Page 4 of Checkmate
Marcus sat back in his chair with a puff of air, the back of his throat stinging with emotion. Anger raged in his veins, followed by a profound sadness.
He didn’t know what to do other than sit there and stare at the screen.
At least now he knew why she wasn’t sleeping with him.
He’d worried about her gift, scrimping and saving every penny he had to buy her something special. And for what?
For her to spread her legs like a fucking whore.
Four years he’d never get back wasted on someone who clearly didn’t deserve his effort.
You’re a fucking doormat.
Oh, how obvious it seemed now. Even doormats didn’t get used as much as he obviously had been.
Fucking bitch!
Pushing back from his desk, Marcus stomped to the kitchen. The monitor’s glare lit his now empty chair. Grabbing a bottle of bourbon from his last birthday, he found his emergency pack of cigarettes, and took his seat again, hoping the words on the screen had somehow changed.
He poured himself a drink, knocking it back in two swallows. A second immediately followed the first. And then a third.
Only then was he ready to confront what those saved texts meant.
His wife was cheating on him. With her married boss, no less. They’d mentioned her name once or twice. His eyes scanned the text until he found what he was looking for.
Erica can’t find out. If she does, we’re over. Never forget, this is just sex.
She was cheating on him with this prick? A man who hid her away as though ashamed of her?
Way to kick a man when he’s down, Soph.
Scoffing, Marcus grabbed a pen and a sheet of paper. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag, ignoring the foul taste against his tongue. He’d get used to it again in no time.
With nothing else to do, he put pen to paper.
Dear Erica.
Growling, he scrunched the paper and tossed it over his shoulder. Preparing a fresh page, he took a breath and came up with nothing.
Fuck.
This was going to be harder than he thought.
Chapter 2
Sophie
“What is that thing you’re wearing around your neck?”
Sophie glanced down at the necklace Marcus had gifted her earlier that morning, resting between her breasts. As predicted, Alex took offence at the jewellery. She wasn’t at all surprised.
When the necklace had hung around her grandmother’s neck, Sophie thought it was one of the prettiest things she had ever seen. And she was a girl who wore diamonds for fun. It was hard to impress her.
She wasn’t sure what exactly Marcus had done to it, but this was not the necklace she remembered from her youth. Perhaps it was the opals. She always thought they were a particularly ugly stone.
“A birthday gift,” she said, addressing her boss. “Isn’t it beautiful?”
“From your husband, I presume?” Alex asked, reaching for the pendant. His eyes were on hers as his fingers brushed over her breast. “I thought he had taste.”
