Eleven o’clock at night.

I sat at the head of the long, mahogany dining table, my hands folded neatly on my lap, staring at the flickering flames of the two candles I had lit hours ago. The wax had melted halfway down, forming little stalactites of white and gold, just like my patience—melting, dripping, and slowly hardening into something cold and fragile.

On the table, the food I had prepared with so much love was now cold.

The roasted chicken, which I had marinated for three hours with Gavin’s favorite herbs, was now dry and pale. The creamy mushroom soup had formed a thin, unappetizing skin on the surface. The salad was wilted, and the bottle of expensive red wine—one of the few things we had kept from happier times—stood there, unopened, gathering dust.

Today was our fifth wedding anniversary.

Five years.

One thousand, eight hundred and twenty-five days.

I remembered the day we got married as if it were yesterday. The sun was shining so brightly, and Gavin looked at me with eyes full of stars, holding my hands and promising that he would love me until his last breath. He said I was his angel, his savior, the only woman in his world.

Back then, I believed him. I believed every single word.

I was so happy that I gave up everything. I quit my job at the design firm where I was just starting to get recognized. I left my friends, I distanced myself from my family, and I built a whole world centered entirely around this man. Gavin became my sun, my moon, and my entire universe.

I thought that if I loved him enough, if I gave him everything, he would never leave. I thought a perfect wife who cooked, cleaned, and loved him unconditionally was all he needed.

But looking at the empty chair across from me now, I realized how foolish I had been.

Love is not enough when the other person stops wanting to receive it.

Suddenly, the sound of a car engine broke the silence.

My heart leaped into my throat. My hands instinctively started smoothing down my dress—the soft, red silk dress I had bought specifically for tonight, hoping to see that familiar spark in his eyes again.

Footsteps. Heavy, dragging footsteps approaching the front door.

The doorknob turned.

"Gavin?" I called out softly, standing up quickly, ready to welcome him.

The door swung open.

Gavin walked in. He looked tired, his tie was loosened, and his hair was messy. But what caught my attention immediately was not his tiredness.

It was the smell.

A sweet, heavy, floral scent wafted into the room the moment he stepped inside. It was not my perfume. I wore something soft, something light, something that smelled like vanilla and home. This smell was strong, intoxicating, and undeniably feminine.

My smile faltered. My feet froze in place.

Gavin didn't even look at me. He threw his car keys onto the console table with a loud clatter, shrugged off his suit jacket, and tossed it carelessly onto the sofa.

"You're still awake?" he asked, his voice raspy and indifferent. He didn't sound guilty. He didn't sound apologetic. He just sounded... annoyed.

"I... I was waiting for you," I said, my voice trembling slightly, trying to keep it steady. "It's our anniversary, Gavin. Remember?"

He finally looked at me. His eyes were dark, tired, and empty. There was no love there. No warmth. Just a void that seemed to suck all the happiness out of the room.

"Right. The anniversary," he muttered, walking past me towards the bar cabinet, completely ignoring the romantic setup I had spent the whole day creating. "I told you I had work. I'm busy, Aria. Can't you understand that? I'm trying to make money for us, and you keep making a fuss about dates."

His words were like a physical blow to my chest.

Make a fuss?

I spent an entire day preparing this. I waited for him for six hours. And this is what I get?

"I'm not making a fuss," I whispered, clutching the hem of my dress tightly until my knuckles turned white. "I just wanted to have dinner with you. Just once."

"Well, I'm not hungry," he said bluntly, pouring himself a glass of whiskey and downing it in one gulp. "And I'm exhausted. I'm going to bed."

He turned around to leave, and that was when I saw it.

Time seemed to stop.

On the crisp, white collar of his shirt, right against the skin of his neck, there was a stain.

A bright, vivid, crimson red stain.

Lipstick.

It was shaped like a perfect kiss mark, smudged slightly as if someone had pressed their lips against him with too much passion, too much urgency.

And the color... it was a shade of red I would never dare to wear. It was bold, dangerous, and seductive.

My world tilted on its axis.

The smell of that foreign perfume suddenly became suffocating. It filled my lungs, burning my throat, making me want to gag.

He had been with someone else.

