After the Affair Falling into a Billionaire's Arms novel Chapter 1

**Clocks Lie To Hearts by Asa River Flint**
**Chapter 1**

Louisa Forbes cast a fleeting glance at the wall clock, its hands creeping toward midnight. The realization that George Capulet had yet to return sent a chill through her. This was the first birthday she found herself alone after a decade spent together, seven of those years shrouded in the secrecy of their marriage.

The weight of betrayal hung heavily in the air, a bitter truth that gnawed at her heart. While she celebrated her day of birth, he was off indulging in a vacation with his mistress, a fact that felt like a dagger twisting in her chest.

With a quiet resignation, Louisa polished off the last morsel of her birthday cake, its sweetness now a stark contrast to the bitterness brewing within her. She rose from the table, the sound of her chair scraping against the floor echoing in the silence of the room as she began to clear away the remnants of her solitary celebration.

Just as she placed the last dish into the sink, the front door swung open, and George stepped inside, a bright smile illuminating his face as if he had just returned from a grand adventure.

His demeanor suggested that his trip had been nothing short of delightful, an experience he was eager to share—just not with her.

As he entered the living room, his gaze fell upon Louisa, who sat on the sofa. For a fleeting moment, his expression faltered, but he quickly masked it, the smile reappearing as he tossed his suit jacket onto the couch with a casual flick of his wrist. “Why aren’t you in bed yet?” he inquired, his tone deceptively light.

“I was waiting for you,” she replied, her voice flat, stripped of any warmth.

George approached her, his deep voice softening as he spoke. “I told you I’ve been busy lately. You should take care of yourself and not wait up for me.”

Louisa could almost hear the unspoken words beneath his casual dismissal. “Busy lately” was merely code for “entertaining my mistress.”

Without confronting him directly, she picked up two documents from the table, her tone steady and unyielding. “I wasn’t exactly waiting for you. I primarily needed your signature on these two urgent documents.”

With a practiced hand, she flipped to the pages that required his attention and handed him a pen, her heart racing at the thought of what lay beneath the surface of their mundane exchange.

As his personal secretary, it was routine for her to have him sign paperwork, but today felt different. George signed both contracts without even glancing at them, the weight of their significance lost on him.

Once he finished, he returned the documents and pen, turning to ascend the staircase without a backward glance.

As he brushed past her, a waft of perfume filled the air, a scent she recognized all too well—Vivian Price’s signature fragrance.

In a moment of defiance, Louisa called after him, her voice steady despite the turmoil within. “George, do you remember what day it is?”

His frown deepened as he turned back to face her, confusion etched across his features. “What day?”

An anniversary? He fumbled for his phone, a notification chiming just as he checked the date. The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily at the sight of the sender, a clear sign that he had forgotten her question entirely.

He shrugged her off, his focus shifting back to his phone. “Get some rest. Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow.” With that, he disappeared upstairs, leaving Louisa alone with the weight of unspoken words.

She sank back onto the sofa, clutching the signed documents in her hands. With a deep breath, she opened the first one, revealing the stark reality beneath—divorce papers.

A bitter smile crept across her lips, a mix of sadness and empowerment washing over her.

She leaned back against the cushions, closing her eyes as memories flooded her mind—ten years filled with laughter, shared dreams, and a wedding that never was. They had gone from school uniforms to the confines of a marriage certificate, yet the promise of a grand celebration had never materialized.

She recalled the night they received their marriage license, George’s tears spilling over as he expressed his guilt for not giving her the wedding she deserved. He had vowed to make it right, to provide her with a ceremony that would be the envy of all, a day filled with love and joy.

Yet here she was, seven years later, not with the wedding of her dreams, but with the painful realization of his infidelity.

Fine, she thought bitterly. These divorce papers would serve as a fitting birthday gift to commemorate his betrayal.

Opening her eyes, she stared at the documents, her once-bright gaze now icy and resolute.

With a swift motion, she retrieved her phone, capturing a photograph of the signed divorce agreement before sending it off to her mother-in-law, Hazel Gray.

Just three days prior, she had laid out her case to Hazel, armed with evidence of George’s unfaithfulness. Hazel had instructed her to initiate the divorce quietly, insisting on a hefty compensation of $2 billion.

Now, the one-month cooling-off period had elapsed, and she was ready to finalize the divorce, to sever the ties that bound her to a man who had betrayed her trust.

With that, he strode into the meeting room, leaving a palpable tension in his wake.

Louisa sensed his anger simmering beneath the surface, and she found herself stifling a laugh. He was the one who had strayed, yet here he was, the one feeling aggrieved.

After the meeting, George summoned her to his office.

Seated in his executive chair, he regarded her with a frown as she stood across the expansive desk, maintaining a distance that felt charged with unspoken words.

“Why are you standing so far away? Come here!” he commanded, irritation lacing his voice.

Louisa remained rooted in place, her expression icy as she met his gaze. “What do you want? Just say it.”

His frown deepened as he rose, striding toward her, but just then, the unmistakable sound of high heels clicking against the floor echoed from outside, cheerful and bright.

The office door swung open, revealing a young woman clad in a striking red dress, her steps light and carefree.

Ignoring Louisa entirely, the woman approached George with an exuberant smile, linking her arm through his. “George, I came early. Are you finished with work?”

George didn’t respond immediately, subtly pushing her arm away as he turned his attention back to Louisa.

In that moment, Louisa couldn’t help but offer a cold, sarcastic smile, the reality of the situation sinking in. He wasn’t even attempting to conceal his affair, brazenly bringing his mistress into the office.

Did they really struggle to be apart for even a moment?

Without uttering a word, she turned on her heel, ready to leave the suffocating atmosphere behind her.

But George’s voice cut through the air, sharper than she expected. “Louisa!”