The Husband Who Regretted Too Late

Chapter 4

With that, Austin lifted the spoon. He blew softly on each mouthful before feeding it to Amanda. "Take your time," he cooed, his eyes dripping with tenderness.

Selena's face remained a blank mask, but her grip on her fork turned bone white. Amanda was undeniably gorgeous. All curves and sweetness, the ideal trophy. After burning through so many women, he had probably grown tired of the chase. Ready to settle down at last.

The thought sent acid churning through her veins, twisting into a raw, suffocating pain. She chewed mechanically, staring at her plate, desperate to ignore the scene across the table. Yet every whisper, every rustle, pierced through her defenses.

"Stop, Austin. Mrs. Nash is right there." Amanda's flustered whisper hung in the air.

"Relax," Austin murmured, his voice thick with desire. A tone Selena knew meant trouble. "Pretend she is invisible."

A sharp clatter echoed as her fork hit the floor. She hesitated, then bent to pick it up. She froze. Her veins turned to ice.

Their legs were tangled beneath the table. Amanda's delicate hands worked under the loose fabric of that sweater. The material rippled with unmistakable movement. Within moments, Austin's ragged panting mingled with Amanda's soft moans.

Each sound was a needle driving deeper into Selena's heart. She stared, hollow-eyed. A ghost of herself. All this time, she had thought herself numb. She had believed nothing could hurt her anymore. Yet seeing it live shattered her. Her heart split like rotten wood. Agony wrenched fat tears down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, straightening as if nothing had happened.

Austin was not finished. "Amanda is moving in today," he declared. "From now on, she runs this house. You will attend to her like you do me."

The unspoken message hung in the air. This one was permanent.

Even braced for impact, Selena's heart stuttered. The moment Amanda left for the bathroom, she found her voice.

"Austin, maybe give it more time? You have only known her for one night."

His eyes turned stormy. Then came that laugh, harsh and mocking.

"Good point. But I shared your bed for thousands of nights and still misread you." His voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "What gives you the right to judge?"

Each word slammed into her like a sledgehammer. Selena's vision swam. Her lips pressed into a bloodless line. His gaze wavered for a split second. His fists clenched.

The room plunged into silence thick enough to choke on. Then Selena laughed. A hollow sound scraped from her throat.

"Well done, Mr. Nash," she rasped. "You have found your perfect match."

She felt the temperature drop as his eyes turned arctic. The silence stretched, then shattered as he leaned in. His teeth were bared. His next words hissed through clenched jaws.

"Congratulations to you too. It will not be long before the title of Mrs. Nash belongs to someone else. You will come along as the bag carrier while I take Amanda shopping. Do not worry. I will make it worth your while."

Another bank card came flying at her face. His voice was laced with bored indifference, like tossing coins to a beggar on his last legs.

Selena did not protest. She stooped to grab the card. She clutched it like a lifeline before shoving it into her pocket.

Money was a wonderful thing. It could buy her mother more time. It could even buy herself a quicker way out.

Most of all, it gave her a rightful reason to stay by his side.

A ghost of a smile flickered across her lips. To Austin, it was like a knife to his eyes. Whether it was pure spite or some whirlwind obsession with Amanda after one night, he could not tell.

That day, Austin might as well have bought out half the mall. The living room became a shrine to luxury bags. All for Amanda. He even posted her all over his feed, announcing her to the world.

One friend quipped in the comments.

A: [What is this, Nash? Getting ready to shop for the next Mrs. Nash?]