He had been kissing another woman while I was here, waiting for him like a fool.

No. No. Aria, don't jump to conclusions.

Maybe it was an accident. Maybe someone bumped into him at the office. Maybe it was just sauce or paint.

My mind was frantically trying to find excuses, trying to protect my heart from shattering into a million pieces. I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him.

Because if this was true, then everything I had built for the past five years was a lie.

Gavin was already walking towards the stairs, his steps heavy and unsteady.

"Gavin," I called out again, this time my voice cracked. "Wait."

He stopped but didn't turn around. "What now?"

"Your... your collar," I pointed shakily. "There is something on your collar."

He froze for a split second. I saw his shoulders tense up. For a moment, I thought he would panic. I thought he would be scared.

But no.

He slowly turned his head to look at me, and what I saw in his eyes made my blood run cold.

It wasn't fear. It wasn't guilt.

It was irritation.

He lifted a hand, touched the stain, and then wiped it away casually with his thumb, as if it were just a piece of dust.

"It's nothing," he said flatly. "Probably got rubbed against someone at the bar. Don't make this into a big deal, Aria. I'm tired."

Rubbed against someone?

Who rubs their lips against someone's neck like that? Who leaves a kiss mark unless they are being intimate?

The lies were so obvious, so transparent, yet he had the audacity to say it to my face with such arrogance.

He thought I was stupid. He thought I was blind.

"At the bar?" I forced the words out, my vision blurring with unshed tears. "And the perfume? Why do you smell like another woman's perfume, Gavin? You said you were at work."

He sighed loudly, a sound full of exasperation and disdain. He walked closer to me, towering over me with his height, looking down at me as if I were some kind of annoying insect.

"Are you checking me now?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave, becoming dangerous. "Are you inspecting me like I'm some kind of criminal? My God, Aria. You are becoming so paranoid and possessive. It's suffocating. No wonder I don't want to come home early."

I don't want to come home early.

Those words pierced my heart deeper than any knife could.

"I'm not paranoid," I whispered, tears finally spilling over, rolling down my cheeks hot and fast. "I'm your wife. I just... I just miss the man who promised to love me. What happened to us, Gavin? What changed?"

He looked at me, really looked at me, and the hatred I saw there was terrifying.

"What changed? You changed," he spat out. "Or maybe I just finally woke up. I realized that I'm married to a boring, quiet woman who has no life other than waiting for me. You are like a shadow, Aria. You are everywhere but you have no voice. It's depressing."

He took a step closer, invading my personal space, his breath smelling of alcohol and mint.

"Maybe if you were more like other women, more exciting, more fun... I wouldn't feel the need to stay out late," he said coldly.

Flashback:

Five years ago.

"Don't cry, my beautiful wife," Gavin had said, wiping my tears away with his thumb on our wedding day. His eyes were shining with love. "You are the most precious thing in the world to me. I will protect you. I will make you happy. I don't need anyone else but you."

Three years ago.

"I'm home!" Gavin had run inside, soaking wet from the rain, holding a bouquet of my favorite flowers. "Happy birthday, Aria! I love you so much!" He had spun me around in the living room, kissing me passionately, not caring that we were both getting wet.

One year ago.

"Thank you for taking care of me," he had whispered against my hair when he was sick. "I don't know what I would do without you. You are my angel."

Those memories were so clear, so vivid, so full of warmth.

And now, looking at the man standing in front of me... the man who was wearing the same face, the same voice, but with a heart made of stone... I couldn't help but wonder.

Was it all a lie?

Did he ever truly love me, or was I just a convenience he needed at that time?

The pain was physical. It wasn't just an emotion. It was a sensation.

I felt it in my chest, a heavy, crushing weight that made it hard to breathe. I felt it in my stomach, twisting and turning like knives. I felt it in my bones, a cold chill that seeped into my very soul.

How could someone change so much? How could love turn into hatred this fast?

"Go to sleep, Aria," Gavin said, turning his back on me once again. "We will talk tomorrow. Or better yet, don't talk at all. I have a headache."

He walked up the stairs, leaving me standing alone in the cold, empty dining room.

Left behind with the cold food, the dead candles, and a heart that was breaking apart piece by piece.

