Chapter 243: The perfect husband

Words : 1147 Updated : Oct 1st, 2025

Chapter 243: The perfect husband Anne stepped into the bar, her eyes adjusting slowly under the flickering neon signs. The shifting lights made it hard to make out any faces. She scanned the room, searching. "Anne." A familiar voice called out. She turned toward the sound. Audrey was waving at her from the quiet corner of the bar, her smile wide and energetic, completely at odds with the tension Anne had picked up in her voice during their earlier call. The concern that had been gnawing at her all the way here eased slightly. Maybe she had just imagined it. Anne smiled and made her way over. "Thanks for coming," Audrey beamed, clearly tipsy. Her cheeks were flushed, and her movements were a little too enthusiastic. "Come, sit, sit." She grabbed Anne’s wrist and tugged her into the seat beside her. "Let me order a drink for you." She raised her hand to call a waiter. "I’m not drinking," Anne said, pulling Audrey’s hand down. Audrey frowned, pouting like a scolded child. "What? Turning me down already?" "It’s not like that," Anne said with a soft smile. "I just... can’t drink." She left it at that, not offering any explanation. Audrey gave her a strained, bitter smile. "Even my best friend won’t drink with me. Fine. I’ll drink alone, then." She lifted her glass and took a long sip. Anne watched her closely now. Behind the jokes and alcohol, something was clearly wrong. The unease Anne had pushed aside earlier crept back in. "Why do I get the feeling you are hiding something?" Anne asked gently. "What’s going on, Audrey?" Audrey’s smile wavered, her drink stalling midair. She turned her head toward Anne, lips curling into a crooked, bitter smirk. "So it’s that obvious, huh?" she muttered. "You saw right through me." "I know you too well to miss it," Anne replied gently. "Now come on. What is bothering you? Is it a work-related issue? Or is it the boyfriend?" Audrey let out a sharp laugh, slamming her glass onto the table. Her eyes darkened, and the pain she had been trying to mask finally cracked through. "Men are assholes," she spat, anger and heartbreak tangled in her words. Anne realized her friend’s pain stemmed from the trouble with her elusive boyfriend, but she couldn’t let her generalize and condemn all men because of one bad experience. "Not all men are like that." Audrey rolled her eyes and leaned back on the sofa. "Easy for you to say. You have got the perfect husband, the dream guy who is so much in love with you." Perfect? Anne wouldn’t call Augustine perfect. But yes, he loved her fiercely, protected her always, and showed her love without hesitation. "Not everyone we meet is meant to stay," Anne said softly, choosing her words with care. "But every person teaches us something. The ones who hurt us make us stronger, tougher. They prepare us for life’s storms. The ones who love us remind us of our worth. They help us believe in ourselves again." She reached out and gently squeezed Audrey’s hand. "If you can see it that way, you never lose. You grow, no matter what." Audrey fell silent, her lips trembling as she fought to keep her emotions buried. But Anne saw right through the facade. "Don’t hold it in. Let it out. Share the pain with me. Don’t carry it alone." Those few words shattered the last bit of restraint Audrey had. The wall she had been holding up finally crumbled, and she collapsed against Anne, sobbing as she buried her face into her friend’s shoulder. "He broke up with me," she choked out between sobs. "Said the long-distance thing wasn’t working. Said he found someone else, that he didn’t need me anymore." Her voice grew harsher, bitter. "He was the one who chased after me, who kept pushing until I let him in. And just when I started thinking about a future, about marriage, he said he never loved me. He only played with me." Tears streamed down her face as she cried harder. "He used me and tossed me aside." Anne held her close, her heart aching. She knew this kind of pain too well. She had once lived it. "I hate him," Audrey muttered through clenched teeth. She grabbed a glass from the table, seething. "If he shows his face, I swear I’ll smash this into it and watch him bleed." "Whoa, whoa," Anne said quickly, snatching the glass from her hand before Audrey could throw it away. "He is not here, and that poor glass didn’t do anything to deserve this. Come on. I’ll take you home." "No," Audrey protested, pushing her hand away. "I want to drink. I want to drown in it until I feel nothing." "You are already drunk," Anne pointed out. "Keep going like this, and you’ll pass out right here in the bar. You don’t want that." Anne stood, placing a hand on Audrey’s back. "Let’s get you out of here before things get worse." "Anne, please... I don’t want to be alone tonight," Audrey pleaded. "Let me stay here with the crowd, the music, the drinks. I just want to get drunk and forget." Anne’s heart clenched at the sight of her friend unraveling. She had been in that same dark place before, drowning in pain, desperate to feel anything but the ache of heartbreak. She understood all too well. "I get it," Anne said gently. "I know it hurts, and being alone right now feels unbearable. But staying here all night isn’t the answer. It’s not safe." She stood and reached for Audrey’s arm. "Come with me. I’ll stay with you tonight. You don’t have to be alone." Audrey blinked up at her, caught off guard. "You... you will?" "Yes," Anne said firmly. "Let’s go." She pulled her up. Audrey swayed, nearly losing her balance, but Anne caught her before she could fall. "Oops," Audrey giggled, pressing her fingers clumsily to her lips. "The floor is moving. I can’t figure out where to step." Anne let out a low groan. "The floor is fine," she muttered. "You are just drunk. Come on." With one arm wrapped firmly around Audrey, she navigated toward the exit. From his private booth tucked behind a glass wall, Denis spotted Anne moving through the crowd, supporting a visibly drunk Audrey. His heart skipped a beat. Just the sight of her intensified the longing for her. He set the glass down and shot to his feet. Driven by impulse, he strode out of the room. He needed to see her, to talk to her, to be near her. But just as he stepped forward, someone blocked his path. He stopped short, irritation flashing across his face. "Denis." Megan stood there, smiling brightly, hope flickering in her eyes. "Hi, I’m Megan. Your date."

Chapter 243: The perfect husband

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