Chapter 2

When we got inside, Damien said he was tired and wanted to shower.

The moment he stepped into the bathroom, I walked straight to the living room and picked up his phone. The passcode was still my birthday.

I went through all his messages.

Aside from work stuff, his conversations with other women --- coworkers, employees --- were all short and cold. Just "yeah" and "okay" type replies.

His social media was the same --- nothing but work updates. Not a single trace of anything suspicious.

I sat on the couch, staring into space. Was I just being paranoid? I was thirty now --- maybe I was reading too much into things.

The shower turned off.

I quickly cleared his search history and put the phone back exactly where I'd found it.

Damien came out toweling his hair, steam still rising off his skin.

He wrapped his arms around me from behind, pressing his damp head against my neck.

"Did you miss me?"

My body stiffened. I pushed him away half-heartedly.

"You're still wet. You're getting me all damp."

"So what?"

He leaned in more, hands starting to wander, his lips brushing my ear, my neck.

"Let's go to bed early tonight..."

Damien had never been one to hold back in that department. When the mood struck him, he went for it --- I'd known that since day one. Even when I was on my period and feeling off, he'd sweet-talk and tease until I found another way to help him.

But just as his lips were about to reach mine, something snapped me back to reality.

Those nine packs of pads felt like a needle lodged in my brain.

It was around last month that things had changed.

Whenever I was on my period, he'd completely stopped pushing.

Every evening when he got home, it was the same line:

"Long day. You must be tired too. Get some rest."

I'd actually thought he was getting more thoughtful. Now, looking back, every single thing felt wrong.

I shoved him away and asked, keeping my voice casual:

"Damien, what made you suddenly think to buy pads for me? You've never bothered with that before."