My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 112

Meanwhile, at the office, chaos had erupted.

Roy ran toward David the moment he entered. “Sir, they’ve already left. The Japanese delegation pulled out of the deal. They said this shows a lack of sincerity. The European clients are furious. And the domestic partners… they’re reconsidering cooperation.”

David’s face was unreadable, but his silence was more terrifying than shouting.

“Reschedule what you can,” he said finally. His voice was low, drained. “And tell them I’ll fly to them personally. I’ll fix this.”

Roy hesitated, then whispered, “Sir… they specifically said they don’t wish to continue talks anymore.”

For a moment, David’s body stilled. He pressed his fingers against his temple, exhaling heavily.

This… all because Marina couldn’t stand being alone for a day.

Back at the villa, Marina paced restlessly. She knew David was furious, but she also believed he would calm down. He always did. He would return, and things would go back to normal.

But hours passed. No message, no call.

By evening, social media was buzzing with speculation. Rumors spread that David had offended foreign investors. Stocks of his company dipped slightly. Journalists wrote about the “mysterious absence” of David Hardison during crucial meetings.

Marina’s hands shook as she scrolled. She threw the phone across the room, shattering it against the wall.

“No!” she screamed.

That night, David didn’t return home.

Marina sat alone in the lavish bedroom, makeup smudged from crying. Her reflection in the mirror looked like a stranger messy hair, hollow eyes, desperation etched across her face.

“He’ll come back,” she whispered to herself. “He always comes back. He has to.”

But deep down, fear gnawed at her. For the first time, she realized her grip on David might be slipping.

And the more it slipped, the more she blamed Lily.

Marina’s eyelashes fluttered against the sunlight slipping in through the heavy curtains. The golden streaks touched her face, warming her cheek, but she didn’t feel the warmth. She felt cold, heavy, drained. For a long moment she lay there, eyes half-closed, her mind in a daze.

Then she jerked upright.

The room around her was quiet, too quiet. No sign of David. No faint rustle of him moving around, no sound of his deep voice on the phone. Her heart skipped.

She swung her legs out of bed, rubbing her temple. She had only meant to close her eyes for a few minutes after last night, but she had sunk too deep, lost in sleep until now. When she checked the clock on the bedside table, panic swept her. It was already late morning.

And then...

Voices.

From downstairs.

Before Marina could open her mouth, Riyana moved.

Her heels clicked against the floor as she strode forward. Then, without warning, a thunderous crack echoed across the hall.

Riyana’s hand had connected with Marina’s cheek.

The slap was so hard her head whipped to the side. Her hair flew across her face, her lips parted in shock, and her whole body trembled as if the ground itself had shaken.

The sting spread hot across her skin, and tears sprang to her eyes not from emotion, but from the sheer force.

“You,” Riyana spat, her chest heaving, “how dare you show your face here again?”

Marina’s lips moved, but no words came out.

Riyana stepped closer, her fury spilling out like fire. “Five years. Five years you disappeared without a word. You left him! You walked away from David when he...when all of us....believed you loved him. Do you know what that did to him? Do you know how hard it was for him to move on?”

Her voice cracked, but her anger didn’t waver. “And now, after all these years, you crawl back, like some snake, to ruin his life again. To ruin his marriage. To tear apart everything he’s built. You think we don’t see through you?”

Marina pressed her palm against the banister, trying to steady herself. Her cheek throbbed. Her legs shook.

“Riyana.” Olivia’s voice cut through the air. Calm. Cold. But it carried a sharper blade than Riyana’s screaming.

Riyana stepped back slightly, though her glare never left Marina.