Page 15

Sophie

There was nothing more mortifying than being in the middle of a store and hearing those dreaded words.

“I’m sorry, Miss. Your card has been declined.”

Shame crept up Sophie’s neck, her face flaming with embarrassment. “Impossible,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Run it through again please.”

She just had to walk into Harrod’s of all places. A declined card was embarrassing in any store. But Harrod’s ?

She could already hear the whispers behind her as women dressed in designer clothes covered their wicked words with perfectly manicured fingers.

“Miss? I’m sorry, it’s declined again.”

Sophie forced herself not to look behind her at the eyes burning into her back. She racked her brain for a solution, knowing there wasn’t one.

How had she maxed Marcus’ card already?

“Miss? Do you have an alternative method of payment?”

No.

“I… Yes. One moment.”

Sophie reached for her purse, silently trying to talk herself out of using the emergency card. In the back of her mind, a long number kept repeating over and over like a mantra.

It was a number she had become familiar with and one that was about to get bigger with this purchase.

“Here you go,” Sophie said, handing over her card with a stilted smile.

A bigger bill was preferable to gossiping socialites. She could always make more money, but a reputation was harder to fix.

Stupid Marcus .

Once again, his inability to provide had put her in an awkward position. How much more of her life was she going to have to give up to –

“Miss? I’m sorry, Miss. This one has been declined too.”

“What?!”

Panic bubbled in her stomach as she finally glanced behind her, seeing the mocking expressions looking back.

How had she maxed out her emergency card? She barely ever used it.

“Again, miss, do you have another means to pay?”

Reluctantly, Sophie shook her head, tears prickling in her eyes. She took the card automatically, muttering her apologies as she turned away and pushed through the people watching her.

“They always think they can shop here.”

“They’re always reminded that they can’t.”

The sting of those words burned at her until her skin felt itchy and her body broke out in a cold sweat. She pushed herself to walk faster, almost running out of the store.

She rang Marcus to demand he pick her up, only for his phone to go straight to voicemail.

Anger and humiliation pushed her forward.

Suddenly she was five years old again, her mother having to choose between food on the table or a dress for yet another pageant, standing at the checkout and wondering why everyone was staring.

She was eight years old, beaming as she collected her winnings. The first time she’d won, only for the money to go towards their rent and for her mother to sign her up for another competition.

Fifteen years old, smiling in front of a camera as a creepy bloke with a beer gut told her she was the prettiest thing he ever saw. Using that money to get out of her mother’s house for good and take her life into her own hands.

Repeatedly, everyone had taught Sophie that her appearance was her best asset. As long as she looked good, there was no mess she couldn’t get out of. No man who wouldn’t fall at his feet to give her everything she wanted .

And yet the man she chose, her supposed happily ever after, had failed her so spectacularly that he had left her humiliated in one of the most prestigious stores in the city.

By the time she had marched home, her anger levels had reached an all-time high, not helped by the long walk up the stairwell. Her legs burned with the effort, her heels making her feet ache while her hair stuck to her face with sweat. She was glad there were no mirrors in sight to capture her appearance.

Fumbling with her key in the lock, she was already talking before she got the door open.

“Marcus, why the fuck do you never answer your phone? My card got rejected right in the middle of fucking Harrods and you never—”

Sophie pulled up short as her gaze landed on Erica.

What the fuck?!

Her eyes scanned the scene. The close position, holding one another’s hand. The bottle of wine, already half empty and the cigarettes burning away in the ashtray.

Suddenly Sophie felt raging indignation.

Was Marcus cheating on her?

There had been a few moments over the past month or so where his behaviour had been out of character, but despite what she whispered in Alex’s ear, she didn’t actually believe Marcus was cheating.

He loved her too much, right?

Right ?

“Sophie,” Erica said. Smug fucking bitch. It’s not enough to be married to Alex, but to try to steal Marcus too?

Sophie ought to let her have it, and tell her exactly what she thought of her and make her feel-

“Nice to see you. Shopping went well then, yeah?”

How many times did one woman have to be humiliated in one day?

“Fine thanks,” she muttered through gritted teeth. “This all looks very cosy. What’s going on?”

