My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 77

After dinner, Lily carefully helped Olivia to her bedroom, tucking her in with gentle hands. Olivia was already tired, her body weakened from her time in the hospital, so Lily stayed by her side for a few minutes, softly stroking her hand until she drifted off to sleep. She turned off the lights in Olivia’s room, making sure she was comfortable, and quietly stepped out. The house felt calm now, the soft hum of the night settling over everything.

Lily was exhausted herself. She decided to head to bed, wanting nothing more than a few hours of peace.

In her own room, she moved around quietly, pulling out her pajamas and heading to the bathroom.

After drying off, she slipped into a simple nightdress and climbed into bed. She switched off the main light, leaving the room dim. The soft glow from the hallway slipped under the door, but she didn’t mind. She was too tired to care.

Lying down, she pulled the blanket up to her chin and closed her eyes, finally allowing herself to relax. She thought of David — or rather, she tried not to. She doubted he’d come back tonight. He’d left earlier in anger, his pride stung from Olivia’s slap, and if Lily knew him well enough, he’d stay away. The thought of not seeing him tonight gave her a strange sense of relief.

Her breathing slowed, and sleep started to creep in. Her body felt heavy, her mind drifting, when suddenly, a faint sound pulled her back — the soft click of a door handle turning.

Her heart sank into her stomach.

She jolted awake, her body stiff as she pushed herself up onto her elbows, eyes wide as they darted toward the sound. The door swung open slowly, and there he was.

A tall, familiar figure stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame. The hallway light spilled in behind him, casting his face in partial shadow.

Lily’s breath caught in her throat. She scrambled to switch on the bedside lamp, her fingers fumbling for the switch. The warm yellow light filled the room, pushing back the shadows, but it didn’t make her feel safer.

“What are you doing here?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended, a mix of surprise and dread. She sat up straighter, her eyes narrowing at him.

David stepped inside casually, as if he owned every inch of the room — which, technically, he did. His dark eyes flicked to her but didn’t linger long. He didn’t answer her right away. Instead, he closed the door behind him with a soft click and started walking in.

“Why?” His voice was calm, deep, almost mocking. “This is my house, isn’t it? And this....” He gestured around lazily with one hand. “....is my room too. Why shouldn’t I be here?”

He spoke as if her question was absurd, his tone dripping with indifference.

Lily’s fingers clutched the edge of the blanket tightly. She watched as he shrugged out of his coat, throwing it carelessly over the arm of the sofa in the corner. The expensive fabric landed in a heap, but he didn’t even glance at it.

He loosened his necktie next, tugging it off with one swift motion and tossing it onto the sofa as well. His movements were slow, deliberate the kind that made her nervous because she couldn’t predict what was going through his head.

“Are you drunk?” Lily narrowed her eyes at his unsteady steps as he started unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt.

“Just a little,” he replied with a crooked smile on his face.

She flinched at his words, her back pressing against the headboard instinctively. He is drunk. But He wasn’t loud, and he wasn’t angry, not yet but that calmness of his was worse. She hated when he was like this, detached but in control, as if she were nothing more than a piece of furniture in his home. He was like this always.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify