Cat, Please

Xavier gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening, as he navigated the sleek black car through the evening traffic. He could have waited for Caleb to drive him, but the urge to escape the office, to outrun his thoughts, proved fiercer than patience. The mansion loomed ahead, its windows like darkened eyes gazing down upon him with silent judgment.

The engine cut down, silently swallowing the growl of horsepower. Xavier stepped out, his movements mechanical, like a man bracing for battle. Inside, Dora sat at the dining table, draped in expectation and greed. Her eyes flicked up, seeking acknowledgment, but Xavier moved past her—a ghost to her desires. Xavier went straight upstairs to his wife, Cathleen.

"Hey." His voice was low as he entered the bedroom, finding Cathleen absorbed in her iPad. She didn't look up; she just acknowledged him with a tilt of her head.

"Hey," she murmured back, her focus undeterred.

His suit jacket flew through the air, landing carelessly upon the couch—a