2!Overwhelming Evidence

ZARA TAYLOR

I stared into the red traffic light as my feet shifted relentlessly on the brake pedal of my car. The weight of the evening pressed against me. The air was thick with the faint hum of the city, the distant murmur of conversations blending with the sound of tires on wet asphalt.

I could feel the tension building inside me, like the calm before a storm. The light flickered, almost as if teasing me to move, but I remained frozen, unsure if I was waiting for it to turn green or for something more... something I couldn’t yet name.

My eyes drifted to the billboard, staring back at me was the picture of the city's most sought after couples. My husband and my stepsister. Another game the universe decided to play with me despite my pleas.

The image on the billboard mocked me, the perfect smile of my husband and the radiant gaze of my stepsister, frozen in time as if their betrayal was a love story. My pulse quickened, and for a moment, the noise of the city faded away, leaving only the pounding of my own heart. My fingers tightened around the steering wheel, the plastic seeming to melt under the pressure of my grip.

“Zara, are you listening?” I heard my friend's and attorney’s voice on my phone.

“Yeah, yeah, but I have to go,” I said to her.

“Don’t give up hope, Zara. We can win this,” and with that, the line went dead.

The light finally turned green, I hit the pedal and sped off immediately. I tried to block out the picture from my mind, but it was all I could see as I drove into our estate.

The huge gate opened, but I didn’t move. The engine of my car hummed, waiting, as if it too understood the weight of the moment. I glanced in the rearview mirror, seeing nothing but headlights reflecting at me. I was alone in my thoughts, alone with the decision that had been circling in my mind ever since I found out my step sister is pregnant with my husband.

“Hey! Are you going in or not?” The screams and yells of everyone behind me brought me back to reality. I drove inside the compound, parked by the gate as they all drove in deeper.

I walked past the whispers that surrounded me with my head high. Nothing happening today is going to pull me down. Walking into my home and seeing the decorations for Becca’s baby shower brought pain to me.

I could feel the tears piling up in my eyes. I fought them back; no one must see me in tears. I can keep myself together even though it’s just for a few hours.

“Where is it?” I turned around upon hearing Ronnie’s voice.

“Unpleasant as ever,” I said to him, looking at him without showing a sign of weakness.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, glaring at me.

“I am your wife, Ronnie, and you can’t even ask about my well-being. It’s just straight to business,” I said loudly.

“Keep your voice down,” he said with gritted teeth. “Our marriage has always been about business. Now, where is the document?”

That’s the only thing that matters to him, his document. He has refused to sign the divorce papers but keeps giving me issues to deal with for him. I shouldn’t have done it for him but I have been working on this deal way before his betrayal and it’s not going to stop me from doing my job.

I pulled the envelope from my purse, my fingers trembling only slightly before I forced them steady. Holding it out to him, I kept my gaze locked on his, refusing to look away even as his expression twisted with impatience.

“There,” I said. “Just like you wanted. Signed and sealed.”

He snatched it from my hand without so much as a thank you, his eyes already scanning the papers. I watched him, studying the man I once thought I could love, the man I once believed I could build a family with. But here he is building a family with my step sister and love was a word that had long lost its meaning between us, buried beneath lies and betrayal.

“Perfect,” he muttered, his lips curving into a satisfied smirk. “Now, try not to embarrass yourself or me in front of the guests.”

The urge to slap him tore through me like wildfire, but I swallowed it down. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten under my skin. Instead, I plastered on a smile, the kind I’d perfected over the years. The one that fooled everyone but me.

“Don’t worry, Ronnie. I’ve gotten quite good at playing my part.”

I turned on my heels and walked away, the echoes of laughter and music growing louder as I walked up towards the stairs. Becca’s baby shower was in full swing, the room overflowing with guests, balloons, and sickly sweet decorations that only intensified the bitterness in my chest.

Becca’s voice rang out above the chatter, light and melodic, her laughter charming everyone around her. My stepsister had always been the golden girl, the one everyone adored. And now, she was having everything I had been denied.

“Zara!” Becca’s voice broke through my thoughts, too bright, too cheerful. I forced myself to turn toward her, plastering that same fake smile across my face.

“Becca,” I replied, my tone calm, even as my chest tightened.

Her cheerful and bright face dropped as soon as she stood in front of me. Away from the eyes of the guest.

“What are you doing here?” she asked. I swallowed hard as I stared down at her baby bump. Talk about overwhelming evidence of Ronnie’s affair and betrayal.

“This is my house or have you forgotten so soon?” I responded to her question with another question.

“Don’t you have any atoms of shame? I’m the love of Ronnie’s life, and there is nothing you are going to do about it,” she said and I scoffed.

“You sure have a twisted definition of love, Becca. Whatever this is between you and Ronnie, it’s built on lies and deceit. It will crumble, just like everything else tainted by betrayal.”

Her eyes narrowed, the smugness melting into something darker. “You’re just jealous. I gave him everything you couldn’t. Love, passion… a child.”

The word struck me like a slap. Child. The very thing I had longed for, prayed for. And there she stood, flaunting it like a trophy. My hands clenched at my sides, the nails digging into my palms.

Her hand went to her swollen belly, her expression suddenly shifting from rage to panic. “You… you’re stressing me out, Zara. I can’t… I can’t breathe.”

The shift was so sudden, so calculated, that I almost didn’t believe what I was seeing. Her eyes flitted past me, checking to see if anyone was watching.

“Stop pretending, Becca. You’re not fooling anyone,” I said, folding my arms across my chest.

But the look of fear on her face only grew more dramatic. She took a step back, her hand clutching her belly, and then she stumbled.

I reached out instinctively, but before I could catch her, she let out a piercing scream and threw herself backward.

She tumbled down the stairs.

It happened so quickly, my brain couldn’t process it. Her body crumpled as she hit the floor, her scream cutting off into a strangled gasp.

“Oh my God!” someone cried from the crowd, and then there were shouts, footsteps, and chaos.

Ronnie appeared, his eyes wild as he pushed through the gathering crowd. When he saw Becca sprawled at the bottom of the staircase, he rushed to her side, cradling her in his arms.

“Becca! Becca, talk to me!” he shouted, his voice thick with panic.

“She pushed me…” Becca whispered, her voice weak and trembling. “Zara… she… she shoved me down the stairs.”

My eyes widened. “What? No! I didn’t touch you, Becca! You fell!”

Ronnie’s gaze snapped up to meet mine, the fury in his eyes like a blazing fire. “How could you? How could you hurt her like this, Zara?”

“Ronnie, I didn’t—”

“Enough!” he roared, his voice silencing the room.

“I’ve tolerated your jealousy and bitterness for far too long. But this? Hurting Becca and our child? You’re done, Zara. This marriage… it’s over.”

I stared at him, the words striking like daggers to my chest. Around us, the guests whispered and stared, their judgment palpable. Even though I wanted to get out of this marriage, hearing him scream it out loud brought pain to my heart.

Ronnie’s next words were cold and final. “Get out of my house. I’ll have the divorce papers sent to you by morning.”

He turned away from me, his focus solely on Becca as she whimpered in his arms. I took a step back, my legs trembling, the walls closing in around me.

I stumbled out of the room, out of the house, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps. I could still hear their voices, their accusations, echoing in my mind.

The cool night air hit me like a slap as I reached my car. I sank against it, tears burning my eyes. This was it. The end of everything.

Or maybe… the beginning.