Chapter 30

Erica

"It fuckin' stinks."

Erica glanced up at Marcus and nodded, wrinkling her nose. He wasn't wrong. There was a foul odour in the house that she couldn't quite place. As soon as Alex opened the door, it hit her, only getting stronger the longer they stayed there.

It made them want to get out of there even faster.

In her closet, they grabbed two suitcases. "I only want the clothes I've bought myself," she said. "These two racks here. Nothing from Alex." Pulling clothes off hangers, she stuffed them into the bags.

She wanted to get out of there as soon as she could. Not only did she feel uncomfortable in what used to be her home, but the stench was truly nauseating.

"What the fuck is that smell?" She asked. "I swear it didn't smell like this when I lived here."

"I believe you," Marcus replied. "If you think about it, you'll figure it out."

She accepted the challenge and took a reluctant sniff, making a face as the smell filled her nostrils. It was like a mixture of a gym locker room and a teenage boys' room. Stale sweat and something else. She chuckled without humour.

"You know, it reminds me a little of Josh's bedroom when we were growing up," she said. "Of course, that smell was from the crusty socks. He kept them hidden under his …" Her words trailed off as she realised.

Sex.

She could smell the aftermath of sex.

She felt sick. How often were they fucking for the smell to permeate the house this deeply? "Oh, how disgusting! "

"Yeah… you've got it." Marcus squeezed her arm lightly. "Sorry."

"But how?" She asked, completely thrown. "I haven't been gone that long! Have they had a break at all?"

"I'm not sure either of us wants the answer to that question," Marcus said, wrinkling his nose.

He was probably right. Oh, how mortifying this was. Here she was, throwing clothes into a bag to go and sleep on a friend's sofa, while her husband, who spent the past three days telling her how much he loved and missed her, was having sex with his mistress all over the house she once called home.

At that moment, she hated him.

She hated him for making a fool out of her, for promising her the world and leaving her with nothing. He'd not only tore her heart out but stomped on it and thrown it into the dirt. It wasn't enough to cheat on her with his fucking secretary. He had to shack up with her in their house and defile it.

"Do you know what I find so fucking sad about all this?" She asked Marcus as she sat on her suitcase to close it. "From what you said, Sophie thinks she's found her happily ever after with Alex. And he just does not care at all. Can you imagine if she read the things he was telling me the past few days?"

"Let her live in bliss, I say," Marcus said with a shrug. "More fool her when it all comes crashing down on her."

"Did you expect them to be together?" Marcus took a moment to answer her question, his fingers paused on a silk blouse.

"Yes." It was clearly a complete sentence, but Erica could sense he hadn't finished. She stayed quiet to let him gather his thoughts. "I know it was different for you and Alex. He hadn't pulled away from you the same way Sophie had with me. She's tenacious, you know? She knows what she wants, and she doesn't quit until she gets it."

"Are you okay? Perhaps I should have come alone."

"I'm okay," he said, finally placing the blouse in the open case. "I'm glad I came and saw all this for myself. "

"Yeah, I know what you mean." She cleared her throat, swallowing past a lump. "They've just jumped into a life together." She picked at a loose thread caught in the zip. "As soon as I found out about them, it was over for me. No going back. But seeing all of this? It's just cemented that I'm doing the right thing. All doubt is long gone."

"Over for good?" Marcus asked.

She nodded. "Over for good."

"Come here, you." Without waiting for a response, Marcus pulled her to her feet, enveloping her in a warm hug. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and allowed herself the moment. She needed arms around her so she wouldn't break, and Marcus had strong, warm arms that made her feel safe and secure.

"Thank you," she whispered against his neck, feeling the subtle tightening of his arms.

"I'd like you both to leave now."

A low voice broke the silence. It was venomous and unfriendly. Erica looked over Marcus' shoulder, seeing Alex standing in the doorway of her closet with a face like thunder. In an instant, Marcus pulled her slightly behind him, shielding him from her.

"I'm almost done," she said. "I think I'll send Josh and Lottie for the rest."

"They are not welcome in my home after the stunt they pulled," Alex said, his lip curling. It was a pity Josh hadn't caused more bruising when he punched him. "I'll send them to you."

"Josh and Lottie will be here, and you'll let them in, Alex."

"Or what? You'll leave me again?" He scoffed. "You'll take everything in the divorce?

"I don't want anything in the divorce." That made him pause.

"Nothing?"

"Absolutely nothing," she confirmed. "All I want is what already belongs to me. Not the house, not our valuables, not the car you bought. I don't want any of it."

"The car was a gift, Erica."

