[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 43: The Rules Don’t Apply

~Alistair’s POV~

He looked at me, his eyes burning with a mix of anger and relief. "He told me it was my mother, Alis. She was the one who helped me up... then she called one of the hotel staff to assist. They both carried me back to my room."

A cold shiver slipped down my spine, settling heavy in my bones. I stared at him, my thoughts scrambling to piece together that night.

"If it was only your mother and a staff member who took you upstairs," I murmured, my voice barely steady, "then how did Sarah end up in your bed?"

"Babe, it’s obvious," Alex said, his hands trembling slightly. "I was completely out of it. My mother had the key. She must have unlocked the door and let Sarah in. She practically handed me over to her."

"You’re right," I said, leaning back as the pieces clicked together with a sickening thud. "But even with Julian’s word, it’s still just one person’s account against your mother’s. It’s not enough to fully break her hold yet."

Alex reached for me, his eyes filled with desperation.

"I know, babe. But it’s clear now, isn’t it? It was a setup from the very beginning." His voice cracked slightly. "Can you... Can you please go easy on me? I’ve been through hell trying to uncover the truth."

I looked him up and down, my gaze lingering on the guilt etched into his features. "Just because I didn’t make a scene about you letting her sit beside you in the car this morning doesn’t mean you’re forgiven, Alex, I said coolly. "Not even close."

"Babe, I only allowed it because my mother forced me!" he argued, his voice rising in frustration. "I didn’t want her there!"

I stood up abruptly, looking down at him. "That’s exactly the problem! You still don’t get it, do you?" My voice shook with frustration. "There will never be peace until you learn to say no from the very beginning. You should never have let her into that car. End of story."

Alex opened his mouth to protest, but I cut him off with a sharp gesture.

"Your mother will always try to control you," I said, my voice cold as steel. "And every time, you have to push back, refuse her. Until you learn that, until you stop letting her manipulate you into these so-called ’mistakes,’ nothing changes. Do you think you made progress today? No. By letting Sarah get into that car, you handed your mother another small victory. You made the same mistake all over again."

I turned my back on him, my eyes tracing the endless expanse of the estate through the glass.

Alex froze, the words trapped, dying in his throat. His eyes lingered on my back as the silence pressed down, thick and suffocating, until he finally gave in. "I’m sorry," he whispered, the weight of his failure finally settling on him. "Alis... I’m so sorry. I’ll do better. I promise."

I turned to him, my expression hard and unimpressed. "You’ll ’do better’? That’s the same promise you’ve made a dozen times before, Alex. And not once have you actually followed through."

At my words, Alex’s shoulders slumped, his entire posture crumbling. He lowered his head, unable to meet my gaze. When he spoke again, his voice was thin and trembling, thick with a pathetic sort of desperation that sounded like he was on the verge of tears.

"I know," he choked out, his throat working hard as he swallowed back a sob. "I know I keep failing you. I’ll try harder, Alis. I’ll try so much harder."

He sat there, broken and trembling, frozen in the middle of the bed. He didn’t reach for me, didn’t dare meet my eyes. Shame weighed him down, and every breath came in ragged, uneven pulls, as each inhale was a battle.

"I... I’ll go check on my father," he muttered, avoiding my eyes.

He forced himself to his feet, every movement sluggish, stripped of his usual grace. With his head still bowed, he trudged toward the door. He opened it and stepped into the hallway without a glance back, leaving me alone in a silence heavy with the remnants of our fragile, fleeting truce.

A few hours passed in a hollow, tense silence. I stayed on the bed, mindlessly scrolling through my phone to numb the noise in my head, until the door finally opened. Alex walked in, looking weary but more resolved than before.

"Babe," he started, his voice a bit steadier. "My father invited us to the golf club, one of those private, high-end places. He thought it’d be nice for us to get some fresh air together."

I didn’t reply. I didn’t look at him. I set my phone aside and stood, moving through the mechanical motions of dressing for the world outside. I pulled on a crisp polo and tailored trousers, hiding the exhaustion that had settled into my bones. Alex dressed similarly, and together we walked out, ready to face the golf club.

