"Coming!" A woman called out when I knocked. I shoved my hands back into my pockets, feeling cold. The rain had wet me while I was outside, so much that I was shaking a little bit. My clothes were partially soaked, making me want to rip them off my body.

The door was yanked open and a woman that was about the same height as me faced me. She had blonde hair that was tied up into a messy bun and had a blue scrunchie around it. She was wearing a pink shirt and blue jeans, a white apron tied up from around her neck. She was wearing brown slippers, the colour being the same dark brown her small eyes had.

"You must be Akielia. I thought you weren't coming anymore." She said with a tone I could not understand. It certainly was not happy or excited. I nodded, "I was working. Sorry for the wait."

I waited for her to tell me to come inside but she just turned on her heels and walked away. I shrugged and picked up my suitcase, following her. Entering, I could smell a lot of things at once. There was an incense stick burning in the living room that I was standing in, a vanilla scented candle burning right next to it, a pie or cake was baking in her oven and I could smell a stew of some sort.

I could feel my nose getting confused.

The home was lovely above all. It was mostly grey and white, with small details of light brown in certain areas. It was comfortable and modern, and so warm. For an apartment, it sure felt like home.

"Please take off your shoes. That mat is very expensive." The woman said, making me stop looking around the place and look down at my feet. My shoes were wet but they weren't muddy, so I wasn't dirtying her grey fur mat but I took them off anyways, since I wasn't supposed to be wearing them in someone's house. I picked the shoes up and stood on my socks, looking at her to see if she was happy. She nodded at me and turned to walk away, disappearing around the corner.

"I made beef stew and some apple pie. What would you like to have?" She asked me from where I assumed was the kitchen.

"Apple pie, if you don't mind." I answered her.

"Well, it will not be ready for the next ten minutes. Let me show you around in the meantime." She said, appearing from the kitchen with her apron off. This time, I could see her perfectly. She had large round breasts underneath that shirt and when she turned, I expected her to have a big butt too but it was flat.

I thought that Damien was an ass guy... Otherwise, why did he keep touching mine?

"As long as they are happy." I whispered, shaking my head.

I followed her and she showed me the bathroom, the room I would be using and the small library they had. That was basically it. She didn't show me where they slept or Damien's office, probably not trusting me to be alone with him. She left me in my temporary bedroom and went to take out her pie.

After a while of me unpacking she called out to me, "Pie is ready!"

I walked out of the room dressed in my soft baby blue pajamas. I wanted to go straight to bed after eating. We went to the dining room and sat down around a small circular table with four chairs. I sat across her and thanked her for the pie. It smelt great.

I picked up a fork and dug in, with her doing the same. It was really awkward, but better than what I had expected. She wasn't the nicest, but I wouldn't be nice to me if I were in her position.

"I'm Sarah, by the way." She said, biting into the pie. I nodded at this, she already knew my name so I didn't tell her anything.

"Is he really at work?" She asked me, putting her fork down. I looked up at her in confusion. Where else would he be at this time of the night?

"Yeah, didn't he tell you?"

"He told me that he was going hunting with government troops for an unclassified creature. I watched the news and they said something about prisoners." She said with a frown between her brows.

She didn't believe him?

"They only said that to keep it from the citizens. He wasn't supposed to tell you about the unclassified creature."

"So he was telling the truth?"

Didn't I just confirm that?

"Yes, he was."

There was silence again. She looked like she had a lot to ask and say, so I waited for her.

"I thought you would be that other woman." She mumbled, glaring at her unfinished pie. Whoever this other woman is, she was in big trouble with Sarah.

"What other woman?" I asked her, still eating the pie. I was hungry and I was not going to starve myself to talk about some other woman.

"She's a coward, that whore." Sarah hissed, making me look up at her in shock. Her eyes had tears in them, one threatening to fall. "She was naked on his desk with her legs wide open... and he was there, thrusting into her like his life depended on it."