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you,” Marcus said, not even looking at her. “So, since I know you’re about to call Alex, why don’t you fill in the blanks and tell him whatever you want? ”

Sophie huffed and moved through the flat to her bedroom. Slamming the door behind her, she threw her bags on the bed and paced the floor as she considered her options.

Marcus was right.

She was desperate to call Alex and tell him exactly what she had walked in on, with a few embellishments here and there.

But she didn’t want Marcus to be right .

Also, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the entire thing. Her husband was currently sitting with another woman, holding hands and sharing a bottle of wine.

Every instinct inside her told her something was going on, but in her heart, she knew that Marcus would never do that to her, no matter how much she fucked him over.

“Think, Sophie. Think.”

They didn’t pull away from one another; she realised. Someone who was up to no good would look guilty. Neither Marcus nor Erica seemed at all concerned about being caught doing whatever they were doing.

Sophie was positive what she walked in on was completely innocent. Despite what others thought about her, she wasn’t stupid. She knew how to read people and she was good at understanding social cues.

For reasons unknown to her, Erica was comforting Marcus. Nothing more, nothing less.

Not that she was going to tell Alex that.

Dialling his number, she held her breath as she waited to hear him. On the sixth ring, when she was sure he wouldn’t answer, she finally heard his voice.

“Sophie. What is it?”

“Erica is in my flat,” she whispered, suddenly conscious of how thin the walls were.

“What about your flat? I can’t hear you when you’re whispering.” He sighed and she could almost picture him rubbing his eyes. “I haven’t got time for your—”

“Erica is in my flat!” She said, a little louder this time.

Silence greeted her, stretching painfully until she became aware of how loud her heart was thumping and the constant ticking of her alarm clock .

“Alex?”

“I’m here,” he said, sounding utterly dejected. “Did you say Erica is there at your flat?”

“Yes. She’s sharing a bottle of wine with Marcus, and chain-smoking, judging by the stench of cigarettes.”

“We had a fight,” he admitted. “And I accused her of sleeping with your husband.”

Sophie could have punched the air in victory.

Finally, her hard work was paying off and Alex was doubting Erica. All it would take was a little extra poking.

“Oh, god, do you think?” She asked, sounding horrified at the idea. “What did she say?”

“No, obviously. But if Marcus asked you about us, are you admitting it?”

“I guess not,” she replied. “You don’t believe her?”

“I did. The way she looked at me…” he cleared his throat. “But to run straight to the very person I accused her of being with?

“It’s not a good look,” she agreed. “Not to make things worse, but they were holding hands.”

“Fuck!”

Sophie jumped at Alex’s sudden shout in her ear, followed by a shattered glass. She didn’t have to ask what had happened.

“Hey, maybe it’s nothing.”

“Fuck off, Sophie. Of course it’s not nothing. I think you and I know better than anyone that it’s never nothing. ”

Sophie felt giddy with glee.

With Alex’s rules, she had long given up hope of Erica finding out about their affair, and with it, any hopes of his marriage ending.

But with this recent development, perhaps her luck was about to change and all she needed to do was wait out Alex’s paranoia. There was no way his ego would allow him to stay with a cheater.

“Well look, you might have some doubts, but I don’t.”

This was a dangerous tactic, and she knew it. If she spoke too highly of either Erica or Marcus, she risked digging up all those seeds of doubt she planted in Alex’s mind. But in the same breath, she couldn’t accuse them too heavily either. Alex knew she had ulterior motives.

She had to play it right.

“You don’t?”

“No. Marcus loves me too much to cheat on me.”

Alex snorted in her ear. “I love Erica more than life. I still use you to get my dick wet.”

Sophie’s stomach clenched deliciously at his vulgarity, even as her heart ached at his declaration of love for another woman.

“Maybe. But Marcus isn’t a sex pest like you,” Sophie said, keeping her tone light and teasing. There was no need for him to know how much hold he had over her.

Not yet.

“Maybe he thinks you’re a shit lay.”

Sophie rolled her eyes as she heard laughter through the walls. “Impossible.”

This time, Alex chuckled. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

A thrill went through her at his praise.

If nothing else, he loved having sex with her. He had made that obvious time and time again. Right now, it’s all she had of him and so she cherished it.

Even if it made her feel a little cheap.

