Sting of betrayal

MIRIAM POV 

If you find your husband in a compromising state with a woman, what would you do?

Run? Yell? Or walk away?

If someone had asked me that question yesterday, I’d have laughed and chosen to yell.

But tonight the situation is right in front of me 

And guess what?

I chose a different answer.

I did nothing 

I just walked away 

And they never knew I had seen them, I had seen their ugly faces.

Now the silence is eating me alive, and I don't know how long I'll be able to survive.

My breath comes shallow, my lips pressed tight, my hands trembling as I rub my thigh to calm myself. 

It doesn’t work. 

The clock ticks too loudly. 

It's past midnight, and Delano still isn’t home.

He's still with her …. Today of all days.

After seeing them at the firm, I canceled the reservation and drove home. 

Now I sit on the couch in our home, staring at the clock, then my phone, then the clock again. 

Every second felt like an eternity to me.

I stand, pace, and sit again, then stand. 

I bit my nails and kept biting them hard as little blood appeared. I didn't stop.

The eyesore scene came back to haunt me. 

I pulled my hair back tightly as it felt like it was choking me.

“Mom,” 

I peered up to see Arina walking down the stairs. 

“Arina, what happened? Is something wrong?” I asked, as I pulled her into her hug.

“Where's dad? Is he not coming home tonight?” She asked as she broke the hug, gazing at me.

My lips parted but no words could come out.

I could feel my heart burning, my eyes burning with tears that were threatening to fall.

“H—He’s coming. I called him, and he said he's coming. I guess work is tying him down,” I said, making up a lie to feed her.

“I called him but he's not picking up. I'll go and sleep,” She muttered. Her tone was low, and I could tell she was not happy.

She turns toward the fridge instead, grabbing milk.

“Why are you home early?” she asks suddenly.

The glass pauses at her lips as she gazes at me. I rubbed my thigh, gulping my saliva.

“What do you mean?” I asked, brushing my hair backward again as I felt it choking me.

She shrugs. “No emergency patients? Nothing at the hospital?”

I forced a smile. “Arina, nothing happened at the hospital and there's no emergency patient today. Let's go upstairs, I'll read you bedtime stories,” I said, proceeding to go upstairs when her response made me halt.

“Do you know the name of the bedtime stories that I love?” she asked and I faced her.

“I—I will check—”

“There's no need, I'd rather sleep without any bedtime stories,” She interjected. She rinses the cup, places it back neatly.

She walks upstairs. I don’t move until I hear her door shut.

Then the front door clicks open.

Delano steps in, smiling widely.

“Honey,” He called, pulling me into a warm embrace.

I froze, unable to reciprocate the hug.

Just then, I perceived a too-familiar cologne.

The scent on his shirt is not his cologne. It's hers.

Nora's perfume.

He pulled back, holding my hands tenderly. His gaze filled with affection. The same look, the same affection he had shown her a few hours ago.

I feel the urge to puke on his face and call him names he doesn't bear. Those hands that warm my soul now irritate me.

I forced a smile, withdrawing my hand from his. “Babe, do you love me?” 

“Of course, I love you and only you,” He said, smiling. His grip on my arms and my eyes darted at it.

If I were drowning,” I whispered, “would you save me?”

His grin didn’t waver. He nodded. “Of course.”

I almost laughed. The same lips that told Nora otherwise were lying to my face. The same darn face that chose Nora over me.

He wants me dead

He'd rather allow me to drown.

My jaw aches from holding back the scream in me. “I didn't forget. Happy anniversary to us, I'm sorry I came late. I was busy with a client.”

My eyes caught a faint lipstick stain on his shirt. My chest tightened.

“Your client must have been an important person with a serious case, to keep you away so late, for you to miss my calls and our anniversary,” I muttered, my voice tightening as I peeled his hand off my arms.

I step past him, my nails digging into my palm, holding back everything I want to throw in his face.

“I’ll be in the guestroom. Reading. Don’t wait up.”

If I share a bed with him tonight, I might kill him in his sleep.

And I’m not ready to be a murderer. 

Not yet.

I got upstairs and dialed a number on my phone. I tightened my fist when she answered.

“Sophie. I think I need a consultation tomorrow.”

.

.

The next day, the alarm rang, and I stopped it immediately as if I had been waiting for it.

I got out of bed and dressed for work.

Thirty minutes later, I was out of the house.

The ride to the hospital was silent.

When I arrived, I went straight to my office. Sophie was already seated on one of the sofas, waiting.

I quietly shut the door behind me.

“I didn’t expect you to be here,” I said first, walking over to my desk. I placed my bag down and sank into the chair.

“You summoned me,” she replied, her tone etched with concern. “Of course I came. What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“I think I’m going crazy.” My voice cracked, my nails digging into my palms. “What would you do if you caught your husband cheating on you with your assistant? If he ignored your wedding anniversary just to be with his mistress?”

Sophie let out a soft hum. “I’d yell. I’d beat the hell out of my assistant and curse my husband into the ground. What did you do?”

“I walked away,” I whispered, my teeth gritting as I tightened my fists. My mind rewind to the horrible scene. “I didn’t look back. I didn’t let them see me. But the silence, Sophie… it’s eating me alive.” Tears misted my vision, threatening to spill.

“And what’s your next move?” Her voice was calm, her gaze were on mine.

I brushed my hair back, biting my index finger to hold back the pain clawing at my chest.

“I want a divorce. I can’t live with a cheater. He looked me in the eyes and lied with a smile last night. Sophie, if I stay in this marriage, I’ll kill him and then myself. But I can’t, I don't want ruin Arina’s life like that.” My voice broke as silent tears slid down my cheeks.

I buried my face in my hands. Sophie’s hand stroked my hair gently.

“With my little knowledge of divorce law,” she murmured, “that would be a mistake. You’ll lose half your assets. And worse you’ll lose custody of Arina.”

I pulled away, eyes sharp. “Why would I lose Arina?”

“You know why,” Sophie said softly. “If you file, Delano will take her from you. It will be a big disadvantage for you.”

“Why?” My voice cracked into a scream. “Why do I have to lose when he’s the cheater here?” I cried loudly in her arms.

The landline rang, shattering the moment. I cleaned my tears and cleared my throat before answering.

“Dr. Ford on the line.”

“There’s an emergency meeting for all surgeons. The chairman is waiting.”

“I’ll be there,” I muttered and hung up.

I turned to Sophie. “I have to go. There’s a meeting. I’ll think about what you said.”

With that, I wore my white coat and left for the conference room.

Inside, other surgeons were already seated. My eyes landed on Nora. She was laughing with a group, her face glowing, as if nothing in the world had happened.

My stomach twisted.

I forced myself to walk forward and sit down. I pressed my thumb nail against my lips, biting hard.

“Good morning, Dr. Ford,” Nora chirped with a smile, standing behind me.

I only nodded, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reply.

Everyone was waiting for the chairman. Minutes later, he showed up.

He began speaking, his words sound distant to my ear.

She has the gut to smile? After sleeping with my husband on the night of our anniversary.

Applause erupted, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I glanced up and my breath hitched.

Of all people, it had to be him.

Arden Montclair. My husband’s stepbrother… and the man who would ruin everything.