Too Late For Regrets, Mr. Billionaire (Brianna Meyers and Brandon Levy) novel Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Your Wife Cheated

The dinner turned into a total battlefield.

Watching Brandon pretend Brianna didn’t exist only emboldened Blanca and Darcy, who cranked up their chatter and laughter even louder

Tristan flagged down a server

“Excuse me, this is a upscale spot. Why are some folks treating it like a rowdy flea market?” He said it just loud enough for the neighboring table to overhear

The server offered a polished smile. “My apologies, sir. Il address it with them right now.”

Darcy looked utterly humiliated, gazing up at Brandon with teary, innocent eyes. But he stayed stone–faced, completely unfazed.

The server walked over with courteous remorse and gave a slight bow in apology. “I’m terribly sorry, ma’am. Would you mind lowering your voice a touch? It’s bothering the guests next door.”

Blanca’s face burned red with shame and fury. She wanted to snap back but restrained herself around Brandon. “They’re deliberately stirring up trouble!”

“I apologize. Shall I relocate you to another table?”

Storming off now would just make things more embarrassing.

Darcy’s cheeks flushed a sympathetic pink as she politely waved it off. “No thanks. I’ll get Mom to tone it down.”

Of course, it had been Blanca making all the noise, as if Darcy herself was blameless.

Brianna toyed with the idea of bailing, but then thought, ‘Why bother when the real culprits aren’t sweating it?‘

She decided to relax and savor the food in peace, knocking back a fair amount of wine in the process.

By the end, her cheeks were rosy. As she got up to leave, that deep–seated mom instinct pulled at her heartstrings like a wire stretched tight.

Before she knew it, she was drifting over to the next table, hovering by Kendra. “Kendra, time to head home.”

From the corner of her eye, she glimpsed Brandon, still as icy as ever, swirling and sipping his red wine.

Kendra copied Brandon’s cool detachment and brushed Brianna off. “I wanna hang out a bit more. You can go without me.”

Snap–that taut string in her heart gave way.

Brianna blanked out for a second, her eyes prickling with unshed tears, then spun on her heel and walked out. Seeing Brianna slink away so defeated, Darcy and Blanca traded smug looks.

Kendra cocked her head, watching Brianna’s back fade into the distance, a pang of regret hitting her. She thought, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t have turned her down?‘

Spotting Kendra’s frown, Darcy fished a small box out of her bag and passed it over. “Kendra, here’s that gift i picked up for you in Gurphis. I spaced on giving it to you earlier.”

As she grabbed the box, Kendra’s face brightened right up, Brianna pushed to the back of her mind.

Meanwhile, no matter how Brianna tried to play it cool, she couldn’t stifle the sour ache rising from her gut.

Tristan and Patsy took it all in and couldn’t help feeling she deserved so much better.

The trio switched spots, vowing to drown the night in drinks

The hangover hammered her the next morning. Her head throbbed like it might split in two. Brianna propped herself up, rubbing her temples, and clocked that she was in a hotel room.

She jolted wide awake and checked the spot next to her. Phew, no one.

But before relief could settle in, her brain short–circuited.

She was naked under the sheets. Yanking them back, she stared in horror, praying it was all a nightmare.

After years of marriage, she knew exactly what had gone down last night. She thought, ‘Who the hell is it?’

Brianna dropped her face into her hands, desperately piecing together fragments from after they hit the bar All she could recall was pounding drinks, some dude chatting her up, hitting the dance floor, more booze… and then blackout.

She tugged at her hair in frustration. She thought, ‘Life is complicated enough. God, please not someone I know! Screw it.

Chapter 7 You Wife Cheated

First things first, get the hell out

She threw on her clothes and bolted downstairs.

During checkout, the front desk clerk eyed the room number and said to hang tight while they fetched her car

She thought, My car is here Was I coherent enough to remember it and call a ride service, or has whoever I was with handled it?‘

Brianna fidgeted in a mix of shame and mortification, feeling like she was sitting on hot coals. She thought, What if it is an acquaintance?

She was gearing up to casually probe the clerk about the car when a voice called out, “Brianna? What brings you here?” A chill ran down her spine as she clenched her fists and turned around.

It was Clifford Avila, Brandon’s close buddy.

Brandon’s buddies had never really taken to her. They all figured she’d masterminded that scandal back then, and those spoiled rich kids looked down their noses at women who came on too strong.

Brianna typically either sucked up to Brandon’s friends or stewed in resentment toward them.

“Hey, what are you doing here?” Brianna plastered on a sunny smile, though guilt gnawed at her insides.

Clifford scanned the area suspiciously, his expression dripping with mischief. “Me? What do you think. You get the picture.” Right on cue, a young, gorgeous girl in a skimpy outfit sidled up, hooking her arm through his and melting against him like she was boneless.

Brianna’s forced grin was turning her face rigid. Spotting her chance, she geared up to bolt. “Ah, I see. Well, carry on.” But Clifford wasn’t dropping it and grilled her further. “You, though, out and about this early?”

“Just swinging by for some errands.”

“Swinging by? And that includes checking out?”

“Work stuff, had to sort out some deals here.” Brianna cringed inwardly; her lies sounded moronic even to her.

“You didn’t crash here last night, did you?” Clifford pushed.

“Oh, hey, my ride’s here. Catch you later, bye!”

Brianna slipped away like her shoes were slicked with oil, jumped in the car, slammed the gas, and peeled out of the hotel lot. Only miles later did she exhale deeply, her hands clammy with sweat.

Clifford eyed her retreating figure, then fished out his phone and rang Brandon. “Hey, I bumped into your wife at the Delight Hotel.”

“Okay.” Clifford twisted his lips.

“Shame I didn’t spot the side piece.”

“Noted.”

After the call ended, Clifford assumed he didn’t give a damn. He glanced around once more. Too bad he’d come down late;

୮ he might’ve caught them in the act for real.

He thought, ‘To bust an affair properly, you’ve got to catch them together. Then Brandon can dump her, and she’ll have no choice but to let go without all the clinging, right?

‘Still, she was head over heels for Brandon, would she actually step out?‘

Clifford wasn’t entirely convinced.

But replaying the old drama in his head, he thought, ‘A woman like that? She’s capable of anything.’

Back home after her shower, Brianna spotted the hickeys scattered across her chest and neck in the mirror and groaned with a splitting headache.

She thought, ‘Let it be a random guy, please just a random guy! She chanted inwardly like a mantra.

Yeah, they weren’t divorced yet, and the whole mess left her feeling grossed out, but if it turned out to be an acquaintance, it’d complicate things tenfold.

She tapped her forehead, scowling as she vowed never to get blackout drunk again.

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