I didn't follow him. I couldn't.

If I went to bed now, if I lay next to him, I would smell that woman's scent on his skin. I would see that lipstick mark in my mind. I would remember his words.

You are boring.

You are suffocating.

I don't want to come home.

I walked slowly towards the kitchen, my legs feeling like jelly. I started clearing the table. I packed the food away, throwing it into the trash can.

Throw away the love. Throw away the effort. Throw away the hope.

It was all garbage now, just like this meal.

Then, I walked quietly to the guest bathroom, the one furthest away from our bedroom. I closed the door silently and locked it.

And then... I broke.

I slid down the door until I hit the cold tiled floor. I pulled my knees up to my chest and buried my face into them.

I bit my lip hard to muffle the sound. I didn't want him to hear me. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much he had hurt me.

But the pain was too much. It was overwhelming. It was a tsunami of grief that drowned me completely.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, soaking my dress, soaking my hands. I cried for the woman I used to be. I cried for the love I lost. I cried for the five years I wasted waiting for a man who never truly belonged to me.

Why, Gavin? Why did you do this?

I gave you my everything.

I loved you more than myself.

My body shook with violent sobs, but the sound was trapped inside my throat, muffled, silent screams in the dark.

My head throbbed. My heart ached with a rhythm that felt like it was going to burst.

Outside, the wind started to howl, and rain began to beat against the window panes.

It was raining outside, just like it was raining inside my heart.

I sat there on that cold bathroom floor for hours. Until my tears ran dry. Until my throat was raw. Until the pain turned into a numb, empty void inside me.

I looked up at the mirror, seeing my reflection—pale face, red swollen eyes, messy hair.

I looked like a ghost.

I was living in a beautiful, big house, a palace that everyone envied.

But it was empty.

It was cold.

And I was alone.

Days passed, but the pain in my chest never faded, not even for a single second. That night, I did not sleep a wink. I chose to spend the night in the guest room, leaving Gavin alone in our master bedroom with all his dirty secrets. My eyes were swollen, my throat was dry, and my entire body felt heavy as if it were filled with lead.

I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My face was deathly pale, and dark circles hung heavily under my eyes. I looked like a living ghost. Beautiful on the outside, but completely shattered within.

Ding... Dong...

The doorbell rang.

The sound made me jump. Who would come this early in the morning?

With dragging steps, I walked slowly towards the front door. When I opened it, a bright smile and a face I knew so well welcomed me.

"ARIA!!!"

Selina.

My best friend. The person I had considered like my own sister for over ten years. The one I told everything to. The one I trusted more than anyone else in this world.

She stood there wearing a bright yellow spring dress, holding a basket of fruits and the tart that I loved so much. Her face glowed with innocence and kindness—the same kindness I had always believed in.

"Selina..." my voice came out hoarse and weak.

"Oh my God, Aria! Why is your face so pale?!" Selina immediately stepped inside, put down her things, and cupped my face with her warm hands. Her eyes widened as if she was genuinely worried. "Are you sick? Have you been crying? Your eyes are so swollen!"

She looked so caring. So sincere.

If I hadn't seen what I saw last night, I would have broken down crying and told her everything. But today, something was different. There was a strange feeling clogging my heart the moment I saw that smile.

"I... I'm fine, Lin. Just didn't sleep well," I lied, forcing a tiny smile.

"Ah, I know it's Gavin again, right?" Selina immediately held my hand, pulling me to sit on the living room sofa. She stroked the back of my hand gently. "That man must be overworking again, right? Leaving you all alone all the time. You poor thing, Ri."

Her voice was so soft, so soothing. She sat next to me, acting like she was the only person in this world who truly understood my pain.

"I'm here for you, okay?" she said, patting my shoulder. "If that husband of yours is being mean, you can always rant to me. I'll always be on your side."

As she spoke, she moved her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. And that was when the sunlight coming through the window hit something on her neck, reflecting a blinding sparkle.

My eyes froze.

Around her neck, resting perfectly against her smooth skin, was a necklace.

It was a beautiful pendant shaped like a swan, encrusted with tiny diamonds that sparkled brilliantly.

My breath hitched.

