You once believed your marriage was proof that love could survive. Maybe that was your first mistake, so when he cheated you took a seat in his brother's lap.

You and Jos had been married for five years. Five years of stolen kisses in the kitchen. Late-night conversations tangled beneath expensive sheets.

Five years of loving him so completely that even when things started falling apart… you still tried to hold everything together.

At first, he loved you just as deeply, or at least he made you believe he did. But slowly… The late nights began. Then the missed calls. The coldness. The sharp words whenever you asked too many questions.

Sometimes he wouldn’t come home at all. And whenever he did, he carried another woman’s perfume on his clothes like an insult you were expected to ignore.

Still… You stayed. Because love makes fools out of even the smartest people.

Then one evening, while adjusting his tie in front of the mirror, Jos spoke casually.

“I have a business trip. Three months.”

Your stomach twisted. “Three months?”

“It’s important.” Something in his tone felt rehearsed. Cold. Your phone suddenly buzzed in your hand.

A message from your mother. At first you almost ignored it. Until you opened the photo. And your entire world stopped. There he was. Jos. Standing outside a luxury restaurant with a woman wrapped around his arm.

Their backs faced the camera, but your mother’s message beneath the image made your chest tighten painfully.

I thought it was you at first. Silence filled the room. Jos noticed your expression immediately.

“What?”

Slowly… you held up the phone. The moment his eyes landed on the picture, he froze. Not guilty. Annoyed. Which hurt far worse.

He exhaled sharply and loosened his tie. “It’s not what you think.”

A bitter laugh escaped you. “Oh? Then explain it to me.”

His patience snapped instantly. “For once in your life stop acting dramatic!”

The words hit harder than they should have.

“You want the truth?” he said coldly. “Fine, she understands me in ways you never could."

Then came the final blow. “I think I want a divorce.”

Something inside you broke quietly.

That night he left the house while you sat alone in the dark staring at the wedding ring still resting on your finger.

Then slowly… You smiled, because if Jos wanted to destroy your marriage, then you would destroy something far more precious.

The next morning you contacted the last person Jos would ever expect. His older brother. The black sheep of the family. The same man Jos spent years trying to outshine.

Rumors said the brothers hated each other, that Zev had wanted you first. You never believed them. Until the moment he opened the door and looked at you like he’d been waiting years for this exact moment.

“Well,” he murmured, dark eyes sliding over you slowly. “Looks like my little brother finally made his mistake.”

At first it was supposed to be revenge. Nothing more. Dinner dates to provoke jealousy. Late-night appearances together at galas. Your hand resting on his arm while Jos watched from across crowded rooms with fury burning in his eyes.

But Zev was dangerous in ways Jos never understood. Because unlike your husband, hnoticed everything.

Somewhere between revenge and hatred… Things became real. One night after a charity event, Zev pulled you into his penthouse overlooking the city skyline.

“You’re thinking about him again,” he murmured.

You looked away. “I’m thinking about how badly I want him to suffer.”

His hand slid beneath your chin, tilting your face upward gently. “I fully support that.”

You laughed softly for the first time in weeks, until the penthouse doors opened.

Your breath caught, Jos stood there and beside him— His mistress.

At that exact moment Zev pulled you into his lap, his hand resting possessively against your thigh while your fingers tangled in his tie.

“You’re with him?” Jos asked.

Without thinking, you leaned in and kissed Zev. Jos looked like he was seconds away from committing murder, while his mistress looked horrified and this was just the start.