Beg even more, maybe then I'll return to you

Chapter 1: Veronica POV. My head throbbed the moment I opened my eyes. The first thing I noticed was the unfamiliar ceiling, plus dim golden lights that hung from above. Where am I? I wondered. This isn't my apartment. It wasn't my finances. This isn't anywhere I recognize. My body felt heavy, sore… especially my legs. Fuck, why are they so sore? I groaned inwardly. Did I fall? Did someone– several thoughts filled my head but, I decided I might as well get out of bed, but the moment I shifted slightly, I froze. Because someone was beside me. I hadn't turned around, but the firm body I was touching told me all I needed to know. Warmth radiated off them. An arm was draped across my waist and their slow, steady breathing stirred the hair on my neck. Could it be Felix? I wondered, but I felt unsure because he usually slept in his study rather than with me in our bedroom. And since when does Felix hold me like this? Since when does he even touch me at all anymore? Not willing to let my curiosity eat at me, I slowly turned my head. To my surprise, I saw an extremely handsome man laying asleep next to me. Handsome was an understatement, because the man beside me not only had a sharp jawline and chiseled features, but also thick lashes and a body that could put most athletes to shame. Standing next to him, the difference was obvious, well, maybe because I was petite to begin with, but that didn't matter. Who is he? My mind raced. Why is he in bed with me? Just what happened last night? His chest rose and fell steadily under the sheets. I got up and sat there, not knowing when I became absorbed in watching him look so peaceful. He looked like the kind of man most girls would whisper about and secretly fantasize over. A man you'd hardly see outside movies and magazine covers. Stop staring, Veronica. This isn't the time. I told myself, gently clasping my cheeks to regain a bit of calm. ' Wait...' My heart nearly jumped out of my chest when a certain thought finally crossed my mind. This man isn't my fiancé. He… isn't Felix. Panic rushed through me like ice water. I shot upright, then immediately regretted it. A sharp ache spread through my lower body and my legs trembled weakly. "Ugh…" I pressed my lips together, face burning. What… just what happened last night? The ache between my legs told me something I didn't want to admit. No. No, no, no. I wouldn't. I couldn't. I'm engaged. I love Felix, so how could thus have happened? I wondered. But the soreness didn't lie. I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing myself to remember. Felix called me. Yes. He asked me to meet him at the club. He sounded playful, even teasing. "Wear something nice," he'd said. "I miss you." He missed me. I'd felt so happy hearing that. So hopeful. When I arrived, we had a few drinks together. He kept smiling, leaning close, whispering things that made my cheeks heat up. "You look beautiful tonight." "I've been thinking about you all day." "Maybe we should pick up where we left off." He teased me about getting intimate… I clearly remembered that. "Go freshen up first," he'd said, laughing softly. "Then meet me in the room upstairs." I had been tipsy. The lights were dim. Everything felt hazy. But I remembered those words clearly. "Meet me upstairs." ' So why…' I looked at the sleeping stranger beside me. 'Why am I here with him?' I went to the restroom… and after that… My stomach dropped. The room was dark. I didn't even look properly. I just… followed what I thought was Felix's voice. I groaned inwardly, burying my face in my hands. "How could I be so careless…" No no, this isn't my fault, I was only doing what Felix asked, he told me to come upstairs. I just, I never thought for a second that someone else would be there instead of him. ' How could I have messed up so bad.' My glare slowly shifted to the sleeping man beside me. His expression was peaceful, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just ruined my entire life while snoring. "Beast…" I muttered under my breath, cheeks burning deeper. "Couldn't you control yourself?" My legs still felt weak, trembling even as I tried to move them. I swallowed hard. "I'm not going to walk properly for days… thanks to you." The man didn't stir even as I blurted out my frustrations. Well, that was good. The last thing I needed was an awkward confrontation. I didn't want to see his eyes open, to have him look at me, to have to explain myself to a stranger who'd already seen more of me than my own fiancé had in months. Felix. My chest tightened. What am I going to tell Felix? I carefully slid off the bed, biting my lip when another wave of soreness hit me. I gathered my clothes scattered around the room, dressing as quickly as I could. My fingers trembled as I picked up my bag and phone. Should I leave a note? No. That's insane. What would I even say? "Sorry for sleeping with you, I thought you were someone else"? Without looking back, I quietly slipped out of the room and fled down the hallway. ***** The cool morning air in the parking lot hit my face, helping clear my spinning thoughts. I hurried to my car, opened the door, and sank into the driver's