By the time we reached the bottom of the stairs, my mother-in-law and Sarah were already at the entrance. Sarah’s skirt was scandalously short, a tiny mini that seemed completely out of place for a day at the golf course.

Alex’s father frowned as he descended behind us. "Honey, where are you going?" he asked, looking at his wife.

"We’re coming with you, of course," she replied with a sharp, sugary smile. "We thought we could cheer you boys on."

Alex stepped forward, his jaw tightening. "Mom, this is a men’s outing. We’re here to play golf, not turn it into a social affair."

"Oh, don’t be so grumpy, Alex," she countered, smoothing Sarah’s hair. "We’ll just be your cheerleaders. It’ll be fun."

After a brief, tense back-and-forth, Alex’s father gave a weary wave. "Alright, fine. You can come. Just don’t tell me you get bored halfway through."

"I won’t be bored at all," she said, her eyes flashing with a hidden victory.

We stepped out into the driveway, the air heavy with unspoken agendas. One by one, we climbed into separate cars. We became a silent convoy, heading toward the pristine greens of the golf club.

When we arrived, the atmosphere was quiet and exclusive. Though it was a private club, we weren’t completely alone, other members moved across the manicured greens, all polished, wealthy, and effortlessly refined. The only sounds were the crisp thwacks of clubs striking balls. I had no idea why I’d come along; I didn’t know the first thing about golf. I was here only because Alex’s father had personally invited us, and I wasn’t about to show disrespect.

As Alex and his father began their game, Sarah busied herself acting like the perfect hostess, serving water and hovering nearby. I stood off to the side, a silent observer in a game I didn’t belong to.

Suddenly, Sarah announced she wanted to learn how to play. Like clockwork, my mother-in-law began pushing her toward Alex, insisting he teach her. Alex tried to refuse, his voice tight with hesitation, but I didn’t stick around to watch the inevitable surrender. Tired of the predictable drama, I turned on my heel and walked to a nearby bench, needing some distance from their toxic theater.

I sat there, watching another group play in the distance, but curiosity got the better of me. I glanced back. Predictably, Alex was already standing behind Sarah, his arms around her to guide her swing. I shook my head, a bitter taste in my mouth. He just couldn’t say no to his mother, no matter the cost. Before I could even look away, a voice cut through the air:

"Hi there."

I turned my head and saw a man standing beside the bench. He was striking—tall, with a sharp jawline and an easy, confident grace. He looked expensive, yet approachable. "Do you mind if I join you?" he asked.

Usually, I would have said no, but with the circus performing just a few yards away, I wanted the distraction. "Go ahead," I replied.

He sat down, extending a hand with a friendly smile. "I’m Andrew."

"Alistair," I said, giving him a brief nod.

He was quiet for a moment, scanning the surroundings, before tilting his head toward the players. "Why aren’t you out there on the green?" he asked.

I offered a dry smile. "I don’t know how to play."

"Fair enough," he laughed softly. "Did you come here alone?"

"No. I’m here with my... family." I felt the weight of the word as I looked back at Alex and Sarah.

Andrew stood up suddenly, his eyes lingering on me with a clear spark of interest. At the same moment, I felt another, heavier gaze. Glancing over, I saw my mother-in-law and Alex both watching us, frozen in place.

He extended his hand to me, his expression playful. "What?" I asked, confused.

"You said you don’t know how to play," he called out, voice clear across the green. "I’m offering to teach you. So... what do you say?"

My first instinct was to decline. But then I looked at my mother-in-law’s shocked expression and Alex’s frozen posture. If she thought she could keep pinning other women on my husband while he remained too weak to resist, I would show them both that I wasn’t some helpless accessory. I had options, too.

I let a slow, deliberate smile spread across my face as I stared directly at Alex. Without breaking eye contact with my husband, I reached out and took Andrew’s hand.

The moment our fingers touched, I heard the heavy clack of Alex dropping his golf club onto the grass. His mother looked like she’d been slapped. I didn’t care. I was done being the only one playing by the rules.