Hell Hath no fury like a billionaire's Ex

Diane's Pov

I could not help but think that something doesn't seem right. Liam had been very distant all of a sudden, coming back home very late every night. His reasons were also getting vaguer every day. I tried to turn a blind eye to the gnawing feeling in my gut, but it persisted, a steady companion in the hollow silence of our once-happy home.

Tonight, I decided, would be quite different. I would take him by surprise at the office, maybe even propose a dinner date like we would have done back then when we first got married. I smiled just thinking about it and, touching up my makeup, spritzed his favorite perfume on and slipped into that form-fitting black dress I knew he loved.

The drive to his office building went quickly, and the streets of downtown felt unusually empty for a Thursday evening. I parked my car and thumbed toward the elevator, my heels clicking loud on the polished marble floor. My heart raced with anticipation as I thought of Liam's expression of pleasant surprise at seeing me.

The elevator doors opened to the executive floor, and I stepped out, my excitement building. But, as I got closer to Liam's office, I could hear many muffled voices. I slowed my pace because I didn't want to disturb him from some meeting.

That's when I heard it. A woman's laugh. Not just any woman's laugh.

Sophie's. My own sister.

The door was slightly ajar, and as I drew closer, I felt the hairs on my neck stand at attention with cold blood in my veins. And sure enough, through that crack, there they were: Liam with his shirt half-unbuttoned and his hair messed up, and Sophie, perched on his desk, skirt hitched up indecently high.

"We can't keep doing this," Sophie giggled treacherously, but her actions didn't reflect her words as she drew Liam closer.

"Why not?" he muttered as his hands roamed all over her body in a way that made my stomach turn. "Diane doesn't suspect a thing. She is too involved in her own little world to see what's right in front of her face."

I wanted to scream, to burst in and confront them both, but I stood frozen, a silent witness to my own humiliation.

"You are horrible," Sophie said, but there was no real rebuke in her voice. "What about the charity gala next week? We can't exactly show up arm in arm.

Liam chuckled, a sound that used to be warm to me now dragged ice through my veins.

"Don't worry; I've got it all figured out. Diane will be there, playing the good wife as per usual. You will come fashionably late, and we will steal a little moment when nobody is looking."

"Mmm, I like the sound of that," Sophie murmured, and then their lips met in a passionate kiss that shattered what was left of my heart.

I stumbled backward, my hand over my mouth to stifle the sob threatening to escape. How long has this been going on? How could they do this to me?

My vision was blurred with unshed tears, and by some miracle, I finally made it back to the elevator. The ride down the elevator was a bit of a blur, but in no time, I was in my car again, my two hands holding on to the steering wheel so tight that my knuckles turned white.

I don't know how long I sat playing that scene over and over in my head, each detail a fresh knife to my heart. The way Liam looked at Sophie, touched her-that's the way he used to look at and touch me. My own sister. The betrayal cut deeper than I could possibly have imagined.

Finally, I started my car and began driving home on autopilot. My mind was such a whirlwind of emotions: anger, hurt, disbelief, all at war with one another and threatening to tear me apart.

As I entered our bedroom-a room that Liam and I had been sharing for years-memories came back to attack me. The night he proposed, right by that window. Our lazy Sunday mornings, tangled in the sheets. The dreams we had shared and the future we had planned.

I sank onto the bed, our bed, and finally let the tears fall. How could I have been so blind? Late nights at the office, mysterious text messages, the way he'd pull away whenever I tried to be intimate-all explained now.

As my eyes brimmed over, I noticed our wedding picture on the bedside table. We looked so happy, so in love. I picked it up and traced Liam's face with my finger. Had he ever truly loved me, or had I just been a convenient stepping stone on his path to success?

I suddenly seemed to burst into an overwhelming anger, letting it out as I slammed the frame across the room. It crashed against the wall, shattering to bits, just like my marriage, the glass tinkling to the floor.

I don't know how long I sat there with tears freely flowing, reliving every moment of my relationship with Liam, in search of signs I might have missed. It was long after sunset when I heard the front door open.

"Diane? Are you home?" Liam's voice called out, sounding so normal, so unaffected. How dare he?

I quickly wiped my tears and steeled myself. I couldn't let him see me like this, couldn't let him know that I knew. Not yet.

"In the bedroom," I called back, surprised at how steady my voice sounded.

Liam appeared in the doorway, his brow furrowing as he took in the scene – me, still in my dress, mascara probably smeared, and the broken picture frame on the floor.

"What happened?" he asked, concern in his voice that I now recognized as fake.

I just managed to force a smile. "Oh, I just knocked it over accidentally. Clumsy me."

He nodded, relief in his eyes that I wasn't ticked off. "I'll clean it up. How about I order us some dinner? I'm starving."

"That sounds great," I lied through my teeth, my stomach churning at the thought of eating with him. "I'm just going to jump in the shower real quick."

I let out a shaky breath as soon as I was in the bathroom, securely behind the locked door. I caught my reflection in the mirror: a woman I barely recognized stared back at me. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her face pale, her world shattered.

But then, as I stood there, something began changing within. The hurt and the betrayal remained, but a new emotion was born: anger. Hot, livid anger.

As I turned on the shower and let the hot water envelop me, cleansing me of the feel of Liam on my skin, the lies and deceit. By the time I stepped out, my resolve had hardened.

I Wouldn't confront him. Not yet. I needed time to think, to plan. Liam and Sophie thought they were so clever, but they had no idea who they were dealing with.

Over dinner I played the good little wife perfectly. I laughed at Liam's jokes, asked about his day, and pretended not to notice when his phone buzzed with a text message that made him smile secretively.

"I was thinking," I mentioned casually as we cleared the dishes, "that maybe I should go visit Joan for a few days. It's been ages since we've had a proper girls' weekend."

Liam's eyes lit up, and I knew he was already planning his trysts with Sophie. "That's a great idea, honey. You deserve a break. When were you thinking of going?"

"Maybe tomorrow?" I said. "I could use a change of scenery."

"Of course," he agreed immediately. "Take your time. I'll hold the fort here."

I bet he will, I thought sarcastically, but I kept my smile strong. "You're the best, sweetie."

Liam lay sound asleep next to me that night as I went on to the one meter of the moon, thinking so deep. My head was all filled with thoughts of all these years we had spent together and the life we had created. I remembered Sophie, my little sister, whom I have always protected and supported. How could they do this to me?

But then finally, as the first light of the dawn crept insistently through the curtains, my way became clear. I would not just roll over and accept this betrayal. No, I would fight back like he'd never seen or dreamed I could.

The next morning I packed a small bag and kissed Liam goodbye, as I drove to Joan's beach house like everything was perfectly fine.