Chapter 5

As I stood there, frozen in shock, Gael and Kaye slowly turned to face me. Gael's eyes were filled with a mixture of guilt and apology, while Kaye's eyes seemed to be filled with a mixture of fear and shame.

"Cynthia, I..." Gael started to say, but I cut him off.

"Don't bother explaining, Gael. I think I've seen enough," I said, my voice cold and detached.

I turned to leave, but Gael quickly grabbed my arm, holding me back.

"Cynthia, please listen to me. It's not what you think," Gael pleaded, but I shook my head.

"I don't want to hear it, Gael. Just let me go," I said, trying to pull my arm free.

But Gael held tight, his grip firm but gentle.

"Cynthia, I love you. I would never do anything to hurt you," Gael said, his eyes locked on mine.

But I just laughed, a cold, bitter laugh.

"Save it, Gael. I'm not buying it," I said, finally managing to pull my arm free.

I turned and walked away, leaving Gael and Kaye standing alone in the gallery room. I didn't know where I was going, but I knew I had to get out of there.

As I walked, I felt a numbness spreading through my body. I couldn't feel anything, couldn't think anything. All I could do was keep walking.

But eventually, I found myself back in our bedroom, lying on the bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. I didn't know how I got there, but I knew I had to try and process what had just happened.

But as I lay there, I couldn't shake the feeling that my whole world had just been turned upside down.

I lay there for what felt like hours, my mind racing with thoughts and emotions. I couldn't believe what I had just seen. Gael and Kaye, together. It didn't make sense. Gael loved me, didn't he?

But as I thought back to the past few days, I realized that Gael had been acting strange. He had been distant, preoccupied. And Kaye... Kaye had been around a lot. I had thought nothing of it at the time, but now it seemed suspicious.

I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as I thought about the possibility of Gael cheating on me. I had trusted him completely, and the thought of him betraying that trust was almost too much to bear.

As I lay there, I heard the door open and Gael came in. He looked hesitant, unsure of what to say.

"Cynthia, I..." he started, but I cut him off.

"Don't," I said, my voice cold. "Just don't."

Gael looked at me, his eyes filled with sadness and regret. But I didn't care. I didn't want to hear his excuses, his justifications. I just wanted him to leave me alone.

"Cynthia, please," Gael said, taking a step closer to me. "Let me explain..."

But I shook my head, rolling over onto my side and turning my back to him.

"Just leave me alone, Gael," I said, my voice firm. "I need time to think."

Gael hesitated for a moment, then nodded and turned to leave. I heard the door close behind him, and I was alone once again.

As I lay there, I couldn't help but wonder what the future held. Would Gael and I be able to work through this? Or was our marriage over? I didn't know, but I knew one thing for sure: nothing would ever be the same again.

I lay there for a long time, my mind racing with thoughts and emotions. I couldn't shake the image of Gael and Kaye together from my mind. It was like a constant loop, playing over and over again.

As the hours passed, I slowly began to calm down. My initial shock and anger gave way to a deep sadness. I felt like I had lost something precious, something that I could never get back.

I eventually got out of bed and began to wander around the house. I felt lost and alone, like I was drifting through a sea of uncertainty.

As I walked, I noticed that Gael had left his phone on the kitchen counter. I picked it up, scrolling through his messages. My heart sank as I saw a message from Kaye, her name flashing on the screen like a beacon of betrayal.

I felt a wave of anger wash over me, but I pushed it aside. I didn't want to be angry. I wanted to be calm, rational.

I continued to scroll through Gael's messages, my eyes scanning the screen for any sign of what had happened. But there was nothing. No clues, no hints. Just a sea of innocent-sounding messages that seemed to belie the truth.

As I stood there, frozen in uncertainty, I heard a knock at the door. It was soft, tentative, like the person on the other side was unsure of whether they should be there.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering who it could be. But then I remembered that Gael had told me that Kaye was staying in a nearby apartment. It was probably her.

I took a deep breath and made my way to the door. I opened it slowly, my heart pounding in my chest.

And there she was, standing on my porch with a look of concern etched on her face.

"Cynthia, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know what happened. Gael and I... we were just talking, and then... I don't know, it just happened."

I looked at her, my eyes searching for any sign of deception. But all I saw was a deep sadness, a sense of regret that seemed to mirror my own.

"What did you talk about?" I asked, my voice firm but controlled.

Kaye hesitated, unsure of how to respond. But then she took a deep breath and began to speak, her words spilling out in a rush.

"We talked about our pasts, our fears and dreams. Gael told me about his childhood, about how he grew up in a poor household. And I told him about my ex-husband, about how he abused me."

As Kaye spoke, I felt a pang of recognition. Gael had told me about his childhood, about the struggles he had faced. And I had told him about my own fears and dreams.

It was like they had connected on a deep level, like they had found a sense of understanding and empathy that went beyond words.

And as I stood there, listening to Kaye's words, I couldn't help but wonder if I had been blind to Gael's needs. Had I been so caught up in my own fears and doubts that I had neglected him, left him feeling unheard and unseen?

The thought sent a shiver down my spine, a sense of unease that I couldn't shake.

I stood there, frozen in uncertainty, as Kaye's words hung in the air. I didn't know what to say, how to respond. A part of me wanted to lash out, to scream and yell and demand answers. But another part of me, a quieter, more rational part, wanted to listen, to understand.

As I hesitated, Kaye took a step forward, her eyes locked on mine.

"Cynthia, I'm sorry," she said again, her voice barely above a whisper. "I never meant to hurt you. I never meant to fall for Gael."

I felt a pang at her words, a sharp, stabbing pain that seemed to pierce my very soul. Fall for Gael? What did she mean? Had Gael fallen for her too?

I took a deep breath, trying to calm my racing thoughts.

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice firm but controlled.

Kaye hesitated, unsure of how to respond.

"I mean, I developed feelings for Gael," she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. "But I know he's married, and I respect that. I would never try to break up your marriage."

I looked at her, searching for any sign of deception. But all I saw was a deep sincerity, a sense of regret that seemed to mirror my own.

As I stood there, trying to process Kaye's words, I heard a noise behind me. I turned to see Gael standing in the doorway, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Cynthia, I..." he started, but I cut him off.

"Don't," I said, my voice firm. "Just don't."

Gael hesitated, unsure of what to do. But then he took a step forward, his eyes locked on mine.

"Cynthia, I can explain..." he started, but I shook my head.

"No, Gael. I don't want to hear it. Not now. Maybe not ever."

As I spoke, I felt a sense of resolve wash over me. I didn't know what the future held, but I knew one thing for sure: I needed time, space, and clarity. And I was determined to get it, no matter what it took.