Page 103 of Checkmate
“You didn’t have to tell her, Marcus,” she said. “She could have lived in ignorant bliss.”
“Tell me something, Sophie,” Marcus said after a moment of silence. “Would you have continued the affair? Say I didn’t tell Erica, and it was only our marriage that went down the shitter. Would you have continued?”
“No,” she said, elongating the word. “I already ended things with Alex about two weeks ago.”
“That explains your sudden personality switch,” he said. “Lost your husband and your boyfriend. Rough time for you.”
“Shut up, Marcus. There was no need to tell Erica, the affair was over—”
“I told her months ago, Sophie. We’ve known since your birthday.”
“Why didn’t you say something to us? We could have fixed this so much sooner.”
“Fixed how?”
He glanced at Erica, who rolled her eyes.
“Well, it doesn’t matter now, does it?” She said. “You’ve already ruined it.”
“Don’t you care? At all?”
“I’m sorry that people got hurt,” she admitted.
This time, Marcus rolled his eyes. “But you don’t care about getting caught?”
“Jesus, Marcus. Let it go, would you?”
“Answer the question.”
“No, okay?” She said, her voice more shrill than usual. “I don’t care that you caught us. Put in the same scenario, I’d still go after Alex and I’d still have the affair. I am sorry that you got caught in the crossfire, and Erica seems perfectly nice, so I feel a bit bad. But I don’t care.”
And there it was.
Sophie could dress this up however she wanted. But, when it came down to it, the only person she cared about was herself.
“I like things to go my way, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure I get what I want.”
Her words from their first date flashed in his mind. She had told him from the very start who she was, he’d just taken her selfishness for ambition.
“That’s why I told her,” Marcus said finally. “No one deserves to be in the dark in their marriage. No one deserves to get cheated on.” He reached for Erica’s hand, curling his fingers around hers. “And your selfish ass wasn’t going to tell her. I don’t know about you, Soph, but I like to have all the information when planning my future.”
“Well, it sounds like she has no future, so well done. No husband, no job—”
“She has a job,” he reminded her.
“Okay, no proper job,” Sophie sneered. Refusing to rise to the bait, Marcus sighed.
“Why did you call, Sophie?”
“I already told you. Alex called me, completely distraught. He said Erica handed him divorce papers, and you kissed her!”
“Okay. And?”
“You told me you weren’t shagging her!”
“I’m not,” he replied. “I kissed her for the first time today upon learning she’s single. I kissed her today for the first time after months of wanting to. After months of her showing me what a genuine connection with someone feels like. I kissed her for –“
“Okay, alright! I get it.” Sophie sighed as he turned his attention to Erica and the small smile lingering on her lips.
