At that moment The girl's voice trembled as she whispered, "Cora…"
Then Cora's eyes narrowed. She knew that voice.
Emily, James' secretary.
The same woman who always smiled politely at her in public, acting loyal and harmless. The same woman who handled all of James' calls, his schedules—and now, apparently, his body too.
Immediately James scrambled, grabbing his trousers and yanking them up. His hands fumbled with the zipper as his face twisted with irritation rather than guilt.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he barked. "Didn't you say you had an appointment with your therapist today?"
Upon hearing what James just saud, Cora's fingers curled tightly around the armrest of her wheelchair. Her face darkened—slowly, coldly—until even the dim light in the room seemed to shy away from her presence.
She raised her head and stared directly at him.
"So now I need permission to walk into my own bedroom?" Her voice was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that came just before a storm.
She tilted her head, her eyes never leaving his.
"I don't even get the right to demand an explanation for what I'm seeing? In my bed? In our house?"
At that moment James opened his mouth, but the weight of her words silenced him.
"How dare you, James?" she said, her voice cracking at the edge but still sharp as glass. "How dare you cheat on me under the same roof where I've sacrificed everything for you?"
Emily, flustered and flushed, quickly reached for her dress, trying to slip into it with trembling hands. She made a move toward the door, desperate to flee the boiling tension.
But before she could even more two step James grabbed her wrist. "Wait," he muttered.
That single motion—his hand on Emily's arm—made Cora's expression twist further. The pain was gone. What remained now was something else.
Emily turned to James, her voice low and shaky, pretending to be ashamed. "What the hell are you doing?" she whispered.
But her eyes—those sly, glittering eyes—told the truth. She wasn't ashamed. She was enjoying every second of it.
James tightened his grip on Emily's hand. His voice was low, but every word hit Cora like a slap.
"I'm tired of hiding it," he muttered, not even looking ashamed.
He turned fully to Emily, brushing her hair behind her ear, completely ignoring the woman whose life had been wrecked just moments ago.
"Emily… the truth is, I've been seeing you for a year now," he said softly.
At that moment Cora blinked. Once. Twice.
James turned to face her, arms crossed like he was delivering some final statement in a business meeting. "I tried, Cora. I really did. But your… condition—" he gestured vaguely at her wheelchair "—it was too much. I'm a man. A normal man. I have needs. I couldn't keep suppressing them."
Hearing James words Cora's mouth opened slightly, but no words came out.
"I mean, come on," James continued with a shrug. "Look at the success I've achieved in the past two years. You think women haven't been throwing themselves at me? I turned down every one of them. I was disciplined. I stayed loyal… for as long as I could."
He said it like he deserved a medal.
"But I'm human," he added, like that somehow justified it all. "And you wouldn't understand what fame does to people, Cora. So I'm not even going to explain."
He paused, studying her face as if expecting her to break down or beg.
Instead, Cora sat still. Silent. Her face unreadable.
"I did marry you for love," he said, voice softening like he was doing her a favor. "But things change."
Then, with a deep breath, he said the final words that made Emily's lips twitch with a small, victorious smile.
"I've been thinking about how to make it up to you. So here's my decision—I'll pay you off. For everything. One million dollars. That's what I've decided."
James scoffed, shaking his head like he was talking to someone beneath him.
"And don't even think about filing for divorce," he snapped, tone sharp and dripping with arrogance. "You won't get a penny, Not a single dollar, if you try to so."
He took a step closer, folding his arms with confidence, as if he had already won. "I'll make sure of it. I have lawyers—powerful ones. You try anything smart, I'll bury you in court."
His words echoed in the silence, heavy and heartless.
"So be wise, Cora," he said slowly. "Take the one million and disappear. That's the best you'll get. I'm offering you mercy. Don't push me."
He glanced at Emily beside him, who stood with her arms around herself, pretending to look unsure—though her eyes sparkled with satisfaction.
James nodded, finalizing his cruel offer like a man closing a deal.
But just as the room fell quiet again—
Cora suddenly burst out laughing.