Chapter 4: shattered vows

“Vanessa?”

Her name escaped my mouth, but it felt strange, acrid, like very poisonous.

The woman in front of me wasn’t just my best friend. No, she was more than that. She was my sister.

Not by blood, but by everything that mattered.

Vanessa and I were raised together in our grandfather’s home, united by a childhood rich in whispered secrets, collective dreams, and an inseparable connection. From the moment we learned to walk, we were always together, chasing fireflies on warm nights, building forts with old blankets, and sneaking into the kitchen for midnight snacks.

We laughed until our stomachs hurt, wept in each other's embrace during life's hardships, and stood strongly together, shielding each other from the world's harshest blows.

She was more than simply my cousin; she was like a sister in every significant aspect, the one person l I relied on to consistently back me up.

When everything in the world felt against me, Vanessa was my safe haven, the only person I trusted completely, the one whose faithfulness I never questioned.

And yet, here she was.

On my husband’s lap.

A part of me expected her to scramble off him in shame, to stammer out excuses, to beg me to understand.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she climbed off him with unshaken composure, smoothing the hem of her dress with an infuriating grace. She didn’t look flustered. She didn’t even pretend to be sorry.

She simply stared at me.

No remorse.

No shame.

Sebastian leaned back in his chair, exhaling like I had interrupted something important, like I was the problem here.

"Evelyn."

That was all he said. My name. Nothing more.

No explanation. No frantic attempt to cover up the truth. No sign of guilt.

My body felt as if it was made of ice, my blood draining, my hands shaking. But I clenched my fists at my sides, willing myself not to break in front of them.

"You’re not even going to lie?" My voice came out quiet, yet piercing enough to slice through

Sebastian’s eyes met mine, unreadable. Cold. Detached.

"I don’t see the point."

A dry, bitter laugh tore from my throat. That was it? That was all he had to say?

I glanced at Vanessa, looking for something, anything at all. A hint of remorse. A brief pause of uncertainty.

But, all she did was exhale. It felt as though I was exaggerating my response.

"You weren't supposed to discover this in this way," she whispered, her tone nearly soft.

Gentle. It felt as if she was offering me comfort.

Something inside me snapped.

"Discover what, Vanessa?"

My voice quivered, but not due to weakness. Out of anger. "That my closest friend,no…, my sister, has been screwing my husband behind my back?"

"That you" My throat tightened, but I pushed the words out. "That you betrayed me?"

She had the nerve to roll her eyes. "Oh, give me a break, Eve." "Don't overreact."

Overreact?.

Wow she said am Overreacting.

My hands clenched so hard, my nails bit into my palms. My pulse pounded in my ears, a violent drumbeat of disbelief and fury.

This wasn’t real.

This couldn’t be real.

Sebastian sighed, running a hand through his hair like he was the one exhausted by this. Then, slowly, he stood up, his presence towering over me.

His eyes darkened with something I couldn't quite name,guilt, frustration, or maybe just cold indifference.

"I didn’t plan for this to happen," he said, his voice eerily calm, like that excuse would somehow erase the betrayal burning through my chest.

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "Right. You just tripped and fell into her bed?" My voice cracked, and I hated how weak it sounded.

He exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose as if I were the one being unreasonable. "Evelyn, we’ve been broken for a long time.

I.." He hesitated, his throat bobbing. "I didn’t want to hurt you."

My stomach twisted at his words. "You didn’t want to hurt me?" I took a step closer, tilting my head up to look him in the eyes, searching for even a flicker of regret.

"Do you even hear yourself, Sebastian? You didn’t want to hurt me, but you slept with my sister?" My voice rose, thick with disbelief and something dangerously close to heartbreak.

He had the audacity to look away, as if avoiding my gaze would lessen the weight of what he’d done. But I wasn’t going to let him off that easily.

Goddammit, Sebastian.

She’s my blood.

His jaw tightened, but his voice remained infuriatingly calm. "I didn’t plan for this to happen."

A humorless chuckle escaped me. "Right. Because you accidentally ended up with Vanessa on your lap, whispering sweet nothings to her."

Silence.

A thick, suffocating silence.

Sebastian didn’t deny it.

Vanessa didn’t deny it.

My fingers wrapped around the inhaler I held—the very reason I came here in the first place. I hurried over to give him this, concerned for his health.

What a joke

He didn't need saving,

He was never mine to save.

The realization struck me like a punch to the stomach, stealing the air from my chest . My grip on the inhaler tightened, my knuckles turning white as I fought against the storm of emotions swirling inside me. How naive I had been, rushing here like he still needed me, like I still mattered.

A wave of queasiness twisted my stomach, the burden of betrayal pressing down on my chest. The atmosphere in the room felt suffocating, thick with unspoken truths and broken dreams. I needed to get out. I needed air.

A surge of nausea churned in my stomach, the weight of treachery bearing down on my chest. The air in the room felt heavy, dense with unspoken truth and shattered hopes. I needed to leave. I needed air

Before I succumbed to the harsh truth of everything.

I turned on my heel, ready to leave, but then—

"Evelyn."

Sebastian’s voice made me pause.

I should have kept walking. I should have kept walking.

But I turned.

And he held out a brown envelope.

"Let’s not prolong this," he said effortlessly. "Just sign these."

My heartbeat faltered.

"Sign what?"

I took the envelope from him, my gaze locked onto his.

I didn’t break eye contact as I pulled out the papers. My hands trembled slightly, but I forced myself to stay steady.

Then I saw it.

One word.

Bold. Unapologetic.

DIVORCE.

The breath rushed out of my lungs. My heart lurched, the finality of it crashing over me like a wave.

Divorce.

Like this marriage had meant nothing.

Like I had meant nothing.

I lifted my eyes to him, searching for anything, anything, that would make this hurt less.

But there was nothing.

Just his cold, indifferent stare.

And Vanessa.

Standing beside him.

Watching me.

Waiting.

My fingers tightened around the papers as a single, devastating truth settled into my bones.

I had lost him.