Ficorpio
Chapter 1
Truth or Dare. I lost.
With a stomach already full of liquor, I couldn’t force down another drink, so I had to take the dare.
“Fine. Go find a stranger and tell her you want to be her dog.”
Damn.
That was vicious.
What a bunch of lousy friends.
I scanned the room blearily, and a cool, distant figure caught my eye.
Teetering on my high heels, I stumbled over to her.
“Hi, I—I can be your dog, right?”
The woman slowly turned her head.
“Before looking for an owner, shouldn’t you make sure who she is?”
The alcohol cleared from my head in an instant.
How the hell was it my ex-wife?!
What were the odds of running into your ex-wife during a game of Truth or Dare?
I’d never calculated them.
But I was genuinely terrified. I instinctively tried to step back.
Unfortunately, my drunken body had no strength left—and balancing in high heels made the maneuver far too advanced for me.
My left foot caught on my right, and I went down backward.
Someone grabbed my arm.
Pulled by the force of it, I pitched forward instead.
Straight into a familiar embrace.
The scent of juniper I’d breathed in countless times slipped into my nose.
Without thinking, I rubbed my face against her neck.
Her skin was smooth and faintly cool. Wrapped in that crisp, distant fragrance, it left me completely intoxicated.
Even her hair smelled wonderful.
I buried my face in it again.
A hand caught the back of my head and peeled me away from her.
“Claire Bennett, open your eyes and take a good look at who I am.”
Victoria Sterling’s hand slid to the back of my neck, gripping me firmly enough to keep me from moving.
I stared at her through the haze.
“Victoria… Victoria Sterling… Why are you here?”
“I was about to ask you the same question.”
“We’re divorced. You didn’t follow me here on purpose, did you?”
“Try wringing some of the water out of that brain of yours.”
I burst out laughing.
“Vicky…”
I suddenly called her by the affectionate name I used to use.
Her eyes darkened.
I reached up and hooked my arms around her neck.
“Vicky, what a coincidence seeing you here. Why don’t we sleep together?”
“You just said we were divorced.”
“So what if we’re divorced? Can’t I have a friends-with-benefits arrangement?”
“…”
I was pinned against the floor-to-ceiling window.
The city lights glittered beyond the glass, but I couldn’t appreciate the view. Someone had undone my blouse, and kisses were falling over my chest.
“Victoria… you’re so gentle…”
The moment the words left my mouth, I was lifted off my feet.
I was drunk, but I still remembered to add, “Not the sofa. Your sofa is ridiculously hard and uncomfortable.”
Victoria didn’t slow down.
When I sank into the softness of the bed, I finally let out a breath of relief.
“Victoria, I’ve missed you so much.”
Chapter 2
“…Don’t say things like that to your ex-wife. You have no sense of boundaries.”
“Can’t I say it in bed? You can just forget it once we’re out of bed.”
“Claire Bennett, shut up.”
“Hmph. We’re divorced. You don’t get to tell me to shut up anymore. Victoria, don’t think I’m still your dog. I stopped being your dog a long time ago—ever since we got divorced!”
“Huh.”
Someone caught my face in her hand.
A wet, feverish kiss landed on my lips.
My body responded instantly, shuddering with excitement.
My face grew so hot it felt as if it might catch fire, and the heat made it even harder to think clearly.
A hand stroked my cheek. Then, with unmistakable mockery, Victoria murmured beside my ear,
“The moment I kiss you, your face heats up. How are you any different from a dog?”
“…At least I’m not your dog anymore.”
“Fine.”
She gave a cold, humorless laugh.
Then she drove me past the edge of consciousness.
When I woke the next morning, Victoria Sterling’s arm was still wrapped around my waist.
I moved it aside and got out of bed to dress.
She opened her eyes. “Claire Bennett, leaving right after we sleep together?”
I pulled on my wrinkled shirt and tugged my hair free from the collar.
“What else? Should I make you breakfast, too?”
