He Chose His First Love. I Own His Empire. novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: The Boathouse

I sat up in the dark with the quilt held to my chest.

"Tell me," I said.

Benton sat on the edge of the bed with his back to me and his elbows on his knees.

"A year ago last October, I drove Odile to the lake house for the weekend," he said. "Dalton wasn't supposed to be there. I walked down to the boathouse to check the lines, and the lights were on."

My stomach turned over.

"He was with Camille," he said. "I saw them through the glass door. I wasn't looking for it. I didn't stay."

"A year ago."

"Yes."

"I was married to him."

"Yes."

"You saw my husband in a boathouse with another woman, and you drove me home from Sunday dinner the next day."

"I told Odile that night."

"You told Odile."

"She asked me to say nothing," he said, and turned his head. "She said she needed a year to arrange things, and that if the family knew we'd seen it, he would hide it until it couldn't be touched. She said it would be worse for you."

"Worse than what?"

He had no answer for that.

I got out of the bed and found my dress on the floor.

My hands were shaking too hard to work the zipper.

"I baked him a birthday cake in March," I said. "I stayed up two nights with the sugar flowers. I put candles on it. I sang."

"Hallie."

"You were at the table. You ate a slice."

"I did."

"You sat there and ate it."

His face did not change, but his voice dropped.

"I wanted to tell you every Sunday."

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because I thought you loved him."

← Chapter 11 · All chapters · Chapter 13 →

Want to keep talking to characters like these? Chat with AI romance characters: AI Boyfriend · AI Girlfriend · Dark Romance · Fantasy Romance · BL (Boys’ Love) · Billionaire Boyfriend · Mafia Boyfriend · Possessive Boyfriend · Hockey Boyfriend · Older Boyfriend · K-Drama Boyfriend · Anime Boyfriend · Vampire Boyfriend · Werewolf Boyfriend · Demon Boyfriend · Fae Romance · GL (Girls’ Love) · Anime Girlfriend · Goth & Alt Girlfriend · Gamer Girlfriend · Tsundere Girlfriend · Fantasy Girlfriend