My Husband's Affair My Anniversary Gift (Lily and David) novel Chapter 8

The music inside the bar thumped like a heartbeat, heavy and relentless, but Lily no longer felt the rhythm. The moment she caught David's cold gaze from across the dance floor, something inside her deflated.

Her steps faltered, the song fading in her ears even though it was still playing loud and fast. There, standing just a few feet away near the entrance, was David. And beside him, arm-in-arm and looking as smug as ever, was Marina.

The sight of them together hit her like a punch to the stomach.

David's eyes found hers almost instantly. His expression didn't change—calm, cold, unreadable. Marina, on the other hand, spotted Lily and immediately tightened her grip on David's arm, as if marking her territory.

Lily stepped back, bumping into another dancer.

Lily's heart pounded in her chest. A thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Did he follow her? Was this a coincidence? Did Marina bring him here on purpose?

David didn't approach.

He simply stood there, watching her like a predator sizing up its prey.

But Lily stood her ground. No, she thought. Why should I leave? This was my night. I came here to breathe, to live.

She looked directly at David, chin lifting slightly, and without breaking eye contact, she turned back toward the crowd and continued dancing. Every move became sharper, freer, louder. She wasn't just dancing—she was declaring something. You can't control me anymore.

With just a sharp flick of indifference, he turned and walked toward the VIP section, Marina clinging to his side like ivy wrapping around a dying tree.

Noa came back with drinks, two tall glasses glinting under the club lights, and saw the sudden shift in Lily's face. "Hey, what happened?" she asked, looking in the direction of Lily's gaze.

"I don't feel like dancing anymore," Lily murmured, taking the drink with both hands but not sipping. Her fingers were trembling faintly.

Noa followed her eyes and grimaced. "You've got to be kidding me," she muttered. "What is he doing here? Can't that witch just fall into a manhole already?"

Lily gave a dry laugh, though it didn't reach her eyes. "I think I need to use the restroom."

"You want me to go with—?"

"No. I'll be fine," she said softly, brushing past the crowd toward the hallway.

The restroom was cooler, quieter—like stepping into a different world. Lily splashed cold water on her face and stared at her reflection. She looked tired. Not in the sleepless sort of way, but the kind of exhaustion that weighed on the soul. It wasn't just about David anymore. It was about everything—being stuck, being unwanted in every job application, being controlled like a pawn in someone else's game.

And David… he had made himself clear. He would eat happily with Marina, flaunt her presence in public, sabotage Lily's job prospects behind the scenes, and still act as if he owned her life.

Pathetic, she thought. You're pathetic.

Lily turned away from the mirror, wiped her hands with a paper towel, and exited the restroom.

As she turned back down the hallway, wiping her lip clean, she didn't expect him to be standing there—leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching her like a lion sizing up its prey.

She had come here to let go, to breathe, to remind herself that life existed outside of David. And yet he showed up like a shadow she couldn't escape.

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