Chapter 2

Nia’s hands were still trembling as she turned the key in the door to the home she shared with Caleb. She had rehearsed what she would say a thousand times on the ride home—how she would tell him the truth, how she would beg him to believe her.

She loved Caleb. They had been together for nearly eight years, married for two. He was her safe haven, her best friend, the man who had promised to be her forever. And now, after what had happened, she felt like she was suffocating under the weight of her own shame.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside, her breath catching in her throat. The living room was bathed in the warm light of the afternoon sun, and for a moment, she felt a flicker of hope that maybe everything would be alright.

She walked deeper into the room and froze.

Caleb was there, standing stiffly by the sofa. And beside him, with a look of contrived concern and tears brimming in her eyes, was her best friend—Mira.

Nia’s heart lurched into her throat. Mira was the last person she expected to see here, but she pushed aside the confusion. She needed to confess. She needed Caleb to hear it from her.

“Caleb,” she whispered, stepping forward. “I need to talk to you. Please… it’s important.”

He didn’t answer. His face was hard, his jaw clenched tight as he stared at her with eyes that were cold and unfamiliar.

Nia looked at Mira, who clutched her phone to her chest like it was something sacred. Mira’s face was pale, her lips trembling as she glanced back at Caleb.

“I’m sorry, Nia,” Mira said softly, her voice cracking. “I didn’t want to do this… but I can’t stay silent anymore. He needed to know.”

Nia’s stomach turned to ice. “What are you talking about?” she said, her voice shaking.

Mira’s hand trembled as she turned the phone around, the screen bright in the dim light of the living room.

It was a video. Grainy, shaky footage that made Nia’s breath catch in her throat.

She saw herself in the video—her dress rumpled, her hair tangled. She saw the stranger’s hands on her body, the way her head fell back, her eyes half-closed.

“No,” she gasped, stumbling back a step. “Mira… where did you get this? How—”

Caleb’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist and yanking her closer. “How could you do this to me?” he hissed, his voice low and trembling with rage.

“Caleb, please,” she cried, her hands gripping his arm. “I didn’t know what I was doing—I was drugged! I swear to you, I never meant for this to happen!”

But he wasn’t listening. His eyes were filled with fury, his lips curling in disgust.

“You’re a liar,” he spat. “A filthy, cheating liar. What did I do to deserve this, Nia? Haven’t I been a good husband to you?”

Tears streamed down her face. “You have! Caleb, I love you—I would never—”

He cut her off with a slap so hard it sent her reeling to the side. The crack of it echoed through the room, and for a moment, everything went silent except for the ragged sound of her breathing.

Nia’s hand flew to her cheek, her skin stinging, her vision swimming with tears. She looked up at him, her heart shattering into pieces.

“Caleb…” she sobbed, her voice breaking. “Please… please listen to me…”

But Caleb’s face was a mask of hatred. He let go of her wrist, his hand shoving her backward so hard she nearly fell.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he said, his voice cold and final. “I don’t want to hear another word from your filthy mouth.”

Mira stepped closer, her hand on Caleb’s arm as if to comfort him. “I’m so sorry, Caleb,” she said, her eyes shining with false pity. “I didn’t want to be the one to tell you. But you deserved to know the truth.”

Nia stared at her, realization dawning like a sick, twisting knot in her gut. Mira’s eyes held something more than sorrow—there was satisfaction there, a glimmer of triumph that made Nia’s blood run cold.

She shook her head, her voice hoarse. “You… you planned this,” she whispered.

Mira’s eyes widened in feigned innocence. “I was only trying to protect you both,” she said softly.

Caleb turned to her, his face contorted with anger. “Get out,” he said.

Nia’s breath caught. “What?”

“Get out of my house,” he growled. “You’re nothing to me now.”

She tried to move toward him, her hands outstretched. “Caleb, please—”

He shoved her so hard she stumbled back, crashing into the wall. “I said get out!” he roared.

He turned and stormed to their bedroom, emerging moments later with an armful of her clothes. He threw them at her feet, each piece landing with a heavy thud.

The front door was still open, and beyond it, Nia saw their neighbors gathering—faces peeking out of windows and doorways, curiosity and judgment written in every line of their expressions.

“Caleb, don’t do this,” she begged, her tears falling faster now. “Please… don’t let them see this…”

But he was deaf to her pleas. He grabbed another handful of her clothes from the closet, dragging them out and throwing them down the steps.

“Take your things and get out of my life,” he said coldly. “If I ever see your face again, I’ll make sure everyone knows what a whore you are.”

The words cut deeper than any slap. Nia’s legs felt weak, her heart a broken, bleeding thing in her chest.

She bent down, gathering her clothes with shaking hands, her eyes on the ground to avoid the staring eyes of her neighbors.

Mira stood in the doorway, her lips pressed together in a mockery of sympathy. “I’m sorry, Nia,” she murmured. “I didn’t want it to end this way.”

Nia looked up at her, her mouth opening and closing as the truth crashed down on her. Mira wasn’t sorry. She had never been sorry.

Caleb stood behind her, his eyes cold and dead. “Go,” he said again, his voice final.

With her arms full of clothes, Nia stepped out of the house that had been her home. She didn’t look back as Caleb slammed the door behind her.

She walked down the steps, her feet numb, her heart in tatters. The world outside was too bright, too loud. She kept her head down, ignoring the murmurs of the neighbors who watched her with pity and disgust.

She walked away from the home she had built with Caleb, away from the love she thought would last forever. Each step felt like it was tearing her apart.

She didn’t know where she would go. She didn’t know how she would survive this. But as the door closed behind her and the weight of her humiliation settled over her shoulders, she knew one thing:

She was alone.