"A gift I no longer want." She felt Marcus reach for her hand, offering her reassurance. She took it with a small squeeze she hoped would convey her gratitude, while Alex curled his lips as his eyes caught the gesture.

"Oh. Couldn't have your new boyfriend feeling inferior, I suppose," he scoffed, a horrible, smug smirk on his face. "Or did you not get into his financial situation before you got into his bed?"

"It's funny," Marcus said before she could speak. "You've been married to her for all that time and yet you don't know how little money means to her."

"Because she's never had to worry about it before, dickhead." Alex had never spoken to anyone with the pure hatred with which he spoke to Marcus. "But you're gonna change all that for her now. What is it Sophie said you do again? A professional role-player, whatever that means. How are you going to support her with that?"

Marcus' ears tinted pink as his nostrils flared in anger. She couldn't stand to see Alex belittle him so much.

"He won't support me," she said, cutting Alex off before he could continue. "We're going to support each other because we're in this together. Business partners, remember?"

Alex scoffed as Marcus squeezed her hand. "How fucking romantic. Well, go on and be poor together, see if I care." He paused, looking Erica in the eye. "You're throwing away a life you love for no good reason. So I had sex with someone else, whoopdi-fucking-doo. It was just sex. You're acting like I killed someone."

She laughed.

What else could she do? Surely he heard himself and how pathetic he sounded. "God, Alex. You know, you're right. What the fuck was I thinking?"

"Exactly," Alex agreed, his eyes looking too hopeful. "I mean, come on, Eri. You know this low life isn't for you. We belong together, you and I, we both know it. Just let go of his hand—"

"You misunderstand me," she said, interrupting loudly. "When I say you're right, it's because it is ‘only sex'. That's why you won't be mad when I bring Marcus home and fuck him all over his flat .

"The hell you will!" Alex took an angry step towards them. Marcus folded his arms over his chest, pulling her further behind him.

"I thought it was just sex, mate?" Marcus said, amusement in his tone.

"Don't you fucking talk to me," he said, standing nose to nose with Marcus. Erica found it immensely satisfying to see Marcus had at least two inches on him. "Get the fuck out of my house."

"Oh, I plan to. Just as soon as my lady has everything she needs." He glanced over his shoulder at her. "Have we missed anything?"

Erica shook her head, not trusting herself to speak.

It was such a simple gesture, but Marcus' stance in front of her, keeping her from harm's way, made her want to cry. Perhaps it was because it was another stark reminder that it wasn't just the affair that made her marriage to Alex so shit. He'd never come to her aid like this. He'd never protected her from the men around her.

Never.

In fact, Alex encouraged the men who thought they had a chance with her, just so he could claim her in front of them as though she were a prize to be coveted.

That was until Marcus showed interest in her, of course.

"Let's get out of here, baby doll. This place stinks." Erica nodded in agreement, her acting long gone. She didn't have to pretend to admire Marcus anymore. Her admiration was truly genuine.

"Literally," she agreed, glancing at Alex. "I'd try some air fresheners if I were you. Or at least crack open a window. It fucking reeks."

Without waiting for an answer, she made a grab for her suitcase, only for Marcus to beat her to it. He grabbed both suitcases as though they weighed nothing and smiled at her. "I got these, pretty one. You just focus on yourself."

"The next time we speak will be through our lawyers," she said, facing Alex once more. "I do not want to hear from you or Sophie any longer. We are done, Alex."

"We're not… You don't get to decide that on your own. "

"I'm not. You decided it when you stuck your dick in your receptionist." She glanced up at Marcus. "Let's go."

"Erica. Erica, wait." Ignoring him, Erica followed Marcus out of the room and down the stairs. Waiting nervously at the bottom was Sophie, clearly trying to eavesdrop. Poor sod didn't know what she was letting herself in for. Alex ran after them, following them frantically down the stairs. "Erica, stop!"

She paused at the bottom of the stairs, giving Marcus a chance to say his piece. An awkward silence settled between the four of them before, finally, he spoke. "I wish you both well," he said earnestly. "I hope that in six months, all of this was worth it for you." He turned his gaze on Sophie, searching her face for something. "Keep your eye out for divorce papers. I'll have them sent here."

"This is where I'll be!" She said, her voice too cheery for the situation.

"Right." He stared at her for a moment longer before looking down at Erica, his features softening. "Ready baby doll?"

Erica glanced around the foyer one more time, her gaze moving right over Alex as she said goodbye to the house and the life she once had.

It was easier than she thought it was going to be. After all, this was the house of a stranger, someone she didn't recognise anymore.

"More than ready," she said. "Take me home, Marcus."

Without so much as a backwards glance at their spouses, they left the house and took their first step towards the future.