From Ruin, He found me.

Chapter2:TheReveal.

Elrissa’s POV

The soft chime of the elevator bell announced my arrival on the 50th floor of the McMahon Tower. The silence I walked into sent shivers down my spine, this was a stark contrast to the jazz and laughter echoing downstairs.

The dimly lit carpeted hallway cast eerie shadows on the glossy marble walls but I kept moving, the soft rustle of my gown, the only sound in the suffocating silence.

At the end of the hall, the large desk belonging to Tricia, his personal secretary, sat completely empty, the cup of coffee that cast a faint wisp of steam into the air was the only thing that indicated she had not gone home for the night.

Then, I saw his office door, it was left half-open, a tiny sliver of yellow light coming from the inside, cutting across the dark hallway carpet.

I tiptoed to the door and from the gap; I could hear the low, ragged moans of pleasure, followed by the unmistakable, rhythmic creak of moving wood.

The air in my lungs turned stale as I pushed open the heavy door, its hinges moving soundlessly, and the brutal reality of what was happening smashed into me.

Jayden was in here, with Tricia, his secretary, pushing himself into her as she wrapped her legs around his waist and they held themselves tightly in each other's arms.

My heart squeezed painfully in my chest. My husband had chosen the night of our anniversary and the memorial day of my father's death to bury himself in between another woman's legs. The same Jayden, who had refused to touch me for a long time was here effortlessly doing the same thing to another woman, the raw display of emotions feeling like a mockery of everything we've ever shared.

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The sharp, deafening clang of the food tray hitting the floor rang through the room, splattering its contents all over the floor.

The loud bang snapped them both back to reality.

Jayden’s head shot towards the door, his eyes widening as they landed on me. Beneath him, Tricia gasped, wide-eyed, shaking violently as she scrambled to her feet while tugging at her tangled skirt and grabbing the buttons of her open blouse at the same time.

She kept her head down, avoiding my gaze completely as she tried to scurry toward the open door like a trapped animal.

But she didn't even make it past the desk when Jayden reached out towards her, wrapped his arms firmly around Tricia’s wrist and pulled her back, stopping her dead in her tracks.

Instead of looking ashamed, instead of apologizing or begging me for forgiveness, the shock on my husband's face hardened into cold, unapologetic arrogance.

He refused to let go of her.

And right there, in full view of me, Jayden put his arm around his secretary's waist and pulled her against his bare chest before leaning down to kiss her deeply, his mouth moving against hers with a fiery intensity.

To me, this wasn't just a kiss; it was a statement and a declaration of total disrespect.

My feet felt like they had been cemented to the floor as I watched every single second of it play out. His eyes never closed, even as his lips pressed against hers, that cold, mocking gaze of his remained locked on me like waiting to see me break.

And that one act, snapped the final thread of my sanity, every ounce of respect I had left exploded into pure, unadulterated rage.

I charged.

In two blindsiding strides, I stormed towards them, my gown ripping violently as my heel caught against it but I didn't care… picking up the heavy whiskey decanter sitting on the edge of the wine table, I hurled it in his direction with everything I had.

"Jayden!" Tricia shrieked.

Jayden ducked just in time as the decanter flew above his head and shattered into shards of glass against the window behind him.

Tricia screamed, covering her face as she scrambled backward, slipping on the papers on the floor.

While he was still trying to regain his balance, I closed the distance between us and landed a hot, stinging slap across his face that echoed off the high walls like a gunshot. The force of it snapped his head to the side, shattering that arrogant smirk that was there before, his jaw dropping in shock as the dark, red imprint of my hand glowed on his cheek.

"You ungrateful, treacherous piece of trash!" I spat, the words tearing from my throat.

"Elrissa, stop…" he growled, reaching for my wrists, in a bid to pin me down.

Nah…I didn't give him the chance, whipping to the side, I grabbed the heavy pen-holder off the desk and hurled it at him. It struck him in the chest, pushing him back with a sharp wheeze.

Turning my eyes to Tricia, who was shrinking back against the wall, my fury surged again. I pulled her by the lapels of her shirt and ripped her upward so fast she gasped.

"Get out," I snarled into her pale, trembling face. "Get out before I throw you out that window!"

She didn't even need to be told twice. She scrambled out of my grip, grabbed her heels from the floor, and bolted out the door into the hallway, her frantic sobs fading down the corridor.

I turned to Jayden, my breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. He straightened up, his eyes glaring at me as he wiped a smear of blood from his lip where my slap had split the skin. The mask of the doting husband was completely gone and in its place was a cold, dangerous stranger.

"You're hysterical," he whispered, his voice dangerously low. "...and you just ruined your own life, Elrissa."

I took a step closer, looking him dead in his lying eyes, completely unafraid of the monster that was gradually revealing itself. "No, Jayden. I just realized who I need to destroy."