A Night of Shattered Illusions

The soft purr of my car engine was the only sound piercing the stillness of the night, each vibration a cruel reminder of how alone I felt. My hands trembled on the steering wheel, the cold leather biting against my sweaty palms. The headlights illuminated the empty street ahead, but my mind was racing through a darkness I couldn’t escape.

My birthday. Our fifth wedding anniversary.

The night that should have been magical was nothing more than a cruel joke, played at my expense.

I had spent weeks envisioning this day. The table at home was still set—fine china, flickering candles, and the bouquet of peonies James once claimed he loved. But the food sat untouched, the candles long extinguished, and the air was heavy with the smell of disappointment.

Five hours. That’s how long I had waited for him, each second stretching into an eternity of hope and heartbreak.

When midnight struck, hope withered into something bitter, sharp enough to cut through the haze of denial I had been living in. I didn’t need to be told anymore—I could feel it in my chest, heavy and suffocating. James wasn’t coming home tonight.

And still, I drove to his office.

The streets blurred as tears filled my eyes, but I blinked them away. My grip on the wheel tightened, knuckles whitening as I pushed through the ache in my chest. The soft glow of the office building appeared in the distance, a beacon of answers or, perhaps, my worst fears.

When I parked, I sat there for a moment, letting the silence settle. My breathing was shallow, ragged, like my body was rebelling against the storm inside me.

This isn’t you, I told myself. I was always the patient one, the forgiving one, the one trampled upon, the understanding partner. But tonight, something inside me screamed for more—for closure, for justice, for something I couldn’t yet name.

The glass doors loomed ahead, their polished surface reflecting a woman I barely recognized. Swallowing hard, I pushed them open, the echo of my heels bouncing off the pristine marble floor. The receptionist’s desk was deserted, and the building was eerily quiet, as if it knew secrets better left undisturbed hid within its walls.

I stepped into the elevator, the weight in my chest growing heavier with each floor and my hand trembling as though I knew what I was about to face but still I continued. The ride was slow, agonizing, each ding a countdown to the truth. My stomach churned as I reached the top floor, the doors sliding open with a soft chime.

That’s when I heard it—the low murmur of voices.

My heart stopped. I recognized his voice, that smooth, familiar tone, but it was laced with something new, something cruelly intimate.

I approached the door slowly, each step feeling like I was wading through quicksand. The faint sound of laughter—hers—broke through the stillness.

Samantha. My stepmother.

The door was ajar, enough for me to see but not enough to prepare me for what lay beyond. James was there, his shirt undone, leaning back against his desk with a smug grin. Samantha stood close, her hand resting on his chest as though she owned him. Her lips curved into a smile that made my skin crawl.

They didn’t notice me at first.

“James?” The word escaped my lips before I could stop it, my voice cracking under the weight of disbelief.

The room fell silent. They both turned toward me, but it wasn’t Samantha’s smirk that gutted me—it was James’s cold, indifferent stare.

“Olivia,” he said, his tone devoid of guilt or remorse. “What are you doing here?”

His question was so absurd, so casual, that it rendered me speechless. I stared at him, searching for any trace of the man I had married, but all I found was a stranger. Now I understood the reasons for the late nights, attitudes and insults, the maltreatment and even the random slaps I got from him and there I was thinking it was a phase. I thought he just had a lot going on and he was just transferring aggression. Little did I know I was been cheated on with my stepmother.

“What am I doing here?” I echoed, my voice trembling as the words tumbled out. “I’ve been waiting for you all night, James. I’ve been worried sick, wondering if you were okay. And here you are—with her. My stepmother?” I had seen the closeness for a long time but I thought it was nothing. Samantha never liked me as a step daughter but there I was being stupid while I saw her closeness with James. I trusted him so much.

Samantha didn’t even have the decency to look embarrassed. Instead, she stepped back, adjusting her blouse with a leisurely grace that made my stomach turn. “I’ll leave you two to sort this out,” she said, her voice dripping with mock concern. As she kissed James on the lips, rubbing her hand on his right nipple then passed me, she leaned in just close enough to whisper, “Happy anniversary, dear.”

The smell of sex lingered in the air, suffocating and sickly sweet.

I turned back to James, tears streaming down my face. “I came here to tell you I’m pregnant,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “After everything we’ve been through, I thought this might make us whole again.” Tears continued rolling down my cheeks. My legs were trembling so much.

For a moment, something flickered in his eyes. Shock? Regret? It was gone before I could name it. “And?” he said, his tone as cutting as a blade.

The floor seemed to shift beneath me. “And?” I repeated, my voice breaking. “How can you say that? How can you act like this doesn’t matter?”

James sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Olivia, you’re always so dramatic. You think a baby is going to fix us? Fix this?”

His words cut through me, sharp and merciless. I stumbled back, shaking my head. “I gave up everything for you. My career. My dreams. I even signed over my inheritance to you because I trusted you. I even donated my kidney to you when you were on the verge of dying. And this is what I get in return?”

“You chose to give those things up,” he said, his voice dripping with disdain. “Don’t make me the villain for your bad decisions. Honestly, Olivia, you’ve become pathetic. Following me around, clinging to something that’s already dead.”

My breath caught in my throat. I stared at him, the man I had once loved more than anything, and realized he wasn’t worth a single tear.

Without another word, I turned and walked out, my legs shaky but determined.

Outside, the cold night air hit me like a slap, but it wasn’t enough to dull the ache in my chest. I stumbled toward my car, the weight of his betrayal pressing down on me.

“Excuse me.”

The voice was low and steady, cutting through the fog in my mind. I turned, startled, to see a man standing in the shadows, his sharp suit and piercing gaze almost too polished for the gritty surroundings.

“I couldn’t help but overhear,” he said, his expression unreadable. He held out a sleek black card. “If you want to take your revenge, call me.”

I stared at him, then at the card, the words barely registering.i was even startled and confused how he heard our conversations. In fact he didn’t look like the security of the company.

“What do you mean? Who are you even?” I asked, my voice shaky and hoarse.

“You’ll see,” he said, his lips curving into a small, enigmatic smile.

He disappeared into the darkness as quickly as he had appeared, leaving me clutching the card. I glanced down at the bold, simple letters: Armando Moretti.

I didn’t know who he was or what he wanted, but one thing was certain—I wasn’t going to let James destroy me.

Not after all I’ve done for him. He was going to pay and that too very dearly!