seat. The silence felt too loud. I quickly dialed Felix's number. It rang. And rang. ' Come on. Pick up. Please pick up.' I called yet no answer. I tried again. Ring. Ring. Ring. But I was then sent to voicemail. "Felix, it's me," I said after the beep. "I'm so sorry I didn't come back last night. Something happened, I don't even know how to explain it, but please call me back. Ok." After saying all I wanted to say, I hung up and stared at the screen. ' Should I call again?' ' No. He'll probably get upset like always and say I'm being too clingy.' I waited two minutes. Then three, yet nothing happened. I pouted slightly, tapping my fingers on the steering wheel. "What could he be doing…?" A sudden worry surfaced. "He didn't… spend all night looking for me, did he?" My chest tightened at the thought. I checked my phone. No missed calls. Not even one. That doesn't make sense. If he was looking for me, he would have called. He would have texted. He would have done something. I stared at my call log. My last outgoing call to him was last night, right before I went to the club. No incoming calls since then. ' So he wasn't worried? He didn't notice I never came back?' The worry faded, replaced by confusion. ' Maybe he just went back first.' I nodded slowly, trying to convince myself. "Yeah. That's probably it. He got tired and went home. Or maybe he fell asleep. Felix falls asleep everywhere, on the couch, at his desk, in the car. It's fine. Everything is fine." But my hands were still shaking. I took a deep breath, started the car, and drove off. **** By the time I arrived at the luxury suite Felix and I were staying in, my nerves had calmed slightly. I rehearsed what I would say during the drive. "Felix, something happened but it was an accident." "Felix, I thought I was following you." "Felix, please don't hate me." None of it sounded right. But I didn't want to keep this a secret from him, I knew the guilt would eat me alive. ' He probably won't be too mad, I'm sure he'll understand.' I told myself. I opened the door and stepped inside. He was there. Relief flooded me instantly. "Felix!" I smiled, walking toward him as quick as I could muster. "I've been looking for you! I called and called, where were you? Are you okay? I was so worried—" I opened my arms to hug him, but he stopped me with one hand pressed against my shoulder. I blinked. "Felix? What's wrong?" His expression was cold. Distant. Nothing like the warm man from last night. Nothing like the man who'd whispered sweet things in my ear at the club. "Felix…?" I whispered again. "You're scaring me. Just tell me what's going on." Without answering, he pulled a document from behind his back and placed it in front of me. "Sign it." I looked down at the papers, my eyes unconsciously reading the bold text at the top. Divorce Agreement. My mind went blank. "What?" I forced a laugh. "Felix, stop joking. This isn't funny." He didn't laugh nor did he smile. He didn't even blink. "Seriously," I tried again, my voice losing its steadiness. "If this is some kind of prank, it's not funny anymore. Just tell me what's really happening." I asked, and yet he said nothing. "Felix. Please." The silence was killing me. "Veronica." He finally said, his voice flat. "How can you be so shameless?" The word hit me like a slap. "I — what are you talking about?" My voice cracked. "What did I do? Felix, whatever it is, I can explain—" "Don't bother." "No, listen to me. Please. I don't even know what I'm supposed to have done." He stared at me for a long moment. Then he took out his phone and tapped the screen. A video began playing. My breath caught. It showed me, walking unsteadily behind a man into a hotel room last night. I could only make out his back view, but I knew it was the stranger I woke up to this morning. Then another clip… of me rushing out early this morning, flustered and disheveled. Hair a mess. Clothes wrinkled. Walking like I could barely stand. My face drained of color. "How… how did you get this…?" I whispered. "It doesn't matter." "It does matter, Felix! Someone recorded me! Someone followed me! Do you not see how wrong that is?" He didn't flinch nor did he react at all. "Felix, please." I stepped forward, reaching for his arm. "That video doesn't show what you think. I can explain everything. Just give me two minutes — no, one minute — just let me talk—" "I know it was an accident." I froze. Hope flickered in my chest. "What?" "I know it was an accident," he repeated. Still flat. Still cold. "Then, then why are you—" I couldn't even form the question. "Felix, if you know it was an accident, why are you looking at me like that? Why are you handing me divorce papers?" He pulled his arm away from my reach. "Because knowing the truth doesn't matter," he said. "What matters is what everyone else will believe." "That doesn't make any sense—" "No one else will believe it was an accident, Veronica." He tapped the phone screen. "This footage is all I need… to end you completely." My mind went blank. He knows it was an accident. He said so himself. But he's going to use it against me anyway? Was I hearing him correctly? I thought to myself. Right then and there, something within me broke.