?" Daniel pushed Amy aside, lighting a cigarette. I never knew he smoked. When had he started? "When we started dating, I once asked Evelyn what she'd do if I ever cheated." "I thought she loved me enough to forgive me, or maybe give me a second chance." "But Evelyn said the moment she caught even a trace of infidelity, she would disappear from my life. Forever. And I'd never find her again." His quiet words hung in the air, heavy and solemn. "I couldn't imagine life without Evelyn. From that moment on, I devoted myself to her utterly." So, he remembered. He knew—he always knew. But why did he still do this? My nails dug into my flesh, my wolf ready to burst forth. Only to hear his final words instead. "And that's why I've made sure she'll never find out, no matter what I do out here." Daniel's voice faded into fog. My reality fractured. I teetered on the precipice of consciousness. My body gave way just as the earthy scent of cedar drifted faintly past. And darkness claimed me.