Her brows drew together. “What are you talking about? After we got married, when did I ever make you do housework?”
I put on my professional smile. “That’s right. Ms. Sterling has always been very good to her wife.”
“Claire Bennett.”
Her voice turned cold.
I curled my lips in a mocking smile.
“Save it. I told you—I’m not your dog anymore. Keep your training techniques for someone else.”
Once I had my clothes and shoes on, I staggered out of the bedroom.
Her bedroom carpet was ridiculously thick.
Soft, too soft. My high heels sank into it, making it impossible to keep my balance. I was still a beginner when it came to heels, and I hardly ever wore these torture devices. My ankles weren’t made of steel like the women who wore heels every day. Mine were soft and trembling. After two steps, I couldn’t go any farther and had no choice but to brace myself against the wall, on the verge of tears.
Someone wrapped an arm around my waist from behind.
“If you can’t walk in heels, don’t wear them.”
One of her hands held my waist while the other slid along my hip and down to my thigh.
“Take them off before you twist an ankle.”
I turned my face slightly, and my gaze fell on her legs.
She was wearing nothing but a shirt that barely covered her hips. Her long, slender legs were completely exposed.
She was barefoot on the carpet, yet she still stood half a head taller than me in heels.
Chapter 3
Would it really have killed her to give me five inches of those legs?
She bent down and helped me remove the heels.
I looked down at her.
“Victoria Sterling.”
“Hmm?”
“I don’t have the strength to walk. Carry me.”
“…”
She crouched on the floor and stared up at me for a long moment. Then, moving slowly, she lifted me into her arms.
“Sometimes, I honestly don’t know what you’re so determined to fight.”
Victoria sighed.
I rested my hands on her shoulders and said nothing.
She carried me out of the bedroom and set me down on the living-room sofa.
Only then did I notice that the sofa was no longer the stiff leather one.
At some point, the living room had been refurnished with a soft fabric sofa.
“You changed the sofa?”
“Yeah.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“…” She looked away. “My wife didn’t like it, so I changed it.”
“Heh.”
I leaned back against the cushions. “You only realized your wife didn’t like it after the divorce?”
“…”
Victoria rubbed the space between her brows. “Claire, you have access to my personal funds. If you didn’t like that sofa, you could have replaced it yourself. I don’t understand why you insisted on waiting for me to make every decision when you knew perfectly well that I…”
“I know. Ms. Sterling is very busy.”
I cut her off with a smile. “How could Ms. Sterling possibly have time to worry about such insignificant little things at home?”
Victoria fell silent.
I stood and walked over to the entryway, where I pulled a random pair of linen slippers from the shoe cabinet and slipped them on.
“I’m leaving. Thank you for last night’s generous hospitality, Ms. Sterling. I was very satisfied.”
I opened the door, waved, and walked out.
I didn’t look back to see the expression on Victoria’s face.
Victoria Sterling was every lesbian’s dream woman.
She had striking features, an aloof elegance, and a tall, willowy figure.
Prestigious education. Vast wealth. Impeccable social standing.
She was the complete package, flawless from every angle.
I’d spent five years pursuing her.
Even now, I had no idea how I’d managed to stand out among the endless crowds of women chasing after her.
When news broke that Victoria was marrying me, some of her admirers practically wanted to storm the wedding and carry her off themselves.
They couldn’t understand one thing: Why would Victoria Sterling choose her?
Then, three years later, news of our divorce got out, and her admirers suffered an even greater collective breakdown.
This time, they couldn’t understand: What the hell is wrong with Claire Bennett?
Clearly, there had to be something seriously wrong with both of us.
Especially me.
When I said I wanted a divorce, not only did Victoria refuse to agree, but not a single friend or relative of mine supported me.
They all thought I’d lost my mind.
“Claire Bennett, has your life been so comfortable that you’ve suddenly decided you need to suffer?”
“Wait. Who did you say you wanted to divorce—Victoria Sterling?”