My One Night Stand Was My Husband’s Brother

LORI’S POV 

"Get the hell up Liam!" I screamed as I yanked the sheets off. He tried pulling the covers back over his half naked body, but I stopped him. 

"What now Lori!?" He sat up in frustration, glaring at me.  

"Who is that b*tch swimming in my pool?" I asked. 

"Darling, that's something you could have asked her instead of waking me. Now if you don't mind, I need to sleep. I had a late night," he smirked.  

"Do you think this is a joke?" I got down in his face. 

"If I say no, do you leave any faster?" 

"You have five minutes to get her out of here" I told him before slamming his room door shut on my way out.  

Liam and I have been married for a year now. We weren't in love or anything, in fact, I couldn't stand him. He's from a wealthy family.... I'm from a wealthy family so one day our fathers had the bright idea to arrange a marriage for us to strengthen their growing empire.  

I admit that at first, I thought I'd make the best of the situation and get to know Liam. Even though the marriage was arranged maybe we could still find love. I quickly learnt that Liam had no intention of making this a real marriage. If you looked up what a playboy was, Liam's name would pop up in neon colors. 

His bed was a rotating door of women. It bothered me in the beginning until it didn't. I only asked that he kept his flings private, as a scandal like this could affect the business. We agreed that the house was off limits so imagine my shock when I got home after my run to find some strange woman in the pool.  

After showering I made my way to the kitchen to have a cup of coffee when Liam's head pop up from behind the counter. 

"My dear wife, how was your morning jog?" 

"What were you thinking bringing that woman here?" 

"Weeelll, the motel I usually take them to was fully booked" he shrugged. 

" What about, hmm I don't know....finding another motel! " I shouted. 

" You know you almost look s*xy when you're mad? But no, I couldn't take her to another hotel. Every one knows who we are and I know the manager at my usual motel. I pay him to keep quiet." 

" Well, you better start paying him to save you at room at all times because if I see another woman in this house, you won't like what happens." 

"Oooh, I'm scared" he teased. "Do I sense a bit of jealousy?" 

The buzzing sound coming from my phone on the kitchen counter interrupted how ridiculous this conversation was getting.  

"Hi Emily? Ah, I already chose the pieces for the models. Okay great! Thank you." I hung the phone up already heading back to my room to get dressed.  

"Will you be going to work today or sleeping all day like the bum you’re clearly becoming?" I called over my shoulders.  

"We'll just have to see, won't we?" I rolled my eyes even though he couldn't see my face.  

I caught my reflection in the mirror before heading out, and I didn’t stop to adjust anything...I already knew I looked exactly like I needed to. 

My ivory silk suit fits like a glove. The blazer sat perfectly at my waist, structured shoulders giving me that quiet authority I never had to ask for twice. The trousers fell straight and fluid, brushing just above my heels...black, understated but expensive enough to be recognized without a word.  

Underneath, I wore a black satin blouse, slightly unbuttoned at the collar, just enough to soften the edge of power. My makeup was polished, but not heavy, and my hair was pulled into a low bun at the nape of my neck. 

Liam’s dumb Bugatti was blocking my Mercedes-Maybach Exelero so I opted for the Rolls-Royce instead. This was just typical of him.... inconsiderate and only thinks of himself.  

As I pulled out of the driveway Savage Remix – Megan Thee Stallion ft. Beyoncé blasted through the stereo. I turned the volume up singing along as I sped to work. Thirty minutes later I pulled into the garage of Maison Couture, the high-end fashion house that has been in my family for generations.  

From the outside, the building didn’t look like it belonged in the same city as everything else. 

The fashion house rose in clean, sculpted lines of pale stone and smoked glass. There was no loud signage screaming its name. Just a single, understated emblem etched into the façade...so refined it feels more like a signature than a logo. The kind only those who matter would recognize. The front was framed by tall, black double doors that opened like a statement rather than an invitation.  

Inside, the air was different. Controlled. Perfumed faintly with something expensive and unplaceable. The lobby was massive but never empty-feeling. Marble floors in soft ivory and charcoal veins stretched out like polished water. A sweeping staircase curves upward in a slow, elegant arc.  

Every detail feels intentional. No clutter. No excess noise. Just space, light, and authority. 

I exchanged pleasantries with the staff as a strolled to my office. “Good morning Mrs. Cavendish” Sally, my personal assistant, greeted me just as I sat down. I kept my family name when I got married. Lori Cavendish had a better ring than Lori Ashford. I also wasn’t inclined to take the name of a man who had not love for me.  

“Good morning, Sally. Did you free up my afternoon for the commercial shoot?” I asked her.  

“I did. Your father called to get a dinner appointment on the books. Should I pencil him in for next Wednesday?” 

“Make it on Monday instead. I’d like to get all the unpleasantness out of the way as soon as possible.” 

“You got it!” 

As Sally closed the door behind her, I quickly got to work going over the summer fashion line the team came up with, it was perfect as usual. By noon I grabbed my belongings already heading over to Ashford Velocity.  

I arrived at a chaotic scene. One of my top models stood in the center of the room, visibly shaken, her voice sharp with anger and disappointment as she argued with an assistant who was doing her best to calm her down. 

“What’s going on?” I asked, stepping further inside. 

The assistant hesitated. “She’s upset that she was replaced.” 

My brows pulled together. “What?” My tone dropped. “I didn’t approve this.” 

“Liam approved it,” the assistant said carefully. 

My jaw tightened, but I kept my expression steady. “And who exactly is meant to be the new model?” 

The assistant lifted a hand and pointed to the left. 

I turned. 

And there she was. 

The woman who had been swimming in my pool this morning. 

LORI’S POV 

I made my way over to Quinn letting her know that she’ll still be the one to shoot the ad. That seemed to calm her down.  

“Alex” I called over the assistant. “Everything goes as planned, Quinn will be the model, not whoever that is” I gestured to my husband’s latest. 

“I don’t think...” she started before I cut her off.  

“I don’t care to hear what you think, Alex. Just do as I ask” 

“Liam is my boss and he switch out the models so..” 

“It's Mr. Ashford to you. I know that you somehow think that you can talk back to me because you are sleeping with my husband but let me dispel you of that notion.” She was visibly shocked that I knew of their affair but the way she behaved around him made it obvious. “I know that you think you are special,” I continued “but you are one of many. That model that you want to replace Quinn with was in his bed just this morning.” 

She looked as though she wanted to cry,