Cheated

The music was loud enough to drown out common sense.

I hated bars. I hated the sticky floors, the smell of expensive liquor mixed with cheap perfume, and the way strangers laughed as if tomorrow didn't exist.

But tonight wasn't about me. Tonight was about Daniel. Three months together, and he finally insisted I meet him after work to celebrate our anniversary.

I checked the time on my phone: 9:42 p.m. A smile tugged at my lips despite myself. Maybe this was it. Maybe I'd finally give myself to him.

I tucked a loose strand of brown hair behind my ear and climbed the stairs leading to the VIP lounge. The room buzzed with conversations and clinking glasses. My eyes searched the crowd, and then they found him.

I froze. Time seemed to stop. Daniel sat in the corner booth, his hand resting possessively on another woman's thigh. The lounge was dimly lit. I couldn't clearly see the girl's face or how his body curved toward the stranger.

The low murmur of the girl's voice felt so familiar, as did the way her red dress rode up her thigh as she pressed closer.The woman leaned in, laughing at something he'd whispered before her mouth crashed against his.

I couldn't breathe. The gift bag I carried slipped from my fingers, landing on the polished floor with a soft thud. Neither of them noticed. The world around me blurred into meaningless noise. My chest tightened until every breath felt like swallowing broken glass.

No... This wasn't happening. I took one shaky step backward. I wanted to storm inside and demand answers, but I couldn't move. My feet were stuck to the floor. My throat felt tight and constricted with a mixture of pain and sadness. I turned around and ran.

I burst through the club doors into the cold night air, tears burning my vision as rain began to fall. I quickly took a taxi. The drive home was a blur; I didn’t remember it. My mind was still hazy from the scene I had just witnessed.

The taxi pulled into the driveway of my small apartment. My fingers trembled as I unlocked the front door.The apartment greeted me with silence. The tears I had fought so hard to keep back finally spilled over the moment I shut the door behind me. I felt small, foolish, and used.

Three months. Three stupid months. All gone in the span of a single kiss. My heart felt like it had been ripped apart. The gift bag I had carried so carefully all evening suddenly became unbearable.

With a strangled cry, I hurled it across the living room. It slammed into the wall before crumpling onto the hardwood floor. "I hate you," I whispered, my voice cracking.

I sank onto the couch and buried my face in my hands. The image refused to leave my mind. Daniel's hand resting on another woman's thigh, his lips on hers, and the way he had smiled. A smile I had foolishly believed was reserved only for me.

I wiped at my tears before grabbing my phone. There was only one person I wanted to talk to. I scrolled until I found Jesse's name and pressed call. The line rang twice.

"Nia?" Jesse answered, concern already lacing her voice. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be celebrating your anniv—"

"He cheated on me." The words rushed out before I could stop them."What?" Jesse's voice rang out.

"I saw him." My breathing grew uneven. "At Eclipse Bar. He was kissing another girl, Jesse. He had his hands all over her." My voice broke into a sob. "Three months... and he cheated on me."

There was a brief pause on her end. Then Jesse sighed. "Finally."

I frowned. "W-what?"

"Finally. I thought you wouldn't come to your senses."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're so foolishly blinded by your love for him that you can't even see he's just been using you."

I froze. I opened my mouth to speak, but she cut me off before I could say anything.

"I think it's time I told you this. You've been a little naive, Nia. A guy who cheats in a relationship that's only three months old? Please. That tells you everything you need to know."

I tightened my grip on the phone. "Jesse, I called you because I needed someone to talk to. Right now, you're just putting the blame on me. You're making matters worse."

"I'm not blaming you," she replied, her voice softening. "I'm looking out for you, Nia. You deserve so much—"

"Just stop." The words came out sharper than I intended. "You never liked Daniel anyway."

"Nia, that's not—"I ended the call before she could finish. For a second, I stared at the screen. Then I tossed the phone onto the couch and sank down beside it. Silence filled the apartment.

Was I not good enough? The question echoed in my mind until I shook my head. "No," I whispered to myself. "I just have to make sure he can't resist me."

I just needed to prove that I was enough. I had held onto my virginity for twenty-two years, waiting for the right person. The right moment.

Daniel was that person. Giving myself to him completely would erase the cracks. It would bind us together in a way nothing else could. It would fix everything. The doubt, the humiliation, the fear that I wasn’t enough to keep him.

I got a message from Daniel asking why I hadn't arrived at the bar. My fingers traced the edge of my phone as I typed a reply to his message.

Me: "I have a surprise for you tomorrow. I'll send you the location."

I hit send before I could change my mind. As the message delivered, I took a deep breath, a fragile smile touching my lips.

My eyes drifted toward the gift bag lying on the floor. Slowly, I picked it up and reached inside. A short, red lace nightdress slid into my hands.

I held it up, forcing a small smile. "Perfect."