War God is Back for his Mother

Chapter 12: The plan

Selena was speechless for a few moments, unable to find the words to reply or even an appropriate way to react. 

The words from Sarah were hanging in the mind like a heavy fog, refusing to dissipate.

At first, Selena's mind went completely blank. 

She could picture it, the way her cousin had described: Alex laughing with another woman, spending late nights talking to her, rushing to her side whenever she called. 

Just the thought of it made something sharp twist inside her chest, like she had been stabbed with a knife. Is that how Alex has been feeling…?

But she quickly pushed away that question. No, that was different. She wasn't going to let this reverse psychology get to her.

So, on the outside, she still tried to act dismissive. She refused to admit that the thought bothered her at all. 

"He can talk to as many women as he wants. I'm not insecure like him. I won't doubt every woman in the world just because he's friendly with someone. I'm confident in our marriage. Or at least I was, until he started acting like this… this jealous, overly possesive teenager. We are all adults, for god's sake!”

She was trying her best to sound casual, but her fingers were gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. Inside, her thoughts were spinning. Why did Sarah have to say it like that? It wasn't the same… she knew that, right?

Her relationship with Dennis wasn't what everyone was twisting it to be. 

Dennis was just a friend and employee who needed help. Alex was her husband! Her life partner, the one who was supposed to support her in everything. 

There was no comparison. She wouldn't let herself feel guilty for something that wasn't even true.

Knowing Selena’s bullheaded personality, Sarah Sterling continued carefully. She knew pushing too hard would only make her cousin dig in her heels more. 

"Selena, I know you're upset. But please, comfort Alex as soon as possible. Don't let this coldness sit between you any longer. Talk to him tonight if you can. Apologize properly. Show him that he matters more than anything else right now."

Sarah paused, then added something that made Selena sit up straighter. "Also, remember that tomorrow is both your and Alex's shared birthday, right? It's a special day for you two. You could use this opportunity to repair your relationship and prevent things from worsening further to the point of no return. A nice gesture, some time together—just the two of you. It might be exactly what you need to turn this around before it gets any worse."

Selena listened, her mind racing. Their birthday. She had almost forgotten with everything going on. They had talked about celebrating it together after the wedding. A quiet dinner, maybe. Now it felt like a lifeline thrown across a stormy sea. Maybe Sarah was right. Maybe she could make things right tomorrow. Bake his favorite cake or something. Remind him why they fell in love in the first place.

But Sarah wasn't done. Her voice grew more serious, carrying a clear warning. "At the same time, I have to say this because I care about you. If you truly had feelings or thoughts for someone else, you need to be honest about it instead of deceiving Alex. Don't string him along. And especially, you should not continue emotionally siding with Dennis. Otherwise, the consequences could become uncontrollable. Things like this have a way of spiraling if they're not handled properly. I don't want to see you lose everything you've built with Alex over something—or someone—you think is just innocent."

The words stung. Selena felt her face heat up with a mix of embarrassment and anger. Sarah was implying things she didn't want to hear. But deep down, a small voice whispered that maybe her cousin had a point. No. She shoved it away again. Dennis was not that person. 

He was just… Dennis.

Selena insisted strongly, her voice rising with emotion. "I do not want to continue the cold war with Alex, I really don't. I love him. I married him because I want to spend the rest of my life happily together with him. That's all I've ever wanted. We were so good together before all this nonsense started. I firmly deny ever doing anything that would betray him. Nothing happened with Dennis. Nothing ever will. He's just a friend and colleague who relies on me. Why is that so hard for everyone to understand? I chose Alex at the altar. I said yes to him. That should mean something."

She was breathing faster now, the words tumbling out in a rush. Her eyes were wet again, but she blinked the tears back. She pictured Alex's face from earlier—the cold distance in his eyes when he locked the guest room door. It hurt more than she wanted to admit. She didn't want to fight anymore. She wanted her husband back. The man who used to cook for her and hold her after long days. The man who made her feel safe.

Sarah listened patiently, but there was a faintly sarcastic tone in her reply that Selena didn't miss. "I'm glad you say that, Selena. I hope you mean it. Actions speak louder than words, especially now."

That tone was the last straw. Dissatisfied with Sarah's faintly sarcastic tone, Selena eventually hung up the phone in embarrassment and irritation. She pressed the end call button harder than necessary and tossed the phone onto the cushion beside her. 

"What does she know?" she muttered to herself. "She's never liked Alex anyway. Always questioning my choices."

The house felt even quieter after the call ended. Selena sat there for a long time, staring at the closed guest room door down the hall. Part of her wanted to go knock on it. To tell Alex she was sorry for leaving on their wedding night. To promise that things would change. But her pride held her back. Tomorrow was their birthday. She would fix it then. She had to.

What she didn't know was that Alex, sleeping alone in the guest room, was equally emotionally conflicted and unable to sleep through the night.