That necklace... I knew that necklace better than I knew my own name.

It was the Swan Lake Diamond Necklace. A limited edition piece that Gavin had given me for my birthday two years ago. It was my most prized possession. I loved it so much that I only wore it on very special occasions, and I kept it safely locked inside my jewelry box.

But why... why was it around Selina's neck right now?

"Lin..." I stammered, my finger pointing shakily towards her collarbone. "That... that necklace you're wearing..."

Selina touched the pendant instinctively, smiling sweetly. "Oh, this one? Do you like it? It's so pretty, right?"

"Where... where did you get it?" I asked, my voice trembling, trying to keep myself from collapsing.

"Oh," she laughed lightly, looking down as if she was shy. "Gavin gave it to me."

The words hit me like a lightning bolt.

"He gave it to you?" I repeated, unable to believe my ears. "But... that's mine. That was my birthday present. I kept it in my box!"

Selina’s smile didn't fade. Instead, she let out a soft giggle and waved her hand dismissively.

"Aish, you and your memory, Aria. Don't you remember? You said you didn't like wearing it anymore because it was too flashy. You told me to take it if I wanted it," she said casually, as if she was talking about the weather.

I said that?

No! I never said that! I loved that necklace! It was a symbol of his love!

But looking at Selina’s calm face, looking at how perfectly that necklace sat on her chest, wearing something that was supposed to be mine... I felt a wave of nausea rising up my throat.

It wasn't just a necklace. It was my memories. It was my love. And they were giving it away to someone else like it was trash.

"I... I never said that," I whispered, tears stinging my eyes again.

Selina sighed, looking at me with pity. "Oh, come on, Aria. Don't be like that. It's just a piece of jewelry anyway. Besides, look... it suits me much better, doesn't it? The color brings out my skin tone."

She tilted her head, posing slightly, admiring herself in the reflection of the glass window.

"And Gavin said so too," she added, her voice dropping to a whisper, full of satisfaction. "He said I look more elegant wearing it than you."

I felt like I was going to faint. The room started spinning.

But the nightmare wasn't over yet.

Just then, Gavin walked down the stairs. He was wearing his bathrobe, his hair still messy from sleep. He looked fresh, completely different from the drunk man I saw last night.

"Good morning," he said, yawning. Then his eyes landed on Selina, and his face instantly lit up. A warm, genuine smile spread across his lips. A smile I hadn't received in years.

"Oh, you're here already?" Gavin said, walking towards us with relaxed steps.

"Yeah, I came to keep Aria company since you're so busy," Selina answered sweetly, standing up.

And that was when I noticed what Selina was wearing underneath her open cardigan.

She was wearing silk pajamas.

Soft, expensive-looking silk pajamas in the color of champagne gold.

My blood ran cold.

I recognized the pattern. I recognized the fabric.

Those were the pajamas I had ordered online three months ago! The ones that were supposed to arrive on my birthday next week! I had hidden the package in the back of the wardrobe, waiting for the right moment to wear them and surprise Gavin!

But how... how was Selina wearing them right now?

They fit her perfectly. She looked comfortable, as if she had owned them for years.

"Those..." I pointed, my voice barely audible. "Those clothes... Selina, where did you get those?"

Selina looked down at her clothes, then smiled innocently. "Oh, these? Gavin gave them to me. He said he bought the wrong size for you, so he gave them to me instead. Aren't they comfortable?"

I wanted to scream.

I was the one who chose the size! I knew my own body!

It wasn't the wrong size! It was the perfect size! For me!

They took my gift. They took my surprise. And gave it to her! They wore my things in my house, right under my nose!

Gavin didn't even deny it. He just leaned against the wall, crossing his arms, watching us with an amused expression.

"Yeah, they look good on her, don't they?" Gavin said, his voice full of pride. "Selina has a better body shape anyway. The clothes look more expensive when she wears them."

In that moment, as I stood there between the two people I trusted the most, I felt like an outsider in my own home.

I looked at them. Really looked at them.

The way Gavin looked at Selina... it wasn't just a look between friends. It was possessive. It was intimate. It was the look of a man who owned the woman standing in front of him.

