He Introduced Me to a Lover, and My First Love Walked In Chapter 04

He Introduced Me to a Lover, and My First Love Walked In Chapter 04

I jumped. “Why are you back?”

Julian scoffed. “What? Afraid I’d interrupt you and your college boy?”

I had no idea how to answer that.

Sometimes Julian got bored at home and went off with one of the women he was seeing, disappearing for several days at a time.

I’d assumed this time would be no different.

Fortunately, he didn’t press me. His attention shifted instead to the plate in my hands.

He suddenly said, “Audrey, I don’t think I’ve ever had anything you’ve cooked.”

I instinctively pulled the plate away.

Julian seemed to notice my reluctance. He deliberately stepped forward and took the plate right out of my hands.

He settled gracefully into a chair at the dining table and took his time eating.

My irritation finally got the better of me. “Julian, I didn’t make that for you.”

He ignored me completely.

When he finished, he set down his fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and said, “Terrible.”

I stared at the empty plate and let out an incredulous laugh.

“If it’s that bad, have Chloe cook for you.”

Then I turned and headed for my bedroom.

I had barely reached the door when Julian followed me, suddenly pinning me against the wall. His hand slipped beneath the hem of my shirt as he said in a low, rough voice, “Have my baby, Audrey.”

Goosebumps broke out across my skin, but not from desire.

I was terrified.

After what happened around our first anniversary, Julian never touched me again. To him, I was filthy.

At first, I couldn’t accept that, and I tried to seduce him a few times.

The first time, he recorded me and sent it to a group chat with his friends. Every one of them saw me at my most humiliating.

For a long time afterward, I was too ashamed to even leave the house.

The last time, he took me to an exclusive club and told me, “If you’re that desperate for men, go sell yourself.”

I dropped to my knees and begged him, sobbing uncontrollably, before he finally let me go.

After that, I never dared cross that line again.

So when Julian came toward me now, I assumed he’d come up with some new way to humiliate me and immediately tried to pull away.

He looked annoyed, leaned in anyway, and kissed me.

I tasted alcohol on his breath, and only then did I realize he was drunk.

Julian was an extreme lightweight. One drink was enough to do it.

In all our years together, the only time I’d ever seen him drink was on our wedding day.

He must really love Chloe if he felt safe enough around her to let himself get drunk without a care.

A bitter ache spread through my chest, but I kept my voice gentle.

“Julian, you’re hurting me. Please let go.”

He tilted his head. He was much easier to reason with when he was drunk, and he released me almost at once.

I had barely relaxed when Julian wrapped an arm around my waist, lifted me off the floor with one arm, and kicked the bedroom door open.

He gave a low laugh. “Audrey, I know you put the college boy I found for you in the guest room. You haven’t slept with him. You’re only keeping him here to get back at me, aren’t you?”

“No. I kept him because—”

I never got to finish. Julian kissed me again and again, so relentlessly that I couldn’t make a sound.

I panicked and fought him with everything I had. In the struggle, my hand accidentally struck the light switch.

The dark room flooded with light.

I squinted against the sudden brightness, and when my eyes adjusted, the sight on the bed made my whole body lock up.

Evan was sitting quietly against the headboard with a pillow in his arms.

His long hair shadowed his eyes, making his expression impossible to read.

And Chloe lay fast asleep across his lap.

I had no idea how Evan and Chloe had ended up like this, but my first instinct was to cover Julian’s eyes.

He cared so much about Chloe that I was afraid he’d hurt Evan if he saw them together.

I’d overestimated my strength. Julian caught my wrist and pulled my hand away effortlessly.

Most of the drunken haze vanished from him in an instant. For the first time, there wasn’t a trace of amusement in those eyes that always seemed to be smiling.

He stared at Evan, his voice turning to ice.

“Who the hell are you?”