My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 16

Marina was sitting in the passenger seat.

Her perfect blonde hair was smooth, her makeup untouched by weather. The soft scent of luxury perfume filled the air. She turned slightly, flashing a demure smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Oh... Lily. You’re soaked. I told David we should have brought a blanket or something.”

Lily stiffened. Her lips curved into a tight, sarcastic smile. “How thoughtful.”

David said nothing, keeping his eyes ahead, hands on the wheel. The tension inside the car was so thick it nearly fogged the windows.

Marina reached forward, placing a delicate hand on the dashboard as if she was steadying herself from some imagined emotional weight.

“I didn’t want to intrude. I told David this was something between the two of you... but he insisted we couldn’t leave you out in the rain. He has such a big heart, doesn’t he?”

Lily let out a dry laugh. “Yeah. Huge.”

“I hope you didn’t misunderstand,” Marina said, her voice airy. “I was just asking David to explain everything to you. I never meant to cause trouble between you two. I even apologized......."

“Stop,” Lily cut her off sharply. “You’re not that good of an actress, Marina.”

Marina blinked, feigning innocence. “I... I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Oh, sure you do. You’re sitting here pretending to be some sweet little thing who feels bad for stealing another woman’s husband, when in reality, you’re just upset that he still won’t give you what you really want.”

Marina’s smile faltered for a fraction of a second. Just enough for Lily to see it. Just enough for Lily to know she’d struck the right nerve.

“I never stole anyone,” Marina murmured.

“No?” Lily cocked her head. “Then why are you riding shotgun while we’re supposedly still married?”

David’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, knuckles turning white.

“I think you’re misunderstanding everything,” Marina tried again, this time turning toward David. “I told you, David, maybe we should let her calm down before we......”

Lily barked a laugh and leaned back against the cold leather seat. “Right. Poor Marina. Always under so much pressure. Tell me something—if you care so much, why don’t you give me thirty million dollars and let me divorce him in peace?”

Silence.

"Lily enough"

David glanced at her in the rearview mirror, his eyes dark and unreadable. Marina looked caught off guard, her mouth hanging open slightly.

“Oh wait, can’t do that?” Lily continued bitterly ignoring David's warning look.

“Then spare me the drama. You want him? Pay the price. Otherwise, stop playing victim while you're riding in his car and calling me the problem.”

Marina’s lips pressed together in a thin line. Her voice was smaller now. “You don’t understand... I have so much going on right now. I have to focus on my career, there’s too much at stake. My agency.....”

“Away from both of you,” she snapped.

“Don’t worry. Someone’s coming to get me"

She stepped out into the rain again, slamming the door behind her. Her heels clicked against the pavement as she walked toward the sidewalk, head held high despite how soaked she already was.

David's voice rang from the window, sharp and annoyed. “You’ll regret walking away like this, Lily.”

She paused only to glance over her shoulder, her voice icy. “No. I regret ever walking toward you.”

And with that, she turned her back and walked forward. She hadn’t expected Noah to be the one to offer her a way out tonight. But she clung to that message like a lifeline anything to keep from drowning in the wreckage of what her life had become.

A sleek black car was waiting ahead.

She blinked in confusion.

Noah had said she was coming.

But as she reached for the door, her heart twisted. Something wasn’t right.

The backseat light was on but Noah wasn't there.