And Selina... she looked back at him. Her eyes were sparkling, full of mischief and affection. There was a secret language passing between their glances. A deep understanding that excluded me completely.

They were in sync. They were connected.

I saw the way Gavin’s hand casually brushed against Selina’s shoulder when he walked past her. I saw the way Selina bit her lip and smiled shyly, a smile that was meant only for him.

It was natural. It was practiced. It was real.

And suddenly, everything made sense.

Why Selina always came to my house uninvited.

Why she always asked me about Gavin's schedule.

Why she always comforted me when we fought, only to go back and tell him everything.

She wasn't my friend.

She was the wolf in sheep's clothing.

She was the other woman.

"Why..." I forced the words out, my body shaking violently. "Why are you doing this to me, Selina? I thought you were my best friend. I trusted you!"

Selina’s expression changed instantly. The sweet mask fell off, replaced by a look of cold calculation. She took a step closer to Gavin, hiding slightly behind his arm, looking small and vulnerable.

"Aria, don't be like this," she said, her voice turning soft and pitiful, exactly how she always acted in front of him. "We are just friends. Why are you being so jealous and dramatic? Gavin and I care about each other, but it's pure. You are just sick and paranoid!"

"That's right!" Gavin stepped forward, standing in front of Selina, shielding her from me. He looked at me with eyes full of anger and disgust.

"Can't you see? She is a hundred times better than you! She is kind, she is fun, she knows how to treat a man! While you? You are just a boring, suspicious woman who ruins everyone's mood! Look at you! You are making Selina cry!"

Making her cry?

I looked at Selina. Sure enough, tears were already welling up in her eyes. She looked so fragile, so hurt.

But I saw it.

I saw the tiny, triumphant smirk she gave me behind Gavin's back.

She was mocking me.

She was telling me without words: "I won. He is mine now."

My heart was being crushed into powder.

My mind brought back memories of our friendship, memories that now felt like knives stabbing me repeatedly.

Flashback:

Ten years ago.

"We are going to be best friends forever, right?" little Selina had said, holding my pinky finger. "No matter what happens, no boys, no secrets will ever break us apart. I promise."

Five years ago.

On my wedding day, Selina was my maid of honor. She hugged me tightly and whispered, "I'm so happy you found Gavin. He is a good man. And I will always be here to protect you, sister."

Last month.

"Aria, you are so lucky," Selina had said, drinking tea in my living room. "Gavin loves you so much. Even if another woman tries to seduce him, he would never look at them, right? You are the queen."

Liar!

All of it was lies!

They were laughing at me behind my back this whole time!

They were planning this!

They were stealing my life piece by piece, and I was stupid enough to hand it to them with my own two hands!

The pain of Gavin cheating on me was already unbearable.

But finding out that it was Selina... my own best friend... the person I shared all my tears and laughter with... it was a thousand times worse.

It felt like they had teamed up to kill me slowly.

"Get out..." I whispered, my voice hoarse and broken.

"What?" Gavin frowned.

"I said GET OUT!" I screamed, pointing at the door. All the pain, all the anger, all the betrayal exploded in that single scream.

"Both of you! Get out of my house! Don't ever touch my things again! Don't ever pretend to care about me ever again!"

Selina sobbed loudly, hiding her face in Gavin's chest. "Gavin... I'm scared... she's so scary..."

Gavin held her tightly, glaring at me with eyes that could kill.

"You are insane, Aria! Completely insane!" he spat out. "We are leaving! And don't expect me to come back anytime soon! Being here with you is like living in hell!"

He turned around, took Selina in his arms, and walked out of the door. They left together. In the same car.

I stood alone in the huge living room.

The necklace, the pajamas, the secret glances, the lies... everything swirled in my mind.

I slid down to the floor, hugging my knees.

It wasn't just a marriage that was dying.

My whole world had collapsed.

The two people I loved most in this world had joined hands to stab me in the heart, and they were enjoying every second of it.

The days that followed were nothing short of a living hell.

I locked myself inside the room, refusing to eat, refusing to speak. The image of Gavin holding Selina, protecting her like she was his treasure, kept replaying in my mind like a broken record. The way they looked at each other... the intimacy... it was burned into my retinas, haunting me every second of the day.

