Chapter 2: What shattered everything

“Damn it!” Evan scrambled away. Searching for clothes that were never there.

Surprise flickered in Ryan's eyes but when he stepped down, his face was back to that cold, familiar indifference.

“You're home”. He ran his fingers through his hair. 

He was standing stark naked in front of me. Calm as if what I just witnessed was my own imagination.

Noticing my gaze, he gave a long sigh. “Isabelle, come in. Don't make a scene”.

He reached for my hand but I yanked it away.

 “Get your filthy hand off me!” My voice shook.

“Ryan. How long has this been going on?”

“Isabelle”. Evan, fully dressed now, came forward.

“Shut up. I didn't ask you”. Tears ran down my cheeks.

“Answer me, Ryan. How long has this been going on”.

“Five years”. His voice came out small.

I stumbled. I've known Ryan for four years.

One year of dating, three years of marriage.

And before he even met me, he had been screwing his best friend behind my back.

And I never noticed or suspected anything. Because I didn't know I was supposed to be guarding against his best friend.

“If I had not walked in on you two, how long do you plan on hiding it from me?” 

“It's not what you think.” Evan stepped forward.

“Then it is what?” I scoffed. “To keep it away from me until your so-called plan works out? Then you can shamelessly screw each other openly? I never expected you to be like this”.

“That’s enough!” Ryan snapped.

“Let me talk”. I shot back.

“Do you even have any conscience? Three agonizing years of sacrificing my pain to give us a child. Yet to you, it is just worth nothing?”

His jaw went tight.

“So you can get it up perfectly with Evan. But not me?” I looked between both of them.

“Forget it. Why am I even asking? It no longer matters." I let out a laugh that looked far worse than crying.

“What do you mean by it no longer matters?” He grabbed my shoulders.

I wiped my tear streaked face with my palm. “Ryan, I'm done with this marriage”.

His grip on my shoulder tightened.

“I know we are wrong. We shouldn't have kept it away from you. But you can't just end your marriage on a whim”. Evan panicked.

“There has never been a marriage”. I cut him off. 

“There has only been me, existing here to cover up your disgusting affair. Now that I know the truth, I definitely won't stay”.

I peeled Ryan's fingers from my shoulders, stormed past him into the house.

I locked the bedroom behind me. Burying my face in my palms.

 A jagged sob escaped me. The house that once felt warm and familiar to me grew increasingly suffocating.

I didn't want to stay any longer. I couldn't bear to. Just thinking about what I saw earlier made every air I breath tight.

Ryan, I wonder how you slept at night. Watching me go through several rounds of IVFs. Watching my skin bruised from being pierced by needles over and over again until it left dark, obvious scars.

One by one, I packed my things, not bothering to arrange them carefully. I couldn't bear stay for even a second longer.

Three years of living in this house yet everything that belongs to me fit perfectly in one suitcase.

I dragged my suitcase outside. My fingers clutching its handle to keep myself steady.

Ryan was sitting on the couch, dressed. Evan was nowhere to be found. 

The curtains had been pulled open to let the suffocating smell of their disgusting act out. 

The uncovered lube was still sitting on the table.

“Are you really leaving?” Ryan looked me over, pulling out the cigarette between his lips.

“Yes”. I answered flatly. “You don't expect me to stay here after everything that happened, do you?”

“Isabella. Listen. We can talk things out. But if you insist on pushing this further, then don't blame me for being cruel”.

“What do you mean by that?” I frowned.

“The hospital called me. You are pregnant”.

My heart dropped. I was ecstatic to tell him about it at first. But I no longer planned to.

However, since he has some connections at the hospital, and we had both been paying attention to my checkups, it wasn't a surprise. I just wasn't expecting him to know too quickly.

“If you pack your bags and leave, what happens to the child in your belly?”

I took a step back. Protecting my still flat stomach with my hand. “It has nothing to do with you”.

He stood up, a head taller than me. “This is my child, Isabelle. Whether you like it or not, it belongs to me”.

“Your child? Do you think you deserve one?” The emotions I had spent minutes trying to keep under control snapped.

 “Ryan, feel free to dream on”.

I walked decisively to the door.

“What are you going to do?” His words stopped me in my tracks.

I paused for a minute, not knowing how to answer that question. 

To be honest, I haven't thought about it. I only wanted to leave. Since I insist on ending this, I have to make it clean.

No ties between us. 

I knew Ryan too well. He would use anything as leverage between us.

“It is none of your business. I'll have the divorce papers sent to you. As for the pregnancy, it is my body. I decided what to do with it”. 

“Divorce?” He chuckled darkly. A sound I've never heard escaping his lips.

“Don’t try to provoke me, Isabelle. And you have no damn right to touch that child”. His voice dropped to a dangerous level.

“And if I do?” I turned to face him, meeting his glare head on.

“With my influence, I'd make sure no hospital takes you in for an abortion”.

“You won't dare”. 

“Try me then. You have nothing to threaten me with anyway. It's not like you have any evidence that I cheated on you. And with a man? It'd be more unbelievable. Let's see who listens to you”.

Yes. I had been too shocked to record a video.

“Wether you like it or not, you're forever tied to me. You're Mrs Walker. You've been with me for four years. Everyone in Manhattan knows you belong to me”.

“If you cooperate now, I and Evan will compensate you. Name your price. Keep pretending to be Mrs Walker”.

So to him, I was nothing more than someone who can be slapped straight in the face with humiliation, and bought over with some cash.

I truly had never known this man in front of me.

The person that used to stroke my hair playfully, looked at me like I was his entire world, never existed. It was a facade to keep me believing that he did.

“I don't want your filthy money. And I do not want you either. I wish you and Evan the ending you truly deserve”.

“Fine”. He slid his hands into his pockets.

“Since you're hell bent on this, don't come crawling back when your gambling addicted father needs money. I'll have none to spare by then”.

Tears blurred my eyes. My family was the worst trauma of my life. And he knew that. Yet he was using it to insult me to my face.

“Don't worry Ryan. I won't come crawling back”.

“We'll see to that”. He said confidently.

Not wanting to listen to him any longer, I opened the door, shutting it resolutely behind me.