---- Chapter 6 He came home that night smelling of expensive whiskey and another woman's perfume. He stumbled through the door and wrapped his arms around me from behind, his chin resting on my shoulder. "Why are you like this, Elana?" he slurred, his voice thick with a confusing mix of anger and sorrow. "We were so good together. What happened?" 6 He sounded genuinely bewildered, as if he were the victim. As if he had no idea why the woman he had publicly humiliated and abandoned was cold to him. "You used to be so kind," he whispered, his words a clumsy attempt at emotional blackmail. | knew this move. This was his go-to tactic. Whenever we fought, he would come home drunk, wrap his arms around me, and play the part of the wounded, misunderstood man until | softened, until | forgave him. It used to work. | used to find his drunken vulnerability endearing. But now, all | felt was disgust. He had a wife and a child waiting for him somewhere else, and he still thought he could manipulate me with the same old tricks. ---- "It's not going to work anymore, Emilio," | said, my voice flat. | pushed his arms away and started to walk towards the door. | couldn't stand to be in the same room with him. He lunged forward, grabbing me and pulling me back against his chest, his grip painfully tight. "I'm not signing any divorce papers," he growled, his voice losing its sorrowful edge and hardening with resolve. "I'm not letting you go." He buried his face in my neck, and | felt something wet on my skin. He was crying. The great Emilio Thomas, the man who never showed weakness, was crying. For a moment, | was stunned. My body went stiff, unsure how to react. Then, the cold reality hit me. This was just another performance. A more dramatic one, perhaps, but still a performance. How many times had he cried in Hayden's arms, lamenting his difficult wife? A bitter smile touched my lips. | tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron. "Okay," | said, my voice suddenly calm. "We won't get a divorce." He instantly relaxed his hold, a wave of relief washing over his face. | gently led him to the bedroom, helped him out of his jacket, and tucked him into bed as if he were a child. ---- As soon as he was asleep, | slipped out of the room. The moonlight cast long shadows across his handsome face. He looked peaceful, almost innocent in his sleep. | used to love watching him like this, dreaming of our future. Now, all | felt was a vast, empty expanse of disappointment. His phone, the one he kept for his secret life, lay on the nightstand. It lit up with a notification. A message from Hayden. "He's asleep now. I'll see you tomorrow at the office. Same time." | turned off the screen and left the room, closing the door softly behind me. | would not sleep in that bed again.