Gavin didn’t come home that night.

Or the next night.

Or the night after that.

He didn’t call. He didn’t text. It was as if I had suddenly ceased to exist in his world. And the silence was louder than any scream. It was suffocating. It was killing me slowly.

I tried to tell myself that maybe I was overreacting. Maybe it was just a close friendship. Maybe Selina was right—I was just paranoid and jealous.

But deep down, my heart knew the truth. My heart was bleeding, screaming that something was very, very wrong.

I needed answers. I needed concrete proof. Not just suspicions, not just feelings. I needed to see it with my own eyes so that I could finally accept that the man I loved was gone forever.

On the fourth day, Gavin came home.

It was early in the morning. He looked tired, his eyes were sunken, and there was a dark stubble on his jaw. He walked in, threw his bag on the floor, and headed straight for the bedroom, not even glancing in my direction.

He was avoiding me.

He walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower. The sound of running water filled the room.

His phone, which he had left carelessly on the bedside table, suddenly lit up.

Buzz. Buzz.

A notification appeared on the screen.

My heart stopped.

My hands started shaking uncontrollably. My mind was fighting a war. Don't do it, Aria. Don't look. It’s private. But another voice screamed, LOOK! HE IS HIDING SOMETHING! YOU DESERVE TO KNOW THE TRUTH!

I walked closer, step by step, as if I was approaching a dangerous beast.

The screen was still glowing.

The message preview was visible, even from a distance.

From: Lina

"Good morning, my love. Did you sleep well? I miss you already Come over soon, okay? I made your favorite breakfast."

My blood ran cold.

Lina?

My love?

Heart emoji?

That was enough to shatter what little sanity I had left.

With trembling fingers, I reached out and took the phone. I knew his password. It was our anniversary date. Something that was supposed to be special, something that was supposed to be only ours.

I unlocked it.

And I opened the chat.

I didn't expect what I was about to see. I prepared myself for cheating, for lies, for romance. But I wasn't prepared for this level of cruelty, this level of deception.

The chat history between Gavin and Selina went back months. Even years.

I scrolled up, and with every swipe, my heart broke a little more.

[One year ago]

Selina: "Babe, when are you going to leave her? I can't wait anymore. I want to be your wife, not just your secret."

Gavin: "Soon, baby. I just need to wait for the right time. She is still useful to me for now. She takes care of the house, she handles my parents. You know how it is. But my heart and body are only yours."

[Six months ago]

Selina: "I hate her! She wore that dress you bought her! It looks ugly on her! I want it!."

Gavin: "Don't worry, darling. Next time I will take it and give it to you. You are the only one who deserves beautiful things. She is just a shadow compared to you."

[Last week]

Selina: "Last night was amazing You are so wild, baby. I love it when you hold me like that. She didn't suspect anything, right?"

Gavin: "Of course not. She is too naive and stupid. She thinks I'm working hard. Hahaha. She actually believed me when I said I loved her. So easy to manipulate."

[Yesterday]

Selina: "I love you so much, Gavin Soon we will be together forever. And she will be nothing. Just trash we throw away."

Gavin: "I love you too, my queen. You are my real soulmate. She was just a mistake I made in the past."

I couldn't breathe.

The words were dancing in front of my eyes, mocking me, stabbing me repeatedly.

"She is still useful to me."

"She is stupid."

"She is just trash."

All the love, all the care, all the promises... it was all acting! He was using me! He saw me as nothing more than a servant, a tool to keep his life organized while he fucked my best friend!

And Selina... my best friend... she was calling me stupid, ugly, and useless behind my back! She was planning to take my place!

My hands were shaking so hard I almost dropped the phone. But I forced myself to keep looking. I wanted to see everything. I wanted to see how ugly the truth really was.

I opened the gallery folder that was named "Work Files".

It was not work files.

It was hell.

There were hundreds of photos.

Photos of them together in restaurants, in malls, in vacations places I had never even been to.

But then... I saw photos that made my knees buckle and my stomach churn violently.

Photos taken inside a bedroom.

Our bedroom.

There were photos of Selina lying on my bed, wearing my silk robes, smiling at the camera.

