The Lies Behind Her Marriage novel Chapter 164

Forgive Xavier.

Serena gave her best friend, Alice, a very long narration of what had happened in Velmon and the current state of the company. They talked for more than an hour straight, with all the information coming exclusively from Serena.

Yet somehow, out of everything Serena said, only one detail lodged itself firmly in Alice’s brain.

“You had a one-night stand with your ex?” Alice asked, horrified, as if Serena had confessed a mortal sin.

“Well,” Serena made a face. “Not exactly.”

“Oh, right,” Alice said knowingly. “Because you’re planning to do it again. Which means it’s not a one-night stand.”

“Uh.” Serena pursed her lips. How was it that her best friend could predict what was on her mind?

“Maybe?” she said, attempting innocence.

Alice burst out laughing. “Don’t give me that maybe look. I know that look. That look means round two.”

“An orgasm that could last a decade?” Alice scoffed, quoting her words. “You two were practically glued together when you were married. So this shouldn’t surprise me.”

“Anyway,” Serena cut in quickly. “We agreed that he’ll be my secret lover.”

“Pfft—what?” Alice’s face turned bright red. “Hahahaha! Poor Nathan.”

“That’s a good one,” Alice wheezed. “So what is this? Forgiveness? Closure?”

Serena’s laughter faded into something calmer. She smiled softly. “Let’s just say… I don’t blame him entirely anymore. A lot of things have come to light. But I still remember the pain. There are things I’m not ready to face, or give in to.”

“The plan was to keep a safe distance,” Serena admitted. “But, he’s just too hot. That face of his is pure temptation... Not to mention his abs.”

Alice groaned. “I hate it when you say sensible things and then ruin them with honesty.”

“And he keeps seducing me,” Serena said in her defense. “So why can’t I have a taste? I haven’t gotten laid for four years. It might as well be… the father of my kids.”

“Oh my god,” Alice laughed again. “I can’t believe I’m hearing this from you.”

“Why can men play with women and not the other way around?” Serena continued. “So why not? No strings attached. And I get to see if he’ll last.”

Alice wiped imaginary tears from her eyes. “So this isn’t forgiveness. This is… research.”

“You can call it that,” Serena shrugged. “Very thorough research."

Alice shook her head. “Remind me never to be your ex.”

The two were talking on the porch of Alice’s house over sandwiches. After covering Serena’s life, they talked about Alice’s.

“How is the plan for the bakery?” Serena asked.

“The place Mom and Dad found is still being refurbished,” Alice said with a smile. “My leg is really getting better, and…”

Alice sucked in a deep breath. “I thought I should let you know—I forgave Xavier. We both cried when we talked about it earlier today.”

“He said his love for you made him lose perspective,” Alice said gently. “He says… he misses you very much.”

Serena paused, looking out at the road. Her heart ached for her friend. “I missed him too. When you were gone, he was the only person I could openly share my personal feelings and pain with.”

“After refueling, I realized Xavier hadn’t passed by yet.” The police already knew Xavier because he frequently visited Alice or took her to the hospital. “I decided to go back and check on him.”

“Instead of finding the woman and her car, I found Xavier being beaten by three men,” the officer said. “I got out as soon as I could and identified myself as a police officer. They drove away on motorbikes. I took Xavier to the hospital first.”

“Officer, we need to identify those men,” Silas hissed. He had been standing behind Serena and Alice the entire time.

“It was pretty dark, but I plan to check the cameras along the road,” the officer said. “Xavier's wallet and phone were taken, so it may have been a robbery.”

“Either way, those who did this to Xavier will pay,” Silas declared, his jaw clenching.

Silas facilitated the filing of the police report. Serena and Alice stayed with Xavier while his mother returned home to get clothes and other necessities.

Two hours later, Xavier woke up, emotional.

“Fuck, I’m alive,” he hissed. Tears welled in his eyes as he said, “Serena, I thought I was going to die before you ever forgave me.”

Serena couldn’t help but cry. She hugged Xavier. “I could never stay mad at you. I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Hey,” Alice said from the other side of the bed, sniffing back tears. “Don’t you dare scare us like that. You are not allowed to die before I can walk properly.”

A chuckle escaped Xavier’s lips, but he quickly groaned in pain, clutching his chest.

Still, Alice hugged him gently from the other side. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

To Serena, the moment felt like yesterday again, when the three of them were inseparable, before anything had been broken.