Chapter 4

The words struck her like a blow, the truth cutting through her like a blade. Elara's hand shook, her hold on the phone strengthening as she sensed the earth move beneath her.

Selene's message echoed a chilling, harsh laughter, ridiculing her, provoking her. The image, the text, everything clicked into place now. Selene was out to take her husband from her. Sebastian's rage, his vanishing act, it was merely a trick.

A sensation of numbness enveloped her, making her feel as though she was hovering above the situation, observing it from afar.

The grin on Selene's face, the gleam of victory in her eyes, it was overwhelming. Elara's sight faded, her phone falling from her hand as she staggered backward, her reality collapsing around her.

Elara's hands moved swiftly over the screen as she sent the message to her mother's phone, her heart racing with feelings. She forwarded it two times, wishing her mother would pick up on the clue.

The phone rang right away, and Elara answered, her heart filled with dread.

"Mom, you have to warn Selene-" she started, but her mother cut her off.

"What’s wrong with you?! I heard about the divorce, Elara. How could you do that to Sebastian?! You hooked up with another man while you were still married?"

Elara's frustration boiled over. "That’s not what I’m talking about, Mom! Selene is having an affair with Sebastian, my husband!"

There was a pause, and for a moment, Elara thought her mother was taken aback. But then, Ms Quinn's voice came through the phone, cold and detached.

"As it should. Weren’t you the one who cheated on your husband? Sebastian and Selene can do whatever they like, for all I care. Isn’t Sebastian divorced from you already?"

Elara felt like she had just been slapped. "Mom-"

Ms Quinn continued, her voice unyielding. "Elara, stop bothering me with your problems. I have enough on my plate. You need to move on and focus on yourself."

The call ended abruptly, leaving Elara staring at her phone in shock. She felt a wave of numbness wash over her, her mind reeling with the realization that her own mother was siding with her stepsister.

The silence in the apartment was deafening, the only sound the soft hum of the air conditioner. Elara's eyes dropped, her vision blurring as she felt the weight of her world crashing down around her.

Elara's mind wandered back to her childhood, her thoughts a jumbled mess of emotions. After her father's passing, her mother had remarried a man named Richard Thompson, Selene's father.

He had been a wealthy businessman, but he too had passed away a few years ago, leaving Elara's mother to care for both Elara and Selene.

As she thought back, Elara couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Her mother had always treated Selene with more love and care, making Elara wonder if Selene was more than just her stepsister. Was she her half-sister? The thought had always lingered in the back of her mind, a nagging question she couldn't shake.

Meanwhile, at Selene's apartment, Selene's smile grew wider as she gazed at the photo she had sent to Elara. She felt a thrill of delight, knowing that she finally had Sebastian in the palm of her hand. While i successful play on destroying their marriage.

She stood up, letting him lay freely on the cushion, and walking into her room to have a night rest.

The next morning, Sebastian woke up with a throbbing headache. He groggily opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings. Where was he? The first thing he’s eyes landed on was Selene, who was coming out of the bathroom with a white towel wrapped around her chest. He was taken aback, his mind racing.

"What...what are you doing here?" he asked, his voice rough with sleep.

Selene smiled sweetly. "This is my home, Sebastian. You're the one who's in my apartment."

Sebastian's eyes widened as he looked around, realization dawning on him. He scrambled to his feet, grabbing his phone to check for any messages. His eyes scanned the screen, and his face fell as he saw the missed calls from Elara.

"Fuck!" he shouted, his anger boiling over. "Why didn't you wake me up, Selene?"

Selene's smile grew wider, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't have the heart to wake you," she said, her voice dripping with innocence.

Sebastian's face contorted in frustration as he glared at Selene. "Elara called me several times, why didn't you tell me? Or better still pick up the call? She would have been worried sick about me."

Selene shrugged, her expression nonchalant. "Why do you care about her worrying that you didn’t pick her call? Haven't you two divorced already?"

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "I didn't intentionally want to divorce her, but she was quick to sign the papers. At first, I thought she didn't care about me anymore, but when I had asked her to sign the divorce papers and she was crying, feeling remorseful, I thought she wouldn’t sign the documents."

Selene rolled her eyes. "Oh please, stop with the back and forth. You're just going to confuse yourself."

She stepped closer to Sebastian, her voice taking on a seductive tone. "My sister doesn't care about you, Sebastian. She's already moved on, hooking up with another man. Why don't you just be with me instead?"

Sebastian's expression turned incredulous, his face twisted in disgust. "No, hell no! I love Elara."

Selene's smile faltered, her eyes flashing with anger. "What? You're still in love with my sister? After everything she's done?"

“Yes!” Sebastian's jaw clenched, his eyes burning with desire.