Photos of Gavin hugging her from behind, kissing her neck, right on the mattress where he was supposed to sleep with me.

There were explicit photos too. Photos that showed their naked bodies, their intimacy, their passion. Photos that proved they didn't just love each other, they consumed each other. Right under my roof. Right where I slept.

They desecrated my marriage. They desecrated my home.

And the worst photo of all...

It was a photo taken exactly on our wedding anniversary night.

The night I waited for him with dinner.

The night he came home late smelling of perfume.

In the photo, Gavin and Selina were cuddling, holding glasses of wine, with a caption written on it:

"Happy Anniversary to US Finally free from that boring witch."

"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

A scream tore out of my throat before I could stop it.

It wasn't a human sound. It was the sound of a soul being ripped apart.

The phone slipped from my hands and hit the floor with a loud THUD.

My vision turned red. Then black.

My body felt hot, then ice cold.

I couldn't stand it anymore. The weight of the betrayal was too heavy. It crushed my ribs, it crushed my lungs.

The bathroom door opened.

Gavin walked out, wearing only a towel around his waist, his skin still wet and steaming.

"What happened? Why are you screaming?" he asked, annoyed.

Then he saw me.

Standing in the middle of the room, pale as a sheet, tears streaming down like rivers, looking at him with eyes filled with horror and hatred.

Then he looked down at the phone on the floor, the screen still glowing, showing the sinful images.

His face changed instantly.

The tiredness disappeared, replaced by panic, then by coldness.

He didn't rush to pick it up. He didn't rush to explain.

He just stood there, looking at me, and slowly... a smirk started to form on his lips.

He stopped pretending.

"You saw it," he stated, not as a question, but as a fact. His voice was calm, terrifyingly calm.

"You... you..." I pointed at him, my body trembling violently, convulsing with pain. "How could you? How could you do this to me?!"

I fell to my knees on the floor, clutching my chest as if I was having a heart attack.

"Five years, Gavin! Five years I gave you my life! I loved you! I trusted you! And you called me stupid? You called me trash? You brought her into our bed?!"

Gavin bent down slowly, picked up his phone, and wiped the dust off it casually. He looked at the screen, then looked at me with eyes that held no emotion. No love. No guilt. Nothing.

"Well," he said coldly, straightening his body. "Since you know now, I don't have to lie anymore. It's tiring anyway, having to act like I care about you every single day."

He walked closer to me, towering over my kneeling form.

"Yes, Aria. It's all true. Selina and I have been lovers for a long time. Longer than you think."

He laughed, a dry, humorless laugh.

"You were so blind. So naive. You thought that because you cooked and cleaned, you were a good wife? You were boring, Aria. You were predictable. You were like a dead weight around my neck. Selina... she gives me life. She understands me. She is a real woman."

"Useful?" I sobbed, the word tearing my throat. "You said I was useful... what did you mean?"

Gavin looked down at me with pity. Fake pity.

"Come on, Aria. Be smart. You have a good reputation. My family likes you. You managed my assets well. While you were busy playing the perfect wife, I was building my empire. And now... now I don't need you anymore."

He crouched down so his face was level with mine. His eyes were dark, cruel, and beautiful.

"Selina is pregnant, Aria," he whispered softly.

BOOM.

The world stopped.

"She... she is pregnant?" I whispered, my voice gone.

"Yes. With my child," Gavin said, his face lighting up with a happiness I had never seen. "A son. Finally. I have an heir. And Selina is going to be the mother of my child. What place do you have left, huh?"

He patted my cheek lightly, but it felt like a slap. A hard, burning slap.

"You are redundant, Aria. You are finished. It's time for you to go."

I couldn't take it anymore.

The pain was too much. The humiliation was too great.

My vision blurred, the room spinning wildly. I felt like I was being sucked into a deep, dark hole.

"Monster..." I whispered, looking at the man I once worshipped. "You are a monster..."

"Maybe," he said, standing up and turning his back on me. "But I'm happy. And you... you are just sad and alone."

That was the last thing I heard before everything went black.

My legs gave up. My heart gave up.

I collapsed onto the cold hard floor, losing consciousness, escaping into the darkness because reality was too painful to bear.