Cheat

Desmond tightened his grip around her waist. Though her lips were curled up in a mocking smirk, the hurt in her eyes was very evident.

His heart clenched seeing her innocent eyes glister in pain and anger. He wanted to apologize but he couldn't bring himself to do it.

So instead of being a gentleman he wasn't, he let go of her and took a step back.

"Elsa—" Justin smiled and walked towards her.

Elsa smiled and got up. "Hey, I didn't know you were here."

"Carl is here too." He gave her a brief hug.

"I see your hand is almost healed." She looked at his hand and frowned, "That is going to leave a scar."

"Well, it's not going to be the only one I'll have," he shrugged.

As Elsa and Justin were engaged in a conversation of their own, Desmond couldn't help but feel left out. She really seemed to enjoy her conversation with Justin but when she was with him, she rarely smiled let alone laugh. This made him feel very sour and his mood further tanked down.

"I thought you were with a friend." Justin looked around. "Where is he?"

"He is using the washroom."

"Why don't you and your friend join us for a few drinks?" He suggested. "We are celebrating Desmond's bachelorette."

Elsa smiled and shook her head. "No, that's okay." She then glanced at Desmond. "I don't think your brother is comfortable hanging out with a whore."

"Woah—" Justin raised his brows. "What?"

Without saying anything, she chugged down her leftover drink. "I'll leave as soon as Oliver is back. But thank you for inviting Jus, I'll see you at the wedding." She gave him a hug before walking away.

"What was that about?" Justin asked his brother who was still watching Elsa.

"Nothing, go upstairs." Desmond instructed him before following Elsa.

…..

[Outside]

"Seriously Oli?" Elsa scoffed. "I cannot believe you."

"I am sorry El, I thought you would want to spend more time with your soon to be husband so—" Oliver sighed. "You know what, I am coming. Just wait for me."

"No, it's okay." She stopped him. "I'll go home."

"But—"

"It's okay Oli, you are in town after such a long time so have some fun, okay? I'll see you tomorrow." After hanging up the call, Elsa started booking a cab. Since Oliver drove them to the club, she didn't bring her car.

"I'll drop you home."

Without turning back, she answered, "No need."

Desmond pinched the bridge of his nose and frowned. "I wasn't asking."

"Desmond." She looked at him. "You don't have to do this, okay? I know you don't care so stop pretending, no one is watching you right now."

"Elsa—" When he tried to grab her wrist, she moved away.

"I said leave." She was mad and she wasn't even trying to hide it. How could he judge her when he barely knew her? How could he think so lowly of her?

He wanted to retort but she interrupted him. "I don't expect anything from this marriage. Just like you, even I am forced into it." She glared at him. "I don't expect any love or affection from you but I do expect a decent amount of respect."

Just then a cab stopped right in front of them. Ignoring him, Elsa stormed towards the car. As soon as she opened the door, someone slammed it shut.

Without giving her time to retort, he grabbed her hand and dragged her away.

"Miss, are you going or not?" the cab driver inquired.

"No she is not," Desmond answered as he continued to drag her towards his car.

"Leave my hand." Elsa tried to free her hand from his grasp but she couldn't. He kept tightening his grip as he continued to drag her away.

"I said—"

"Enough." He pinned her against his car and caged her in between his arms. "Will you for once stop fighting me? I am just being a gentleman and dropping you home safely. Is that a bad thing?"

"Do gentlemen call their soon-to-be wife a whore?" She scoffed.

He closed his eyes and sighed, "I shouldn't have said that." It was wrong of him to call her names because he was angry.

"But what do you expect me to think when I see my wife walk into my club in a random man's arms?" The image of her and Oliver make his jaw clench. The regret of not breaking Oliver's bones when he could have irritated him.

"Oliver is a friend," Elsa defended herself.

"Well, he definitely did not look like a friend from where I was watching," he scoffed. "Even I don't have any expectations from this relationship, Elsa. Trust me if it was up to me, I would have backed out from this arrangement a long time ago but I cannot. I have to make my peace with it no matter how much I hate it."

"Just because you are going to be my wife, I don't want you to think that you can step all over me. I am not going to tolerate your tantrums or take all the shit you throw at me. I don't want you to interfere in my personal affairs as well. If you want me to respect you, I want you to respect my space as well." He moved closer. "Don't test my patience because it's super thin when it comes to you."

Elsa looked at him. "Are you going to continue sleeping around with women after we get married? Are you telling me to make my peace with the fact that my husband is going to cheat on me?"

When he did not say anything, she mockingly smirked, "And you want me to respect that?"

She placed her hand on his chest and slowly pushed him away. "Fair enough, I will respect that. We both are humans, we have our own needs."

Desmond did not say anything, he kept looking at her and that made her feel uncomfortable and uneasy but she refused to show it to him. She wanted him to think that nothing about him bothered her, not even when he directly claimed that he would cheat on her.

…..