5

And keeping up with Brett was the least of my fucking worries. Maybe now was the perfect chance to put an end to whatever we had, because I finally had an excuse to do so.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, anyway. Our relationship had been rocky for a long time. I was just speeding up the inevitable.

I felt terrible because I knew how much Brett cared about me and loved me, but I couldn’t keep stringing him along, and convincing myself that I felt the same way about him, when I knew that I didn’t. I already felt empty enough without my relationship with Brett adding to it.

I couldn’t force myself to be in a miserable relationship with him forever, despite the history that I had with him, because I’d already been through a relationship just as toxic as that before, and I didn’t want to put myself through that again.

***

I arrived at Brett’s apartment block, and headed up the stairs to make my way to his room number. When I arrived at his room, the door was already open. I rubbed my chin in thought, wondering why.

“Brett?” I called out. “Brett?”

There was no response. I shrugged to myself before letting myself in. I was sure he wouldn’t have a problem with me doing this because we always turned up to each other’s places unannounced.

I searched the rooms, trying to figure out where he was. He hadn’t mentioned anything about going out today, so I’d assumed that he would be at home.

And then I heard the sound of somebody giggling. I furrowed my eyebrows, wondering who the hell was in here. I followed the sounds of the laughter…and then stopped dead in my tracks as I reached Brett’s bedroom.

Brett was standing there in his blue t-shirt and blue jeans, with his blond hair tied up in a manbun…with a girl’s arms wrapped around him. He had his arms folded, and she was rubbing his chest up and down, leaving kisses in her wake. She had short curly brown hair, big brown eyes, light brown skin, arched eyebrows…and her shirt wasn’t on. She was just in some ripped denim shorts, paired with a turquoise sequined bra.

Hazel.

A bitch he’d told me not to worry about so many times before…

Angry tears welled in my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. She was so fucking gorgeous, and I could feel my heart twist into knots as I watched her put her hands all over Brett. Just looking at her was enough to push me over the edge and make me feel so fucking insecure knowing I couldn’t compare to her beauty, knowing she was the type of woman that every man I met in my life would prefer over me…

Brett’s chest was heaving upward and downward as she touched him, and I could feel the bile rise to my throat; I felt so sick. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying the attention, he was enjoying entertaining her…

This was the man I’d been beating myself up over on my journey here, feeling terrible at the fact that I was going to end things with him, because I thought I would be breaking his heart…

“Come on, baby,” said Hazel, tilting his chin, forcing him to look her in the eye.

I couldn’t hold back my disgust anymore. I shook my fists with rage.

“What the fuck, Brett?” I screamed.

Brett flipped around in shock, looking like somebody had just stepped over his grave.

“Maya!” he cried out.

Hazel giggled as she saw me, a wide smirk on her lips, and this just made me feel even more shit about myself. She found my pain amusing, she was laughing at me.

I bolted out of the room, feeling embarrassed and angry, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“I’m such a fool…” I shook my head angrily as I stopped in the living room. I turned around to see that Brett had run after me.

“Maya!” he shrieked. “It’s not what it looks like!”

 “Not what it looks like?” I repeated angrily. Even after I’d just caught him dead with another woman in his apartment, he still continued to try to make excuses for himself, and this was enough to make my blood boil to the point that it almost dried up. “I just saw her kissing you and feeling you up, for God’s sake! In just her bra and jeans!” I broke off my sentence, seething. “So this is why you didn’t turn up to work today. You fucking disgust me.”