I dropped my fork at this, both shocked and horrified to hear it.

"Where did this happen? When?"

"His office, last week. I bought him lunch and I heard noises from his lab. I opened the door and there they were. He didn't see me, but that woman did and she didn't stop, instead she smirked at me."

W H A T?

"Why didn't you confront Damien? Why are you still getting married to him?" I had to ask her. It confused me why she was still with him if she knew that he was cheating.

"I cannot leave him. My mother won't let me."

"Your mother shouldn't dictate whether you break up with Damien or not."

"She said it would embarrass our family. She said she will never speak to me again if I break up with him." Sarah said, tears rolling down her pink cheeks. I felt so bad for her.

"So you'd rather stay in a marriage you don't want to be in? End it with him now while there's still time." I told her with widened eyes. I was still shocked. "Who is the woman he slept with?"

"I don't know, she had aburn hair and blue eyes."

Oh no...

No one else at work has these features but her...

"Sharlene?" I asked her slowly, my eyes also welling up with tears. I didn't know why, maybe it was because Damien was sleeping with my friend while with me too. Or maybe it was because she had the audacity to tell me about keeping secrets when she did too.

She still slept with Damien, even knowing that I was sleeping with him too.

"Sharlene? Is that her name? A friend of yours?" Sarah asked me.

"Not anymore she's not." I told her, making her look at me apologetically. She wiped her tears and sniffed, shaking her head.

"I don't know if he's slept with you too but at this point, it really doesn't matter. I just wish I could leave him and never return but I can't risk losing my family over it."

Family? Girl, that's no family.

"I'm sorry," I apologized to her, looking down in shame. "He had argued with you and I had been heartbroken. We comforted each other but it went too far." I said softly. I heard Sarah crying at that but I couldn't bring myself to look at her. I felt terrible for being one of the filthy women to have caused her this pain. I couldn't stop now, I had to say everything while I still could.

"It went on for weeks and weeks, everywhere we could hide or fit, we did it. Even after I had gotten over my heartbreak and even after you had fixed things."

"Afterwards, I realized that this isn't what I wanted. I didn't want to be someone's side piece. I also want to be loved by a man, just me and no other woman. I want to go to sleep in the warm arms of a man. I want someone to look at me and call me beautiful or mine. I want to be loved by a man too." I said, smiling at the thought of being loved. I looked up at her for the first time. Her eyes were wet with tears and her lips were quivering. But I still continued. I didn't have anyone to vent to so I would take this moment and use it to do so.

"I think a part of me was jealous that he loved someone else, enough to wish to marry her. So I tried to have him to myself, but ended up being his toy instead. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your relationship. I just..."

"You just wanted to be loved." She whispered, nodding at me. "I get it, you're an independent woman that has everything. An amazing job, house, cars and life but you're missing something. You're missing love, both physically and emotionally. Damien gave you the physical love but emotionally, you still felt empty. You still do feel empty."

She held out her hands and took mine. They were warm and soft. Even the diamond ring around her finger was warm. She said something after that, something that made me break down right in front of her. Something I didn't know that I wanted to hear from her but when I did, a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders.

"I forgive you. I'm not mad at you because I know, we all need to be loved."

She stood up and walked to me, pulling me into a tight hug. We both broke into tears, seeking comfort from each other. It felt nice, everything about it. To know that I was free of the burden and forgiven for it. It felt so good.

"I hope you do know that the man you'll find is going to be so lucky." She said, pulling away and wiping her tears. "But my man..." She started, looking at the ring on her finger.

"...my man is dead to me. And I'm going to tell him that."

I stood up too, watching her take off the ring. "My family will have to deal with the humiliation. I'm not about to stay in a relationship that makes me feel like I'm second best to whores named Sharlene." She snapped. I like her but her language is harsh.

"When are you going to tell him that it's over?"

She looked at me and smirked, making me gulp nervously. "Right now, and you're coming with me."

WHAT!?