Chapter 1

Selene's POV

 "Ughhhh… Collins!!"

That was the first word that tore through the air as I walked toward my boyfriend Collins’ room in his house. But the irony? It wasn’t mine. I wasn’t the owner of the female voice moaning his name.

My chest pounded, my hands trembled as I prayed it wasn’t what I thought. No, Collins couldn’t betray me like this. Not after everything we had been through. I kept wishing the voice was a mistake, an echo, a nightmare. But little did I know that fate had already marked me for heartbreak that morning.

"Collins?" I called, fury and disbelief clinging to my voice as my eyes locked on him.

He jerked upright from the lady beneath him, his body stiffening, shock etched all over his face. His gaze flicked from the door to me, confusion battling with guilt.

"Selene… how did you get in?" he asked, scratching his head as if that mattered.

“How did I get in?” I repeated under my breath, the words bitter and sharp. The irony clawed at me, here I was, catching him in the act, yet his only concern was how I got in?

Seeing the storm brewing on my face, he scrambled up and reached out for me, a towel draping his waist as he did. I shoved his hand away like it was filth.

“Babe, it’s not what you think. I… Vanessa and I were just, ” His voice faltered, weak, trailing off, until I cut him short with a hiss.

“Vanessa?” I spat the name like venom, turning toward the woman on the bed, now fumbling for her clothes to cover her nakedness.

In the haze of betrayal, I hadn’t even registered who he was cheating with. And the truth stung worse.

“I can explain,” he rushed, his words stumbling. “I just got hard and couldn’t control it and she volunteered to help me, I, ”

“You just got hard, Collins? You just got hard?” The words erupted from me before I could stop them. My throat burned, tears welled in my eyes, but I swallowed them back. No. I wouldn’t cry, not here, not in front of them.

“Come on, Selene, it’s not a big deal,” Collins snapped suddenly, his tone shifting, mask slipping. “Boys sleep around with girls all the time. I’ve been faithful to you all these years. Just because I cheat once, I’m suddenly the bad guy? What happened to your trust in me? To all the promises you made?”

The words sliced through me, colder than the betrayal itself. The man I had loved for three years stood there shamelessly justifying his infidelity, as if my heartbreak was nothing but an inconvenience.

"Trust? You of all people shouldn’t even be mentioning that word to me right now. I’ve trusted you for years, Collins. I forgave you when you cheated on me the first time. I forgave you when you cheated again on our second anniversary. And what now? You’re cheating on me again, and this time with my best friend? News flash, it’s on the very day of our third anniversary!" I screamed, my voice cracking as tears streamed uncontrollably down my face.

Three years. We’ve been together for three years. And Vanessa, she’s been my friend for five years. Just yesterday, Collins told me how much he loved me. Just yesterday, Vanessa congratulated me for keeping my relationship strong. And yet here I am, walking into his room, gift box in hand, only to catch them in the act? To find out they’ve been betraying me this entire time?

I stared at the little box I held, my hands trembling. I had used most of my savings to buy it, wanting to surprise him. I wasn’t even sure he remembered it was our anniversary. The irony cut me like a blade. I came to celebrate, only to be destroyed.

"Did you honestly think you were the best catch for Collins, Selene?" Vanessa suddenly snapped, her voice dripping with venom as she slid off the bed. She walked toward me with that arrogant tilt of her head, her eyes sharp and mocking.

My head whipped toward her, disbelief written all over my face.

"You’re just a poor girl from the slums, barely managing to stay in uni. And Collins? He’s a graduate, already chasing his second degree, backed by his parents’ support. You? You’re nothing compared to him. Even if he wants to spend the rest of his life screwing other women, that shouldn’t concern you. Instead, you should be grateful he even looked your way and decided to keep you around."

"Vane…" I whispered, my voice breaking. My lips trembled as I stared at her. My best friend. My only confidante apart from Collins. And now… these words, this cruelty.

"You should focus more on whoring yourself so you can at least afford your old hag’s hospital bills," she spat coldly. "Don’t come running to me crying about betrayal when you’re a whore yourself, Selene."

My eyes widened, my chest tightening as her words sliced through me. But before I could even respond, Collins’ voice cut in, sharp and unforgiving.

"You think I didn’t know?" he sneered, his eyes blazing with disgust. "Come on, Selene. Who doesn’t know you’ve been whoring yourself out to men? Honestly, I’m surprised I lasted this long with you. Maybe that’s why other men before me kept rejecting you, because of how used up you already are."

I gasped, shaking my head in disbelief. "Collins… how could you say that? You know me. You know the truth. I'm not a whore and haven't as much as slept any man before. I sacrificed so much for you, I, "

"I never asked you to," he barked, his words like a slap to my face. "And besides, who wants to be with a whore?"

"But that’s not true, Collins! You know it isn’t! You know I’m a virgin, you know I’ve only ever been with you and we never even slept together yet!" I sobbed, my heart bleeding through every word.

"Virgin?" Vanessa laughed mockingly, tilting her head with a smirk. "Please, don’t make me laugh. You? A virgin? You’re nothing but a cheap slut."

I froze. My breath hitched, my chest tightened, and I felt the floor crumble beneath me. I couldn’t understand it, why they were doing this to me. Why the two people I loved and trusted most had turned on me like this. Tears streamed endlessly down my face as I stood there, shaking, broken.

But one thing was clear, I couldn’t take this anymore.

My chest heaved painfully as I dropped the gift box and ran, my heart shattering with every step. All my sacrifices, all the love, all the years I had poured into him, only to be repaid like this? Betrayed, humiliated and accused of being something I’ve never been. A whore.

And worst of all, it was from him.

From them.