All Chapters of The Unexpected Affair : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Hangover… The word alone made my head throb even more. My skull felt like it was being squeezed in a vice, my temples pulsing in sync with the unforgiving morning light filtering through the blinds. My mouth was dry, the kind of dryness that made my tongue feel like sandpaper against the roof of my mouth. And my stomach… God, my stomach. It churned angrily, threatening to punish me for every drop of wine I had recklessly consumed last night.With a groan, I forced my heavy eyelids open and reached for my phone, squinting against the brightness of the screen. The moment I saw it, my stomach twisted for an entirely different reason.No missed calls. No texts.Nothing from Alex.A fresh wave of nausea rolled through me. My fingers felt stiff as I typed out a simple message.Lizzy: Good morning.I stared at the screen, waiting, hoping and praying for those three little dots to appear. Nothing. I swallowed hard, trying to push down the unease crawling up my throat. Maybe she was still with

I didn’t know how long I’d been sitting there. Maybe five minutes. Maybe fifteen. The sick-note still rested in my lap, the paper softening under my sweaty fingers. I hadn’t moved. I couldn’t. It felt like if I started the car, I’d drive straight into a wall just to stop feeling this way.The ache in my chest was constant, dull but sharp at the same time. Like breathing through a cracked rib cage.I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock on the window.My heart leapt to my throat, and I turned quickly to the left.Sophia.She stood there with a small, patient smile, holding a sandwich in one hand and her lunch bag dangling from her elbow. She looked relaxed, like someone who wasn’t watching me slowly unravel in a car park.I rolled the window down, trying to gather the composure I didn’t have.“Hey... Soph.”“I don’t remember this being the third option,” she said with a soft smirk, “but I guess I should say thanks, for not driving off. Since you’re still here and didn’t cr

The room felt still again after the door shut behind Lena. A strange, aching silence stretched between me, my best friend and Sophia, filled only by the weight of everything unspoken."I can go..." Sophia said softly after a beat, her voice low and hesitant.I shook my head quickly, "Sophia, no. I called you. Lena was just leaving."But when I looked at Lena my heart sank. I saw it, the hurt. Like I’d slapped her with words I never meant to say. She tried to mask it with a smile, but her eyes couldn’t lie. Her face twisted just slightly, enough for me to see the wound I’d unintentionally opened. She turned to Sophia with forced politeness."I'm sorry, girls. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’ll leave."Then she looked at me, brief but heavy. "Call me please," she said before walking out, the sound of the door closing echoing louder than it should’ve.I closed my eyes, feeling the sting of guilt crawl up my chest. God, I hoped I didn’t come off as cruel. When I opened them again, Sophia

Four weeks had passed since I’d seen or heard from Alex or my mom and it has been two weeks and a few days since Sophia found me laying on the floor because of alcohol. I had started going back to work. Of course, no one at the office knew the real reason for my sudden disappearance. To them, it was just a nasty bug I’d caught. No one suspected I had nearly drowned in a bottle, trying to silence a heart that wouldn’t stop screaming. But I was back now, sharp, focused, and ready to bury myself in work.Jenny stopped by my desk that first morning, her brows slightly furrowed with concern.“You okay?” she asked softly.“I am now,” I told her. “But the past two weeks… I wasn’t.”She nodded, her eyes kind, and didn’t push further. I was grateful for that.I got thrown right into a major project, an ad campaign for a big construction company. The pressure was intense, but I welcomed it. I needed something to keep my hands busy, my mind distracted. Still, in the quiet moments, my thoughts dr

The smell of pizza still lingered in the air, a mix of garlic, tomato, and slightly burnt crust, while Lena lounged on my couch like she owned the place, one leg flung over a cushion, the other tapping rhythmically against the floor to some silent beat. I had just taken a sip of orange juice when she turned to me, eyes glinting with mischief, and dropped her latest bomb.“So, are you guys sleeping together?”I choked. Not a little polite cough either, an actual choke. The kind that burns your throat and makes your eyes water as you wave frantically at nothing, trying to catch your breath. I put the glass down hard on the table, coughing and wiping my mouth, glaring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes.“Lena! What the actual fuck? What does that even mean?” I croaked, still clearing my throat.She shrugged, utterly unfazed. “I don’t know. Aren’t you the one inviting her over for homemade meals and giving me junk food?” She pointed toward the greasy, open pizza boxes like they were evid