“What are they doing now?”

“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m hiding in my bedroom, but I can hear them laughing.”

“So, they’re not fucking.”

“Seriously Alex. If they are having an affair, they’re not so stupid to do it while I’m right here, are they?”

“I suppose not,” he muttered. “But can you check, anyway?”

“Alex—”

“Sophie, I’ve asked you to do something for me, and I don’t think you’re in a position to say no, are you?”

An uncomfortable feeling settled in her stomach. That sounded vaguely threatening. Alex wouldn’t try to abuse his authority as her boss.

Would he?

Not wanting to test that, Sophie sighed, reluctantly leaving the room and silently padding down the corridor .

Standing out of view, she leaned against the wall and listened in on the conversation happening around the corner.

“… if we’re lucky, we can get things up and running in no more than a week.”

“I can’t believe this is actually happening,” Erica said. Sophie could hear the smile in her tone.

What the hell were they talking about now?”

“Sophie! Sophie, what’s happening?”

“Nothing,” she whispered. “Now be quiet.”

The voices on the other side of the wall faltered and Sophie cringed as she listened for any movement.

“I can’t wait to spend more time with you, just one on one,” Erica said. Was Sophie going crazy or had her voice taken on a huskier tone?

“I’ll make sure we have fun,” Marcus chuckled. Was he flirting ?

This was wrong. All kinds of wrong.

Marcus wasn’t supposed to flirt with someone else!

“Sophie! Fucking talk to me!”

“Be quiet ,” Sophie snapped. This time, the conversation stopped completely. Holding her breath, Sophie inched closer to her bedroom, ready to run if she heard them moving closer.

“Stop ignoring me,” Alex hissed in her ear. “You’re supposed to keep me—”

“If you don’t shut up, I’m going to—”

“Spying, Sophie?”

Her heart dropping, Sophie looked up at Erica, who stood before her, still holding her wineglass. The worst part of all was the look on her face, as though Sophie had played right into her hand.

“And I’ll assume you’re on the phone to Alex like a good little bitch.”

“Do not tell her it’s me,” Alex warned. “I mean it Sophie; I will make your life hell.”

“Alex, I know you can hear me,” Erica said, not giving Sophie a chance to deny it. Alex cursed in her ear. “How fucking far we’ve fallen, huh? Getting someone to spy on me? ”

Erica scoffed and, for the first time since meeting her, Sophie saw anger on the other woman’s face.

“I wasn’t spying—”

“Hiding around the corner worried about getting caught kind of indicates you’re spying,” Marcus said, with a similar look of anger on his face.

“It’s pathetic,” Erica spat. “Well, Alex, I hope it was worth it because I won’t be coming home tonight. I’ve never been so fucking insulted.”

“Let me drive you to a hotel,” Marcus said. “Or we can get a cab given the wine.” Erica nodded while Sophie stood rooted to the spot, Alex barking orders in her ear.

She didn’t know what to do or say, but somehow, she knew Alex was about to blame her for this.

Unacceptable.

“Wait!”

Marcus turned back to her, grabbing his pack of cigs. “What is it, Sophie?”

“I just… um…” She cleared her throat, zoning in on what Alex was saying. “Did you say you were going to a hotel ?”

“Yeah, don’t bother waiting up. I’m not exactly happy with you, either.”

“You’re choosing her over me?”

Marcus stared at her for a moment, something unreadable in his eyes. “I’m choosing maturity over childish games, nothing more. Nothing less. Believe what you want to believe.”

Gathering the last of their things, Marcus ushered Erica to the door, neither of them sparing a glance at Sophie, who still couldn’t find it in herself to move.

The sound of the lock, as it clicked into place, echoed around the now-empty flat as Sophie tried to process what had happened.

“Hey! Sophie, can you hear me? Talk to me, please? Sophie?!”

“I’ll call you back.”

Ending the call, Sophie continued staring at the door as though she could force Marcus to come back and explain himself .

When she had arrived home, she had convinced herself that there was no way Marcus would ever cheat on her.

Now, after choosing another woman and leaving her on her own for the first time since they moved in together, Sophie had her first taste of doubt.

Why had he left with Erica, and more importantly, why did it bother her as much as it did?