The Billion Dollar Getaway [#6]

Chapter 1

Serena rolled the cold food around in her plate with her fork and chugged her second glass of wine - unfortunately nonalcoholic - down. It was the fifth night in a row Theo promised to be home only to call and say a business emergency came up.

Often times she suspected he wasn't being entirely truthful and worried herself to death when she assumed he was having an affair.

Four years after Ky was born, he had made a promise to attend their family dinners and to put them before work. But the promise died somewhere along their marriage, and it was only a matter of time before Serena had to pack a bag and sign divorce papers.

She knew it was coming even though she loved Theo and her children more than anything else in the world. She just wasn't sure Theo shared that same love anymore.

"Mommy, is Daddy coming home to tuck us in?" Ky asked as he stumbled into the kitchen. His eyes were red with exhaustion from staying up late waiting for his father.

"I don't know, baby," she told him, holding out her arms to him. "Can Mommy tuck you in?"

He pouted and snuggled closer to his mother. "You do it every night. I want Daddy to do it."

"I know, Ky. But Daddy isn't home right now."

"Yes, he is," Theo said as he entered through the backdoor. He lifted Ky into his arms and placed a kiss on the top of Serena's head. "Let's go to bed."

Serena didn't follow but instead threw the untouched food away then started on the dishes. It had been this way for the past five nights. Theo would come home in the middle of the night to tuck his neglected son into bed then return downstairs and pretend everything was alright.

But Serena wasn't going to take it anymore. She would confront her husband.

She had just finished the dishes when Theo wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed the skin behind her ear. "Is he asleep?"

"He must have been exhausted," he said as he kissed his way down to her neck. "He fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow."

"He's been waiting every night for you to tuck him in."

"I know. Work just takes up a lot of my time."

"It shouldn't be that way," she said through an exhale. "You made me and Ky a promise to make us your priority. Charlotte probably doesn't even remember what it's like to be held by her father."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," he whispered, tightening his hold around her waist. "I know I've missed dinner these past few days, but trust me when I say this thing at work is really important."

"More important than your family?"

"No, baby." He spun her around and cupped her chin in his hand. His thumb ran across her cheek to wipe the fallen tears. "My family is my entire life. If dropping this client means never losing you then I'll do that."

"Is your client a woman?"

"Yes, my client is a woman." He quirked an eyebrow when she stepped away from him. "What are you really asking, Serena?"

"You work with this client after hours. Is it normal?"

He knew what was coming, but he decided to humor her. "Yes."

"How often have you worked with them after hours?"

"It's rare that I do," he said. He took a step toward her and jerked back when she flinched. "Baby, what's the matter?"

"Are you fucking her?"

He swallowed hard. "No, I'm not. Where is this coming from?"

Serena couldn't stop the tears that came pouring down her cheeks. "If you're having an affair, I can handle the truth. Telling me you're working late and abandoning your family at dinner is a lot worse than fucking another woman in your office every night."