All Chapters of Red Threads of Betrayal : Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

A few drops of wine spilled from Jean Young’s glass, and a flash of panic crossed her eyes.“I don’t care if his last name is Cook or Johnson. If you lose, you hand over your phone.”One of our best friends, Imogen Morgan, reached out to grab it, but Jean laughed and ducked right behind me, holding the phone tightly out of reach.“You really can’t look at it. He’s got a huge temper. If he finds out I showed you guys his picture, he’ll be furious.”“Look at you being so protective!”“I can’t help it. His status is a bit complicated, and he doesn’t want to go public with our relationship just yet.”As Jean spoke, her gaze drifted right over the crowd and landed on Jasper Cook, who was standing by the entrance.The red thread connecting the two of them was blindingly bright. Over the years, I’d seen countless red threads of fate tangle and cross, but I never expected to see one attached to the man who was supposed to be my groom tomorrow.“Aria, help me out here, won’t you?” she p

That bedroom had the set of white silk wedding sheets I’d spent an entire afternoon steaming by hand. Our couple's portrait hung on the wall, and the wedding gift Jasper had given me sat right on the nightstand.Now, everything I had so painstakingly prepared was turning into nothing more than a backdrop for their little hookup.The camera only captured the living room, but that red thread had already shown me how the rest played out.Even though I’d prepared myself for the worst, watching them kiss made my chest feel so tight I could barely draw a breath. Tears streamed down my face without warning, heavy droplets falling right onto the blurred figures tangled together on my phone screen.The screen dimmed to black. Staring back at me from the dark reflection was a twenty-eight-year-old woman. She was the exact same age my mom was when she found out my dad was cheating.The only difference was that my mom endured it, but I wasn't going to.With the evidence saved on my phone and

“What nonsense are you babbling about?!”All color drained from Charlotte’s face.At the main table, Mr. Short quickly adjusted his glasses, spilling his drink straight onto the tablecloth.I stared at the thick red thread connecting them. “Why are you two getting so worked up? You’ve probably been sleeping together for quite a while now, haven't you?”“Shut your mouth! You’re lying!” Charlotte trembled with rage. “Full of crazy talk! Who raised you to slander your elders like this?!”Mr. Short’s wife, however, stood up. “Charlotte, is what this girl is saying true?”“R-Reina, don’t listen to her crazy talk! She’s doing this on purpose to drive a wedge between us and get revenge!”“Whether I’m driving a wedge or whether you two slept together,” I cut in coldly, “Mrs. Short, why don't you spend a little money today, hire a private investigator, and look up their hotel room records from last year? Wouldn't that make everything crystal clear?”While I didn't have physical proof fo

I stared straight at him.“You love me,” I repeated slowly. “So you were completely convinced I’d never bring myself to leave. You love me, so you trampled all over my boundaries and then expected me to be understanding about it. Last night, I sent you a text.”I pulled out my phone and turned the screen around, holding it up right in front of his face without letting anyone else see.“I said to admit what you did, cancel the wedding with me, and we’d wrap this up cleanly. I won’t release the footage or notify your employer, and I’ll save you your last bit of dignity. And how did you reply?”Jasper stayed silent.“You replied, ‘You’ve had too much to drink. Get some sleep early. You’ve got to wake up for makeup tomorrow.’”Jasper closed his eyes tightly.“I gave you a way out, Jasper. You just refused to take it.“You chose to proceed with the wedding this morning as if nothing happened. Your mom chose to force me here, demand I apologize, and refund the entire wedding. You did

The next evening, Jasper appeared after all.He had lost a noticeable amount of weight. The collar of his shirt hung loose and unbuttoned, and his jaw was covered in rough stubble.He stood right outside the cafe, holding a small paper bag of pastries I used to love.“Aria.”“You shouldn't be here."“I have nowhere else to go.” His voice was raspy beyond belief. “My dad found out about my mom’s affair, and they’re getting a divorce. I got fired, and not a single place has responded to my resume.”He looked straight into my eyes.“I’m not here to ask you to take me back. I know you never would.”“Then what are you doing here?”“I came to say I’m sorry.”He gently placed the bag of pastries down.“I always thought I was keeping my boundaries intact. And that as long as I didn't cross the physical line, it wasn't true betrayal. Yesterday, I went back and read through our chat history. I realized I sent her over two hundred more 'good night' texts than I ever sent you.”He let