Page 68 of Unfaithful

I glanced at the screen, Cole's name flashing.

"Cole again?" Emma asked, arching a brow.

I nodded.

"He's been calling and texting you nonstop lately."

"Yeah..."

A new message popped up on my screen. I sighed and opened it.

"Hey baby, I miss you. Please pick up my call. I really need to talk to you. Can I come over?"

As always, I ignored him.

A few seconds later, another text appeared.

"Please, baby. I have something important to tell you. Let me see you."

"Is he bothering you at the office, too?" Emma asked.

"I've been out of the office a lot these past few days, but Dona said he's been coming by every day looking for me."

"Does he still live with her?" Emma asked, suddenly looking absolutely livid.

"I talked to Bobby," I said, exhaling. "She told me he's been staying in the extra room upstairs. He says it's for the baby."

"You don't believe that, do you?" Emma growled.

I looked up at her. "It doesn't really matter, does it?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "Remember that, always."

The doorbell rang loudly from downstairs, echoing through the house.

"That must be Archie and Julian," Emma said, giving herself one last glance in the mirror.

"Is Ben coming?" I asked, standing up. Ben and Emma had been quite the thing these past few months. Probably getting serious now that Emma had officially moved back to town. She was practically splitting her time between Ben's place and mine.

"He's out of town, coming back tomorrow," Emma said as she headed for the door. "Let me get that. You finish up."

"Okay," I muttered, giving myself one last look in the mirror. And I flinched.

I looked... different.

The makeup was flawless, and the little black dress hugged me like a second skin, the silky fabric tracing every curve. Thin straps barely held it in place, while the plunging neckline dipped lower than I usually dared, revealing just enough to make me grimace. The hemline skimmed dangerously high on my thighs, and the slit on the side climbed even higher, teasing with every step. It was bold. Maybe too bold.

The heels were supposed to boost my confidence, but as I stared at my reflection, I couldn't tell if I liked what I saw or just felt like a version of someone else.

One thing was certain—my cleavage was way too out there.

What the hell was I thinking, letting Emma convince me to buy this dress?

For a moment, I hesitated, thinking about changing into something else, but eventually sighed and decided to go with it even though I wasn't entirely convinced.

I stepped out of my room and padded downstairs.

Archie and Julian stood by the entrance, both staring at me, mouths ajar.

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