Leaving the Cheater in the Dust

I watched her flaunt herself, a smug triumph radiating from her every move. My gaze darkened, sinking like a stone into deep waters.Stanley, noticing my lowered head, mistook my silence for discomfort from the treatment. He hurried over, his hands reaching out to steady me. I lifted my head, and my eyes traced the line of his shirt buttons. Beneath them, faint red lipstick stains dotted his chest, alongside a network of fresh scratches.It was those marks, I realized, that emboldened Nancy to taunt me so brazenly. The thought hit me with a dull thud, and I shook off his hand, retreating to the bedroom. I lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, trying to calm the storm inside. My hand brushed against something damp—a stain they had left behind during their sordid affair.The realization made me gag. My stomach churned violently, and before I could stop myself, I vomited onto the floor. They hadn't just desecrated my trust; they'd desecrated my space. I was left to clea

"Do as you please," I said, sliding the ring off my finger and placing it back in Stanley's hand. Without waiting for his reaction, I turned and headed upstairs."Becca, wait up! I'll just grab a pack of cigarettes and be right back!" he called after me.I stopped at the corner of the landing, watching as he and Nancy walked hand in hand to the car. The light outside the building was broken, casting the area in a shroud of darkness. From my hidden spot, I saw them climb into the back seat together.The faint glow of the streetlamp barely reached the car, but the movement inside was unmistakable—a slow, rhythmic rocking. Their muffled voices filtered through the cold night air, each word sharper than the chill biting at my skin."That bouquet you gave her," Nancy's voice floated out, "you'll buy me something bigger, something better.""And the ring," she continued. "You said it was for me, that you'd propose to me. Why did you give it to her?" She bit his ear, eliciting a sharp g

"Becca, come home with me. I don't care if you hit me or curse me, but don't make yourself suffer," Stanley pleaded. "Let's go. Once we're home, you can do whatever you want to me."Under the watchful eyes of the other passengers, he pulled me into his arms. The cold wind whipped around us, seeping through every crack in the bus shelter. I shivered, my belly tightening with a vague discomfort. This child—this fragile life inside me—was the only reason I endured. I couldn't let anything happen to my baby.I looked up at Stanley and said flatly, "Let go. I'll go back with you."At my words, his face lit up. He released me instantly, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender, then fell into step behind me like a shadow. "Becca, it's so good you're coming home," he said, relief heavy in his voice.As I got into the car, I stared out at the pitch-black night outside the window. "I'm not doing this for you," I said coldly. "I'm doing it for the baby."My hand rested on my belly, abs

"Becca, don't leave me!" Stanley, drenched in soup and stew, grabbed a baseball bat from behind the door and sprinted after me.But I had already flung open the front door. Standing there were two police officers.He couldn't stop himself in time, still yelling threats at me as I turned to them, clutching my stomach in terror. "Officers, you're finally here! I want to report him for unlawful imprisonment!""Drop the bat! Hands on your head and get down!" one officer ordered, staring at the bat in Stanley's hands."I... I was just playing with her!" Stanley stammered, dropping the bat as his hands shot up, his face painted with feigned innocence."Liar!" I sobbed, hiding behind the officers. I thrust my bruised arms forward, exposing the purple and green welts. "Look at this—he did this to me!"Stanley's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at my arms. "Becca, how could you slander me like this?""You call this slander? Do you think I'd harm myself while pregnant just to frame

By the time I reached her, Nancy was already teetering on the edge of unconsciousness."Help me... I won't fight with you anymore, I promise," she whimpered, clutching her abdomen, her voice ragged and desperate.She pleaded for me to call an ambulance."Do you know how Poppy Bailey found out?" I said, holding up my phone with a slow, deliberate shake. "It's because of your little stunt at my place the other day. That gave me the perfect footage to send her way."Her eyes widened with a flash of venomous clarity. "You... you're vile! I'll kill you, you little wretch!" she screamed, her voice a rasping mix of fury and despair.The frail vulnerability she had shown earlier vanished, replaced by something raw and vicious. Her words lashed out at me, but I simply shook my head.I had considered helping her—briefly—but seeing her muster the energy to hurl insults at me convinced me otherwise. If she had the strength to curse me, she had the strength to dial for help herself.I turned