\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah\u2019s joy didn\u2019t last long.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just as she\u2019d expected, Ella\u2019s departure took all the life out of Stellan.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But instead of transferring his feelings to her, he spiraled.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stellan started drinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He stopped showing up to work on time. When he did go in, he reeked of alcohol.\u00a0<\/p>\n
After work, he\u2019d either disappear into bars or come home with bags full of liquor and drink himself into oblivion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The sharp, composed CEO everyone knew was gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In his place was a man with stubble, hollow eyes, and a body that moved like it was barely holding itself together.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah had moved into Stellan\u2019s apartment under the excuse that she \u201cneeded someone to take care of her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every day, she dressed up, cooked meals, and tried to win him over with sweetness and care.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stellan didn\u2019t even see her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When he came home, he wouldn\u2019t even bother taking off his shoes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He\u2019d walk right past her carefully prepared dinner and her bright smile\/head straight to the bedroom, and collapse onto the bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then, half-drunk, half-asleep, he\u2019d mumble the same name over and over-the one he\u2019d already lost.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cElla\u2026 Ella\u2026 I\u2019m sorry\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCome back\u2026 please come back\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time she heard that name, Leah\u2019s smile froze a little more. The hatred inside her grew a little deeper.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d done \u201ceverything\u201d. She\u2019d even faked a relapse of her depression to get his sympathy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for what?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ella was gone-but she was still there, like a ghost, haunting every corner of Stellan\u2019s heart.\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:57\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hot Shower, Cold Heart: How Water Temperature Exposed My Military Husband\u2019s Affair\u00a0<\/p>\n
21.4%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah couldn\u2019t even get close to him when he was drunk.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every time she tried, every time she thought she could make something happen-create some kind of \u201cirreversible situation\u201d-Stellan would either pass out completely or push her away in a daze, mumbling, \u201cDon\u2019t touch me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Or worse: \u201cYou\u2019re not her.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Frustration and jealousy gnawed at Leah like poison.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One night, Stellan\u2019s friends dropped him off again, completely wasted.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah struggled to get him onto the bed. He collapsed, unconscious, still muttering \u201cElla\u201d under his breath.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah stood over him, chest heaving, eyes dark and venomous.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d given up *everything*.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d even pushed Ella down the stairs with her own hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for what? A shell of a man? Someone whose heart would always belong to someone else?\u00a0<\/p>\n
No. She wouldn\u2019t accept that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A wild idea took shape in her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She left the bedroom and went to the liquor cabinet in the living room. Poured a glass of water.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Then she reached into the hidden pocket of her purse and carefully pulled out a small paper packet filled with white\u00a0<\/p>\n
powder.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019d gotten it through some \u201cfriends\u201d a while back. Supposedly, it made people \u201close control.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She hadn\u2019t planned on using it. But Stellan left her no choice.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once it was done, once they\u2019d slept together, Stellan\u2019s sense of responsibility-plus her manipulation-would trap him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He wouldn\u2019t be able to walk away.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah poured the powder into the water and swirled it gently. It dissolved instantly. Colorless. Tasteless.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She took a deep breath and carried the glass back to the bedroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStellan, drink some water. You\u2019ll feel better.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
09:57\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hot Shower, Cold Heart: How Water Temperature Exposed My Military Husband\u2019s Affair\u00a0<\/p>\n
21.7%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 7\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her voice was soft as she propped him up.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stellan, groggy and parched, drank the entire glass without thinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah watched him finish it, a flash of triumph-and nerves-flickering in her eyes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She set the glass down and waited for the drug to kick in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Minutes passed. Stellan\u2019s breathing grew heavier. His brow furrowed slightly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Leah knew. It was time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Her hands trembled as she reached for the buttons on his shirt. Her heart pounded in her chest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
*This time, she would have him.*\u00a0<\/p>\n
After tonight, Stellan would be hers. Forever.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u2661 (0)\u00a0<\/p>\n
(0)\u00a0<\/p>\n
MARows Huchand\u2019s Affair\u00a0<\/p>\n
9%\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph King is an editor and storyteller who ensures every chapter is clear, polished, and engaging for readers.<\/p>\n
Hot Shower, Cold Heart by Mark Twain 26 \u00a0 Chapter 7\u00a0 Chapter 7\u00a0 Leah\u2019s joy didn\u2019t last long.\u00a0 Just as […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[46],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-giving-my-husband-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22894\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}