Tangled Temptations

Harvey, engrossed in his work, had been attending endless social events. He had had a bit too much to drink at one such event and felt a bit light-headed as he got into his car.

Oblivious to Harvey's personal life troubles, his driver opened the car door for him and offhandedly commented, "Attorney Horigan, you've had a bit too much to drink. Ms. Laurent won't be pleased, you know. Women don't like their men drunk."

Harvey leaned back in his seat and lit up a cigarette, releasing a puff of smoke into the air. He chuckled lightly. "Does she even care?"

His relationship with his wife, Eloise, was as if he were single. She was distant and aloof. They hadn't had sex for months.

She wouldn't even let him touch her. Instead of resolving their arguments in the bedroom, she'd moved to another room. Even speaking to her was a challenge

now.

Sensing the tension, the driver wisely chose to remain silent and returned to his seat, preparing to drive off.

Just then, a soft voice called out, "Attorney Horigan." Harvey turned his head and was surprised to find it was Monika. She was walking with a slight limp, leaning on a cane for support.

Following his gaze, Monika looked down at her own leg, "The doctor said it will be back to normal in a couple of months, no lasting damage."

Finishing her sentence, she portrayed a pitiful look. She always thought that Harvey, having conflicts with his wife, would come to see her. However, she had waited in vain. But that was fine. If he wouldn't come to her, she would find a way to him.

Harvey nodded slightly and instructed his driver to start the car. The driver turned the car around and drove off. Monika watched as the luxurious black car passed her by, a cold smirk playing on her lips. She then dropped her cane and fell to the ground, looking frail and pitiful.

Harvey happened to see this and frowned, contemplating for a moment before saying, "Stop the car."

The driver looked a bit confused.

Harvey calmly said, "Help her into the car and take her home."

The driver hesitated, "Ms. Laurent won't be pleased if she finds out."

Harvey was quite tipsy. He rubbed his forehead and said, "She won't know unless you tell her. Besides, it's just a ride home, no big deal."

Without any other option, the driver got out of the car and helped Monika inside.

Monika sat next to Harvey. He was collecting himself and didn't speak to her, but she could smell the pleasant scent of pine on him. She discreetly turned to study him. His profile was impeccable, every feature sharp and refined. The car, too, was extraordinarily luxurious.

Monika greedily took in everything around her. She leaned in slightly, breathing in his comforting scent, and imagined herself having sex with him.

Would Attorney Horgan hold her down? Would his expression be twisted with passion? Merely thinking about it ignited something within Monika.

She looked at his crisp white shirt and impulsively leaned in to leave a kiss on it. Her light orange lipstick left a mark on the white fabric, noticeable only to those who were paying close attention.

Harvey frowned, opened his eyes, and Monika quickly straightened up.

Half an hour later, the car stopped outside a decent apartment complex. The driver escorted Monika out of the car.

Harvey remained seated, showing no intention of getting out. Monika leaned forward and softly said, "Attorney Horigan, thank you for driving me home. If you need me to explain to Mrs. Horigan, I will make sure she knows there's nothing between us."

Harvey looked at her face and gave a casual smile, not saying a word.

As the car started again, Harvey didn't close his eyes this time. In fact, he had noticed when Monika had leaned in earlier. A young girl, who looked so much like Joan and was even her younger sister, was trying to attract him...

He knew very well that he could have her if he wanted to. Then he'd have a young, obedient lover. She'd be a substitute.

He admitted that those few seconds of hesitance were a test he had set up for himself. He wanted to see how much he cared for Eloise.

But... when Monika was close to him, all he could think about was Eloise and her vulnerability when she closed her eyes to play the piano. That sense of stirring in his heart was something no amount of Monikas could compare to.

Men always weighed their options. Harvey chose his family. He chose Eloise.

Horigan Mansion.

As Harvey got out of the car, he looked up at the mansion. Most of the lights were off due to the late hour, but the light in Eloise's room was still on.

He crossed the entrance hall and slowly made his way upstairs. After checking in on Linda and Darrien, he turned the knob to Eloise's room. She hadn't locked the door, so he easily entered.

Eloise was lounging on the sofa, draped in a soft silk nightgown. Her exposed skin was translucent under the light. She held a book in her hand and had fallen asleep.

Harvey loved her body. After having some drinks and being deprived of her company for so long, he felt a yearning for her. He leaned in, wrapping his arms around her, and began to kiss her softly and deeply.

Eloise didn't wake up. She was more docile in her sleep than when she was

awake. Harvey kissed her for a while and then started to caress her.

Eloise woke up. She opened her groggy eyes and stared at the handsome face in front of her.

And then she saw the orange lipstick stain on the collar of his white shirt. A woman obviously left it.

Eloise lay still, her face pale and void of any color.

Harvey, oblivious to the reason for her reaction, thought Eloise was still mad at him and didn't want to be intimate. So he gently bit her earlobe and whispered, "Still mad, huh?"

Eloise lay back on the sofa. Her body was voluptuous and tempting, but her words were icy cold. "You've seen Monika, haven't you?"

Harvey was taken aback. After a moment, he looked up at her. "I ran into her by chance and gave her a lift."

Eloise adjusted her nightgown. Her delicate fingers unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the lipstick stain. A calculated shade of orange.

Harvey frowned. "We were in the same car, but the driver was there too. What could have happened?"

He was not particularly fond of having a woman's scent on him. He slowly undid off the rest of his shirt, took it off, and threw it straight into the trash can. He turned around and looked at Eloise. "I have not betrayed our marriage."

