CHAPTER TWENTY NINE – MARK’S BETRAYAL

Lost in thought, she almost didn't notice that the lights were on in her apartment when she arrived home. That was odd - Mark wasn't supposed to be back from his business trip until tomorrow. As she opened the door, a woman's laugh rang out from the bedroom. Laura froze, her blood turning to ice in her veins. Slowly, feeling as if she were moving through a nightmare, she made her way down the hallway. The bedroom door was ajar. Laura pushed it open, already knowing what she would find but hoping desperately to be wrong. Mark was in bed, tangled in the sheets with a woman Laura didn't recognize. They both looked up as the door opened, their expressions shifting from surprise to guilt. "Laura!" Mark exclaimed, scrambling to cover himself. "You're... you're home early." Laura stood in the doorway, her whole body shaking with rage and disbelief. "What the hell is this, Mark?" The woman - young, blonde, beautiful in a way that made Laura feel suddenly old and plain - gathered the shee