Filed to story: When His Wife Can’t Forgive
“Then what’s the harm in staying one night?”
Laney hesitated, her resolve wavering. With a small sigh, she reluctantly headed upstairs. There was a time when being alone in the house with Cliff would have made her heart race with excitement. But now, things were different. Her feelings had shifted completely. She still harbored resentment toward him, and the thought of any closeness made her uncomfortable.
Cliff noticed her slow, hesitant steps and smirked.
“Are you really that scared? Do you think I’m going to bite?”
Laney turned to face him, her tone cool but firm.
“Weren’t you the one who used to be scared of me?”
Cliff reassured her, “Don’t worry. Until you forgive me, I’ll adhere to the decorum expected within a family.”
His words stirred a storm within Laney. As they echoed in her mind, her body betrayed her-a phantom ache spread across the places where his touch had left its mark, itching and burning against the friction of her clothes.
Laney retreated to her room, weary and unsettled. She rummaged for some ointment, applied it to her skin, and collapsed onto the bed, her body craving rest.
But as soon as her head hit the pillow, something felt wrong. She inhaled deeply. A faint scent reached her nose-subtle, but unmistakably his.
This wasn’t the kind of scent that lingered after one or two casual visits. No, it felt deeper, more ingrained. Had Cliff been sleeping in her room ever since she moved out?
Her heart pounded as she pressed her face into the pillow, imagining him here, his head resting where hers now lay.
A storm of emotions surged within her: shock, betrayal, heartbreak, and a deep, lingering sadness she couldn’t ignore. She had seen his cruelty too many times to believe in this newfound tenderness. How could she trust it now? Was falling for someone really this sudden? So sudden that it left her feeling helpless, unable to accept or resist it? The thought gnawed at her, keeping her wide awake through the night. Finally, after hours of restless turning, she made a decision. She secretly…
Laney ordered a camera online. Once it arrived, she carefully installed it in her bedroom. She wanted to see for herself what Cliff was like when she wasn’t around.
The next morning, back in her apartment, Laney sat nervously on her bed, her back pressed against the headboard as she watched the live surveillance feed on her phone. To her surprise-and slight disappointment-her room in the Hopkins residence was empty.
She exhaled, scolding herself for overthinking. Maybe Cliff had only been in her room once or twice. She was probably imagining things. Feeling drained, she placed her phone on the bedside table and lay back, her eyelids growing heavy. Within moments, she drifted into a light, uneasy sleep.
But just as she began to settle into her dreams, a sharp chime from her phone jolted her awake.
She instinctively grabbed it, her heart pounding. A notification from the surveillance system flashed on the screen: Motion detected.
Her stomach twisted in knots as she tapped the alert and pulled up the live feed. Her breath hitched. Cliff was indeed in her room. He was sitting on the edge of her bed, shirtless, one hand clutching a photo of her, while the other was engaged in masturbation.
Laney froze, her mind racing. The room’s silence was punctuated only by the sound of Cliff’s heavy breathing, amplified through the audio feed.
Laney felt heat rush to her cheeks as she realized the depth of what she was witnessing. Shaking herself from her stupor, she shut off the feed, pinched her cheek, and winced. This wasn’t a dream.
Anger quickly replaced her initial shock. Her fingers trembled as she dialed Cliff’s number.
He answered after a few rings, his voice low and rough.
“What’s up, Laney?”
“What are you doing?” she demanded, her voice sharper than she intended.
There was a brief pause before he answered, completely unbothered.
“Just having some personal time.”
His breathing on the other end of the line grew heavier.
“Still watching?” he asked casually, his tone sending an unwelcome chill down her spine.
Her heart raced, and she fumbled for words.
“W-why would I-what are you even saying?”
He chuckled.
“Whether you watch or not is up to you,” he murmured, his voice dropping lower.
“Just stay on the line. I’m almost done.”
Her face flushed with anger and embarrassment as she realized he hadn’t stopped. Unable to bear another second of it, she hung up, her hand trembling.
Cliff’s audacity knew no bounds. Moments later, her phone buzzed again. She stared at the screen, hesitating. A text appeared: Done. Pick up the phone.
Before she could process her next move, her phone started ringing again.
Cliff’s voice was softer than usual after release, carrying a rich, captivating tone with a subtle hint of satisfaction beneath it.
Laney hesitated before asking, “How did you know I was watching?”
A low chuckle came through the phone.
Even without seeing him, Laney could almost visualize his lazy, charming expression, and warmth crept up her cheeks.
“The camera was hard to miss. Plus, you left some settings turned toward me the moment I walked in,” Cliff said.
Laney felt a surge of frustration.
“I put it up high and tried to make it blend in.”
“High for you, maybe, but it was right at my eye level.”
She had overlooked the fact that Cliff was much taller than her.
Besides, he was exceptionally observant. If he hadn’t noticed such an obvious camera, all his military training would have been in vain.
Cliff didn’t voice those thoughts, though. He was more interested in the conversation itself.
“Your call was perfectly timed. I wouldn’t have come otherwise.”
Laney’s heart leaped to her throat. Her voice tightened.
“So, you did that on purpose?”
He had known about the camera, and yet he had done it anyway.
“Yes,” Cliff admitted without hesitation. He had always been brutally honest.
Laney pressed her lips together.
“You just told me you would adhere to the decorum expected within the family. Is this how family is supposed to act?”
Cliff was silent for a moment before speaking again, his voice slow and deliberate.
“Indeed, it shouldn’t be. I should have made it all over you.”
Or in other, more intimate ways-her mouth, somewhere even deeper.
The thought lingered in his mind. It was only a matter of time.
The next time Laney returned to the Hopkins residence for dinner, she quietly removed the camera. Even after taking it down, unease prickled at her, so she deleted the recorded footage from the cloud storage.
Just as she finished, Madison appeared at her door.
“Laney, Merrick has come to see you.”
Laney stiffened, instinctively hiding her phone behind her. Confusion flickered across her face.
Why had Merrick come by unexpectedly? She hadn’t invited him.
In the living room, Merrick blended in effortlessly, lounging on the carpet as he played video games with Gerry.
When Laney entered, Merrick looked up and greeted her cheerfully, “Laney, come here. I have something to tell you.”
Laney smiled politely and poured him a glass of water. Merrick leaned forward and said, “Bring it closer.”
As Merrick continued focusing on the game, Laney extended the glass toward him. Just as it was about to reach his lips, the glass was suddenly yanked away. Merrick looked up in surprise at Cliff, who had appeared without warning.
Cliff stepped in, taking Laney’s place and offering the glass to Merrick.
“Here, open up,” he said.
Merrick paused, momentarily taken aback.
“Thanks, but I just lost my thirst.”
It was clear that Cliff wasn’t too keen on Merrick’s presence. He found him increasingly annoying.
“Did you come with an urgent matter?” Cliff asked, his tone sharp.
“If not, I’ll have the driver take you home. We’re about to sit down for dinner.”
Merrick’s lips curled into a slight smile.
“Actually, it is somewhat urgent. My mother sent me to ask Laney if we should set the wedding date for next year.”
The atmosphere in the dining room was unusually quiet. After a long silence, Madison finally spoke up.
“Merrick, have you two talked about it?” she asked.
Merrick’s visit today, gifts in hand, had mostly been for the purpose of meeting with Madison and Phillip. The wedding required a formal discussion between the families, but he had planned to speak with Laney first.
Merrick replied, “Madison, there’s no rush. My mother just worries that someone might snatch Laney away because she’s so wonderful.”
Madison chuckled inwardly, thinking to herself, It would take a miracle worker to snatch her from my son.