Chapter 003: Worst betrayal

Caroline's Pov

After having a good taste of the coffee,i paid and walked down the streets to get a cab.

I flagged down a taxi, sliding into the back seat with trembling hands. 

“Where to?” the driver asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror.

I hesitated, my mind blank. Where do I go from here? I had no home to return to .

Jeffrey had made that painfully clear. My life had been ripped apart, and I had no idea how to pick up the pieces. Finally, I gave the driver an address, not my own but a friend’s, someone I hoped would understand.

I entered the and the taxi pulled away from the curb, I leaned my head against the window, watching the pedestrians along the streets. 

My mind raced with a thousand thoughts, each one more painful than the last. 

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, willing myself to find that strength. I had to. Because if I didn’t, Jeffrey’s betrayal would define me, and I wouldn’t let him have that power over me anymore. 

The taxi came to a stop in front of my friend’s apartment building, and I paid the driver, stepping out into the sunlight.

My legs wobbled slightly as I walked toward the entrance, but with each step, I felt a sliver of resolve return. This wasn’t the end for me. It couldn’t be.

 I pressed the buzzer and waited for the door to open, I made a promise to myself. I would figure out how to heal from this. I would take my life back, piece by painful piece, no matter how broken I felt right now.

I stood in front of my friend's door for almost 20 minutes, the weight of everything I'd been through pressed down on me like a vice.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I took a deep breath before knocking. This was my last refuge. Maralyn had been my best friend for years ,she was the one person I trusted through all the chaos. She had seen me through the ups and downs of my marriage with Jeffrey, and I was certain she'd help me now. I didn’t have much else.

The door creaked open, and Maralyn appeared, her face a mixture of surprise and hesitation. Her smile was thin, lacking the happiness i used to be seeing. 

"Caroline," she said, her voice uncertain. "What are you doing here?"

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I—I didn’t know where else to go. Jeffrey... he kicked me out. It’s all a mess, Mara. I need a place to stay. Just for a few days until I figure things out."

Maralyn bit her lip, glancing over her shoulder as if someone else was in the house. Her hesitation grew, and that familiar, sickening feeling of rejection began to creep up my spine. "Caroline, I... I’m so sorry, but I don’t think I can do that."

The words hit me like a punch in the gut. She can’t do that? The one person I thought I could count on was turning me away. 

"Mara," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I don’t have anywhere else to go. I—"

"Listen," she cut me off, her voice suddenly sharp. "I have a lot going on right now. It’s just not a good time. You’ll figure it out,you’re strong."

I stared at her, my mind spinning with confusion and hurt. "But, you don’t understand. I’ve lost everything. Jeffrey is divorcing me. I don’t even know how to—"

"Caroline, please," Maralyn interrupted again, her tone now filled with exasperation. "I know what happened between you and Jeffrey."

Her words slammed into me, and I blinked, trying to process them. "What do you mean you know? What do you know about my last encounter with Jeffrey because we've not spoken about it."

She crossed her arms, her expression hardening. "It’s not a secret, Caroline. Everyone knows."

A shiver crawled up my spine as I remembered the message I had received at the bar. "I know what really happened between you and Jeffrey." The words Maralyn was now throwing at me. I felt my stomach twist with a growing sense of dread.

"You... you knew?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. My legs wobbled beneath me, threatening to give out. "Mara, what did you know?"

Maralyn rolled her eyes, her patience clearly wearing thin. "Oh, spare me the innocent act, Caroline. Who doesn’t know that you’re barren and thats the only thing Jeffreycan justify himself with?"

The words sliced through me, sharp and merciless. Barren?

The word echoed in my mind, louder and louder until it drowned out everything else. My body went cold, the blood draining from my face as her words settled into the deepest, darkest part of my soul.

"You knew," I whispered, my voice trembling. "You knew, and you didn’t tell me? You didn’t... you didn’t even ask how I was?"

Maralyn sighed, folding her arms as she continued to lean against the doorframe. "What was I supposed to say, Caroline? It’s not like it’s my business. But you had to know this was coming. Jeffrey deserves a family;someone who can give him children. You couldn’t, and everyone knew it. He’s moved on. You should, too."

I felt the ground beneath me start to spin. My vision blurred with tears as Maralyn’s words replayed in my mind. The one thing I had feared, the one thing Jeffrey had never openly said but always hinted at, was now being thrown at me by the one person I thought I could trust.

I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. My mouth opened, but no words came out. Tears welled up in my eyes, spilling down my cheeks as I stood there, frozen in shock. Maralyn’s cold, indifferent expression was like a slap in the face.