CHAPTER 2

Lena stood frozen in the center of her living room, her body trembling as the sounds of pleasure from her fiancé and the sex worker echoed in her ears.

She had often overheard women at the salon sharing stories of infidelity, their voices heavy with pain. Yet, until now, she had never truly grasped the devastation of being betrayed.

Unable to endure the torment any longer, she threw her phone aside and then collapsed onto the floor in a storm of tears.

She had loved Drake with everything she had. Their love story began after they both had faced rejection from their first job interview at Mac’s Business Institute.

Drawn in by his charm, Lena had made the first move, and their connection had deepened swiftly—sharing laughter, late-night talks, and ultimately being intimate with him on her rooftop. Giving him her purity had only intensified her feelings for him.

It was she who had proposed to him, not only because of the constant pressure from her parents to marry or risk dying a disgrace but because she was hopelessly infatuated with him.

Lena cried herself into exhaustion, falling asleep right there on the floor.

The sound of the front door unlocking jolted her awake.

“Careless, as always. What if someone had tried to break in? You left the doors wide open,” Drake muttered, barely sparing her a glance before heading toward the bedroom.

Her red, swollen eyes went unnoticed. His indifference broke something inside her.

Rising unsteadily, she followed him and seized his shoulder then forced him to face her. Without thinking, she slapped him hard across the face, her hand trembling even as fresh tears welled up.

Drake stared at her in stunned silence, clutching his cheek. “What the hell, Lena? How dare you lay hands on me!”

“How dare I? How dare you cheat on me!” she cried, her voice cracking. She shoved him in the chest, making him stumble. “You cheating bastard!”

When she raised her hand to strike him again, he caught her wrist and pinned her roughly against the wall.

Lena’s heart pounded. His proximity made her feel both sick and ashamed of the lingering pull she felt toward him. She hated herself for it.

She struggled, but his grip only tightened. Slamming his fist into the wall beside her head, he made her recoil and freeze in horror.

“Fight me again, and I’ll make you regret it,” He hissed.

Lena searched into his eyes for any trace of love in his eyes, she found only cruelty.

“How could you do this to me? Cheat on me?” she whispered brokenly.

Drake's fingers clamped around her chin, tilting her face upward. His nails bit into her skin as his lips curled into a sneer.

“That’s why you hit me? Because you found out?” He let out a cold laugh. “Well, congratulations for finally putting that brain of yours to use.”

Her stomach twisted as he continued. “Yes, I cheated. And guess what? I enjoyed every damn bit of it.” His lips brushed her neck, making her fidget in disgust. “Don’t blame me, baby. No man wants to deal with a clingy, obsessive woman like you.”

Lena’s body stiffened as he sucked at her neck and his hand slid beneath her shirt. She struggled, gripping his wrist to stop him, but he was stronger.

“Stop resisting. You know you want me to take you right here,” he growled, voice thick with mockery.

Fueled by adrenaline, Lena’s knee shot up, striking him hard between the legs.

Drake staggered back with a strangled grunt, clutching himself.

Gasping for air, Lena pressed herself against the opposite wall, wrapping her arms protectively over her chest where her torn shirt revealed too much. She wept, humiliated, and heartbroken.

“What did I ever do to deserve this?” She whimpered, wishing the walls could swallow her whole.

Drake muttered vile words under his breath as he held his throbbing p**is. “ Just wait till I get my hands on you.”

“You told me you loved me,” she choked out, voice trembling.

Drake’s lips curled into a mock pout. “I said a lot of things I didn’t mean.” His gaze was ice cold. “Did you really think I was the kind of man who’d settle for one woman forever? Please. I’m not some romance novel hero.”

Lena’s sobs deepened, but she refused to look away.

“You could’ve at least been a decent human being,”

His laugh came out sharp and cruel. “You call being ‘decent’ a man who bends over backward for you? No, Lena. You’re pathetic. What makes you think someone like me would ever settle down?”

“Because I believed you loved me,” she replied, voice barely above a whisper.

Drake smirked, stepping closer. “Oh, don’t cry, sweetheart. If marriage is what you want, we’ll still go through with it. I’m not calling off the wedding.”

Lena stared at him, her heart aching. What was once supposed to be her happiest moment now felt like a living nightmare.

“I don’t want to marry you anymore,” she whispered her voice hoarse.

Drake’s face darkened, then twisted into mock sympathy. “Really? And break your parents’ hearts? Remember how thrilled they were when you told them we were getting engaged? Your father’s health can’t take more stress, can it?”

The reminder hit her hard. Though she was only twenty-two, her parents were relentless about tradition, rooted in their conservative values. Her great-grandparents, devout Muslims, had instilled the importance of early marriage, a belief passed down unwaveringly.

Even now, they reject modern ideals, believing today was just a rebranded version of the past.

Drake’s smirk deepened as he saw her hesitation. “See? You wouldn’t want to be the reason your father ends up in the hospital, would you?”

Lena felt crushed. She had always dreamed of marriage being built on love, not manipulation.

“Don’t touch me!” she snapped when Drake tried to stroke her lips and then she slapped his hand away.

Hiding her face into her palms, she broke down again.

Drake chuckled coldly. “Let me guess. You failed your job interview because you weren’t... physically what they were looking for? That’s exactly why I cheated. I need a real woman.”

Spinning on his heels, he headed for the stairs. “Don’t cry yourself to death yet. I still need you alive for our wedding.”

Lena fell to the floor, pressing her head against the wall as tears blurred her vision.

She had always been told never to show weakness, but holding back her pain felt impossible now.

If she wasn’t screaming or breaking things, it was only because she was barely holding herself together.

Desperate to numb the ache, she grabbed her phone. She would go out tonight. She’d drink, dance, and sleep with a stranger just to prove Drake wasn’t the only one who could be unfaithful.

Texting her best friends, Abby and Raymond, she typed, "Club tonight. 9 PM. Be there."

Within seconds, both replied with identical messages:

~Fuck yeah! And yes, we’ll bring protection. (Insert eye roll emoji).~