My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 49

That night, Lily’s sleep was restless. She dreamed of David—of him orchestrating every gesture, every contract, every word—not because of love, but only to humiliate her again.

Lily jolted awake, her chest rising and falling in ragged breaths.

Her dream still lingered in the air, thick and heavy like a storm cloud that refused to drift away. In it, David had looked at her with that same sharp gaze, that half-smirk that always seemed to cut her down to size, and he had whispered words she didn’t want to hear. He hadn’t kissed her to claim her. He hadn’t pulled her close because he cared.

No,he had done it to humiliate her. To remind her she would always be beneath him.

Her fists tightened in the sheets.

The worst part wasn’t the dream itself—it was how believable it felt.

She sat up slowly, pushing her hair away from her face, trying to steady her breathing. For a moment, she pressed her palm against her racing heart, then shook her head as though that could chase away the fragments still clinging to her mind.

“Get it together, Lily,” she muttered softly. “It’s just a dream.”

But the unease remained.

By the time morning light spilled through her curtains, Lily had forced herself into her routine—washed her face, prepared her coffee, flipped through a few emails she didn’t even fully read. But still, something pressed against her chest like an invisible weight.

Later that day, she sat across from Claire at their usual café. Claire, with her bright eyes and ever-so-confident demeanor, leaned forward with her elbows on the table.

Claire began, her tone carefully neutral but her eyes sharp. “Your ex-husband… he’s still after Marina’s contract.”

Lily’s fingers froze around her cup. She lifted her gaze slowly.

Claire gave a small nod. “Yes. He hasn’t let it go.”

Of course he hadn’t. Lily didn’t know why she expected otherwise. She sighed softly, more out of exhaustion than surprise.

Claire’s lips quirked into a half-smile, though it was edged with mischief. “You know… there’s a way to make him lose his mind.”

Lily frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Jacob,” Claire answered lightly. “If you dated him, even pretended, it would push David over the edge. Think about it. He’d lose control, and men like David can’t stand that.”

Lily gave a small, incredulous laugh, shaking her head. “Claire....”

“I’m serious,” Claire said, leaning in even closer. “Date Jacob. Or at least, let him think you are. David would go crazy. He’d explode. And honestly? I’d love to see that man sweat for once.”

Lily’s breath caught in her throat. She looked down quickly, stirring the coffee she wasn’t drinking. Date Jacob?

The thought alone sent her head spinning. It wasn’t that Jacob wasn’t kind, or attractive, or easy to be around, he was all those things. But dating him just to make David angry… that wasn’t fair.

Claire must have read the hesitation in her eyes, because she reached across the table, gently squeezing Lily’s hand. “Hey. I’m not saying you have to do it. I’m just saying, you have choices. You’re not as powerless as you think. And whatever happens, Lily, I’m with you. Always.”

That last part, more than anything, made Lily’s throat tighten. She looked at her friend, blinking fast to keep her emotions from spilling.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

Without people like Claire, or Noah, in their own way, she didn’t know how she would have survived all this. The shadows of her past, the constant pressure of her present—they would have swallowed her whole. But with support, even just a small circle, she could still breathe. She could still fight.

By afternoon, Lily finally decided to use the VIP card her mother in law had given her. Maybe a little distraction would help. Maybe if she tried on something new, she could remember how it felt to be a woman who wasn’t defined by David’s moods, his demands, his power.

The boutique was quiet, a soft hum of music playing in the background. Racks of elegant dresses lined the walls, and the lighting was warm enough to flatter without being harsh.

Lily ran her fingers along the fabric of a navy gown, her lips curving into the faintest smile. It had been so long since she had shopped like this—not for work, not for necessity, but just for herself.

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