Eloise found herself too weary to even get angry anymore. She sat in silence, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She spoke calmly, "Yes, you've done nothing. You merely helped reinstate her academic status, rented her an apartment, paid her tuition, and even found her a good job. Harvey, how is this any different from keeping a mistress?"

Harvey furrowed his brows. "I don't have the time for such nonsense."

Eloise didn't want to lay her eyes on him. She rose and stood by the large window, gazing at the darkness outside. She murmured, "Harvey, you allowed her to get close to you, to challenge your lawful wife. Your flirtation with her has crossed the line.

"If there was no driver around today, you'd push your boundaries further, you'd go to her rented apartment, and let her take off your coat with tender care. You might even indulge in her intimacy, and allow her to kiss you. If it felt good, she could become your lover, a replacement for. Joan."

Harvey was lighting a cigarette, the lit end burning his fingers. After a while, he spoke, "Eloise, why do you have to put it in such an ugly way?"

Eloise didn't argue with him. She simply whispered, "The truth is often ugly. Harvey, you came home tonight because we're fighting. If our relationship was smooth and another woman like Monika appeared, I don't think you would reject her advances."

Speaking these words, Eloise felt a pang of pain in her heart. The truth was indeed hard to swallow.

Harvey had had a bit too much to drink; his head was throbbing. He stared at Eloise's retreating figure, realizing that they wouldn't reach a resolution tonight. He rubbed his forehead. "Let's talk about this tomorrow. You should get some sleep." Eloise remained unmoved. However, when he was about to leave, she spoke softly, "Take your shirt with you."

Harvey turned around, seeing only her alienated silhouette.

He couldn't help but wonder, did she ever truly love him?

Did they ever truly love each other?

...

After Harvey left, Eloise slowly returned to the sofa. She gently caressed the book

she had read, her face devoid of much emotion. She had anticipated this daynoveldrama

since the moment Harvey took responsibility for Monika.

She never forgot about Harvey's meeting with Joan years ago, and how passionate and scandalous it was.

Once the first love in your heart died, a perfect replacement would be hard for any man to resist.

Eloise was painfully aware of what he was thinking. If she were single and unmarried, she would fight for him. But she had Darrien and Linda. She refused to

live in fear of loss and set a bad example for her children. Perhaps, it was time...

Eloise opened the drawer of her bedside table and took out two agreements. One

was a separation agreement, and the other was a divorce agreement.

...

The next morning, Eloise was still taking care of their two children as usual.

Their marital discord had been kept hidden from the children, but Linda was a sensitive child. She could feel that her parents were not like before.

As Linda was digging into her breakfast, she couldn't help but ask Eloise. "Mommy, are we moving?"

Last night, she heard her mother on the phone, talking about finding a larger house with five rooms.

Eloise was taken aback. She pinched Linda's little cheeks and smiled. "Would Linda like to move in with Mommy? The new house is very close to your kindergarten. I can hold your little hand and walk you to school." Sometimes, she could even push Darrien in his stroller, and they could pick up Linda together.

Harvey came downstairs and overheard their conversation. Was Eloise planning to take the children and move out?

Harvey sat next to Eloise. Not wanting to argue in front of the children, he spoke in a low voice, "Let the driver take Linda. Eloise, we need to talk."

Eloise wiped Linda's mouth, only responding with a nonchalant hum after a while. She remained indifferent. Even after witnessing such solid evidence last night, she didn't explode.

Once Linda had left for kindergarten, Harvey grabbed his car keys. "I'll drive you to work. We can talk on the way."

Eloise agreed. She sat in the passenger seat, but even after one night, she could still smell the feminine fragrance in the car, a scent that wasn't hers. She knew it must have been Monika's scent from the night before.

Eloise took out two agreements from her bag. One for separation, the other for divorce.

She spoke softly, "If we sign the separation agreement, we'll divorce in two years.

If we sign the divorce agreement, we can divorce immediately. The only real difference is the visiting rights for the children over the next two years." Harvey glanced through the documents casually. Both agreements were similar, with no mention of property division.

Everest Technologies was already under Eloise's name. She didn't ask for anything else. She only wanted the children.

Harvey closed the documents and tossed them onto the dashboard, lighting another cigarette.

The car quickly filled with smoke. Eloise found it a bit suffocating, so she silently rolled down the window. It was then that Harvey spoke, "Do you think my father would let you take away the two children of the Horigan family?" Eloise's eyes reddened slightly. "He has already agreed." Harvey's hand, holding the cigarette, trembled slightly. After a moment, he asked

in a low voice, "Just because of what happened last night? Eloise, I didn't sleep

with her. I didn't even kiss her."

He was just neglected by his wife for too long.

Harvey didn't agree with the divorce; he didn't want to separate either. He also felt

that there was a big problem between them, and he wanted to solve it. So he gently grabbed her hand. "Let's go for a trip. Just the two of us."

Eloise pulled her hand back. She leaned against the seat, looking tired. "Harvey,

let's separate... or divorce." After saying this, she got out of the car and got into another one.

Harvey chased after her, knocking on the car window. "Eloise, get out of the car. Let's talk some more."

He was determined not to divorce, not just for his reputation; he didn't want Linda

and Darrien to become children of a single parent either.

The driver, Baron, was rather troubled. "Madam?"

Eloise spoke in a light voice, "Drive."

The black car slowly moved past Harvey. Eloise thought she wouldn't feel

anything anymore, but she found her eyes welling up. She was utterly disappointed in him, but she knew that she had once loved this version of Harvey. Just a different beginning, led to a different ending...