Lydia's pov
I drove myself back home,I don't why but I guess I needed some time alone, not because I was hurt ,I guess I just wanted to remind myself of what matters,the reason for I and Andre's marriage.
It was nothing but a contract marriage
The affair was not a surprise to me,I have always known before I was told.
It's a quiet skill,one a woman like me develops when she marries a man who thinks omission is not the same as lying.
You learn to read pauses,to measure distance,to listen not to what is said, but to that which is not said and is avoided.
So when Andre suggested that I accompany him to the meeting at Carter & Co., I already knew it was just one of his stupid games,I just needed confirmation.
Ann Carter was beautiful in the way women become beautiful after loss,she was sharp, controlled and forged by pain exactly how I was when Andre met me, divorced and shattered,it's how he likes his women,his adrenalin pumps playing on playing on their vulnerability.
I noticed the tension in Ann's eyes the moment she walked into the boardroom,the way Andre straightened, his voice softening without his permission while speaking to her and the way she refused to look at him for longer than a second.
That told me everything I needed to know,still, I followed through,I needed to see things for myself,I watched,waited and observed.
When she excused herself mid-meeting, I gave Andre exactly seven seconds before I stood up.
"Stay,where are you heading to?," I told him calmly.
He didn't, ignoring my words as if I didn't exist,at some point it seemed as though he intentionally wanted to get caught,if that was his plan ,then I guess it was successful.
I took my time walking down the hall, heels steady, heart slower than it should have been. When I reached Ann's office, the door was closed.
I didn't rush,I opened it.
What I found wasn't an affair,but it was worse, a wanting that could not be quenched,these two were in love,it was not the regular hookups.
The room was filled with tension,the kind of tension that destroys marriages quietly.
Andre looked like a boy caught stealing,his hands trembling and prickly heat dropping from his skin. He was never this scared when I found out about his other affairs.
That mattered.
Afterward, I played my role, composed wife,polite partner.
The meeting ended early, as these things always do when truth sits uninvited at the table.
I left the building knowing one thing clearly,Andre hadn't chosen yet and I have only one option and that is to put Ann in her place.
That night, he came home late.
I was sitting in the living room, legs crossed, glass of wine untouched, the lights were low.
He stopped when he saw me.
"You're quiet," he said cautiously.
"You just walked in Andre,do you expect me to start screaming?," I replied.
He loosened his tie, "Today was a lot, thanks for not acting out."
"You followed her," I said.
He tried to ignore me.
"I asked you not to," I continued. "And you did anyway."
"I needed closure Lydia,you don't have to put much thought into it," he said.
I laughed softly, "Ohh really,you must really think I'm stupid Andre, closure?,with your hands almost in her panties?."
He rubbed his face. "Lydia, I didn't plan for any of this."
"You never do," I replied. "It's always someone else's fault, they're either forced themselves on you or drugged you, you're married for crying out loud Andre,when will you act like it ?."
Silence stretched between us.
"You're in love with her," I said.
He didn't accept nor deny it,he just stood still,face on that floor.
That was the only answer I needed.
"And what am I to you?" I asked calmly.
He hesitated. "You're my wife."
I tilted my head,"That wasn't the question."
He swallowed,"stability,partnership,you knew this before we got married Lydia"
"Convenience," I corrected,"You married me because I made sense,to help your dying poor family."
"Yes," he admitted. "And you married me for the same reason."
"Shut it Andre,if not for my family, you would have been on the street begging," I said in anger, at this point I was so close to loosing my cool.
He looked me in the eye for the first time this evening,his eyes were tired. "I'm thinking of leaving."
There it was.
"I see," I said quietly.
"For her," he added. "Or maybe because of her."
I stood, setting my glass down untouched.
"If you leave this marriage," I said evenly, "you will regret it ."
"I will,I know I will,but I can't continue this sham of a marriage," he promised.
"Alright then,you have made your choice ," I said simply. "But understand this,whatever you decide will cost you."
I walked away before he could answer.
That night, I didn't cry,the pain was already anticipated,but it was time for me to act.I will not allow myself to become weak,not for Andre.
I sat at my desk and opened my laptop,the file was already there,
"ANN CARTER — PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL"
I had started it weeks ago,curiosity at first,then instinct.
I scrolled through the information slowly. Her divorce, the health scare,the media attention, her vulnerability disguised as strength.
I don't know Andre's motive for bringing me to that meeting,and honestly,I don't care,he definitely underestimated me.
I picked up my phone and dialed a number I knew by heart.
It rang once.
"Is it done?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Yes," I said calmly, staring at Ann's photo on the screen.
"Understood." The voice in the phone responded
I paused, my voice steady and deliberate,"Take care of Ann Carter."
The line went dead.
And for the first time that day, I smiled.