During their second year of living together, Alexa and Alan managed to buy a house and a car. Alexa was happy. For her, everything seemed to be going perfectly.
She knew Alan gambled occasionally, but she never realized how deeply addicted he truly was.
Two months after buying the house, Alan started coming home late. At first, Alexa thought it was because of work. As a salesman, promotions season meant more clients and longer hours.
But slowly, things began to change.
Whenever Alan came home, he spent more time on his phone than usual. Sometimes he would walk away while talking, lowering his voice whenever Alexa came near. It was something he had never done before.
A woman's instinct was hard to ignore.
One evening in the kitchen, Alexa finally asked him about it.
"Dear, you seemed really happy talking on your phone earlier. Was it a big fish?" she asked casually.
"Hmm?" Alan looked caught off guard.
"Who was on the other line that made you smile like that?"
"Yes, it was a client," Alan answered quickly. "Anyway, this weekend I'll be going out of the country to meet someone important. Please prepare my luggage. I'll leave the day after tomorrow."
Trying to stop the conversation, Alan slipped his arms around Alexa's waist and kissed the back of her neck.
His lips trailed slowly upward toward her ear while his hands wandered across her body with practiced familiarity. Alexa let out a soft breath as he pulled her closer against him.
"Alan…" she whispered weakly, already melting beneath his touch.
He kissed her harder, his fingers teasing her skin beneath her skirt until Alexa completely forgot what she had been questioning him about moments earlier.
Their kisses deepened.
Passion quickly overtook the kitchen.
Alan lifted her onto the edge of the table while Alexa wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back desperately. The tension between them burned hot and intense, making Alexa cling to him even tighter.
"Dear… I want you," she whispered breathlessly.
"You'll have me all night," Alan murmured against her lips before pulling her fully into his embrace.
That night, they lost themselves in each other until exhaustion finally forced them to rest.
Later, while Alexa slept peacefully beside him, Alan remained awake scrolling through his phone.
His thoughts drifted toward Sheena.
Sheena was the company's newly hired sales representative assigned under his mentorship. She was confident, flirtatious, and fully aware of the effect she had on men.
Alan remembered the way she smiled at him earlier that day. The way her fitted blouse hugged her curves. The way her hips swayed whenever she walked past his desk.
Just thinking about her stirred something dangerous inside him.
Beside him, Alexa slept soundly, unaware of how far Alan's thoughts had already wandered.
Weekend in Autumn Country
When Alan and Sheena arrived at the hotel for their business trip, they discovered that only one room had been reserved. The company had originally expected two male employees to attend, but Sheena had replaced another coworker at the last minute.
"Are you okay with this setup?" Alan asked awkwardly.
"Of course," Sheena replied with a shy smile. "I don't mind."
Alan offered her the bed while he took the couch.
The meeting with the client went smoothly, and by afternoon they had successfully closed the deal. To celebrate, they ordered food and wine back at the hotel.
Exhausted from the trip and slightly intoxicated, Alan eventually fell asleep on the couch after removing his shirt because of the heat.
Sheena sat quietly nearby, unable to stop staring at him.
The soft lighting of the room highlighted every line of his body. Her breathing slowly became uneven as temptation clouded her thoughts.
Unable to resist any longer, she approached him carefully and ran her fingers lightly across his chest.
Alan stirred slightly but did not move.
Believing he was still asleep, Sheena gave in to the desire she had been holding back for weeks.
What started as curiosity quickly became something far more intimate.
But Alan had been awake the entire time.
Instead of stopping her, he allowed everything to happen.
That night became the beginning of their affair.
The following morning, neither of them spoke about what had happened, yet the tension between them had completely changed.
And once boundaries were broken, it became easier to cross them again.
After returning home, Alan continued lying to Alexa.
Business trips became more frequent. Late nights became normal. Excuses became routine.
Meanwhile, Alexa's suspicions only grew stronger.
Still, because she loved Alan deeply, she kept giving him the benefit of the doubt.
A month passed after that trip.
Within that month, Alan and Alexa barely spent time together anymore. Alan always had reasons—clients to entertain, meetings out of town, sudden overseas trips.
Even when he stayed home, he spent most nights locked inside his study talking quietly on the phone.
One evening, Alexa accidentally overheard soft moans coming from the room when Alan forgot to lock the door. Embarrassed, she immediately walked away, assuming he was simply watching something inappropriate online.
She never imagined he was actually on a video call with Sheena.
One night, Alan came home heavily drunk.
The moment he saw Alexa in the kitchen, something dark and possessive took over him.
He grabbed her from behind and pinned her gently—but firmly—against the counter. His kisses were rough, desperate, and hungry, completely different from the tenderness Alexa was used to.
"Alan… wait…" Alexa gasped softly, startled by his sudden intensity.
But Alan was consumed by alcohol, frustration, and desire.
He kissed her deeply while pulling her closer, his hands gripping her tightly as if afraid she might disappear. Alexa could smell the alcohol on his breath while his touch grew rougher and more demanding.
The passion escalated quickly as Alan dragged her from the kitchen toward the living room, unable to control himself.
Alexa moaned helplessly, overwhelmed by the intensity of his actions. She could not understand why he seemed so different that night—so aggressive, so desperate.
By the time they reached the bedroom, she was exhausted both physically and emotionally.
Then, in the middle of his drunken whispers, Alan murmured something that made her heart stop.
"Babe…"
Alexa froze instantly.
Why "Babe"?
He had always called her "Deary."
A painful ache settled deep inside her chest.
But she was too exhausted to confront him.
Tears quietly slipped from her eyes before sleep finally consumed her.
The next morning, Alan woke beside her with only fragments of the previous night lingering in his memory.
Looking at Alexa sleeping beside him, he simply smiled to himself, completely unaware that his mistake had already shattered something inside her.