Anna slumped on the couch, her hair disheveled and eyes rimmed with red. She gestured wildly, her voice cracking with emotion. "I can't believe he cheated on me. Me! And with her!" She glared at Scott, who stood awkwardly in the living room. "I changed the locks instantly. He can never come back. I never want to see his lying, cheating face again."
Scott ran a hand through his hair, his brow furrowed with concern. "I hear you, Anna. I can't believe this either. It came totally out of left field." His eyes darted around the room, avoiding direct contact with Anna's piercing gaze.
Anna's lips curled into a sneer. "I am not going to help him get his things! He can buy new clothes. He doesn't need to invade my life anymore!"
Scott held up his hands placatingly. "Anna, I just need his laptop, and to get some of his clothes. You don't even have to get up, I'll get a bag and take care of it."
"Fine," Anna spat. "Do it quickly and get out." She turned her back to Scott, grabbing her phone with trembling hands. Her face flushed, eyes burning with unshed tears.
Scott hesitated, then sighed heavily before heading to the office. Anna swiped furiously through her phone, her jaw clenched tight.
When Scott returned, he paused at the bedroom door. "Anna, I need to get his clothes. Can I go in your bedroom?"
Anna's chest tightened uncomfortably. She stood up abruptly, her voice strained. "I'll come with you."
In the bedroom, Anna perched on the edge of the meticulously made bed. Her eyes swept across the calming greens and blues of the recently decorated room. "This is all such a waste," she lamented. "The designer just finished in here." Her gaze fixed on Scott, searching for a reaction. "Do you think he ever really appreciated any of this?"
Scott paused, a shirt half-folded in his hands. He looked down and shrugged helplessly, unable to meet Anna's intense stare.
Anna's fingers tightened around her phone, knuckles whitening as she watched Scott pack. He moved slowly, hesitating before each drawer, his movements careful and deliberate.
At the sock drawer, Scott froze. His hand hovered in midair, a pair of socks dangling from his fingers. He licked his lips nervously, glancing at Anna, who remained fixated on her phone. A blush crept up his neck, disappearing under his trim beard. Slowly, he reached into the drawer, his fingers tracing along something hidden beneath the socks.
Anna had done a boudoir photoshoot for her husband, recently it seemed. Holding his breath, he scanned the photo. Anna lay on a white faux fur rug with her back arched and her head tilted back, her hands cupping her ample breasts that were barely contained by a red mesh, see-through bra. The tops of matching panties were visible. He picked up the photo and saw another underneath it.
The photographer had posed Anna on her knees and stood above her. Anna sat there frozen in tike, with a look of anticipation in her eyes as her gaze met the camera. The top of her index finger was in her mouth. Her gaze was piercing, filled with a mix of vulnerability and determination. Her stare reached through the lens and straight into his soul. Scott turned his gaze from the drawer to Anna, who sat perched on the edge of the bed, legs crossed tightly, posture perfect and elegant. Her eyes, still rimmed with red, met his with a mixture of vulnerability and defiance.
"What?" she asked, a note of irritation cutting through the sudden silence. Her fingers gripped her phone tighter, knuckles whitening under the strain. She looked so angry she could snap.
Scott's expression softened, his brow furrowing with concern and disbelief. "Oh Anna," he breathed, his voice thick with emotion. "I can't believe he would cheat on you. Good god, woman."