28 - I didn't lose anything, but you did. It wasn't a lack of love, it was a lack of character.

***POV ISABELA***

Before I got home, I spotted Daniel's car parked in front. I snorted angrily. 

Of course, he would do that!

Daniel texted me last night, saying he wanted to talk to me about something. We have a daughter together, and obviously, we can't just ignore each other's existence. I agreed to talk to him but said I'd call him when I was available, but knowing the man I'd been married to for 15 years, he was standing in front of my gate to catch me in the act since I hadn't spent the night at home. 

I press the button that opens the electric gate to my house, see the gate open and Daniel turns to look at my car. I put the car in the garage and turn it off. I get out of the car, slam the door and quickly approach Daniel.

"What are you doing here?" I asked angrily.

"I see you've just arrived, Isabela. Have you been out all night?" He asked.

"You don't care! I don't owe you any satisfaction for my life". I practically shouted.

"Stop fucking shouting."

"I'll shout when I want to," I raised my voice even more. "I've changed, Daniel. I'm no longer that silly girl you used to talk about and I kept my head down."

"I see you've changed; you're vulgar, Isabela. Sleeping away from home?"

I didn't even notice when my hand landed on his face. I slapped you across the face.

He looked at me indignantly and was surprised by my act. 

“Have you gone mad?” He shouted, squeezing my arms.

“I was," I replied, looking him in the eye. "Get your filthy hands off my arm," I ordered.

Daniel looked down at his hands, his fingers white from squeezing my arm so hard, and let go.

“Go away," I said, turning my back on him. I went into my garage and pressed the button to lower the electric gate.

“I told you I needed to talk to you.” The unfortunate man came into my house. 

I walked into the living room and turned to face him. 

“Be quick.”

“Are you with someone?” He asked but got no answer from me, “I need to know, Isa. I need to know whether to try to win you back or walk away.”

I held back my laughter so as not to laugh in his face.

"You'll never win me back. Go away."

"Why? I love you and I know you love me too! Come on, Isabella, we have a daughter together, and all that would make her happier would be to see us together!" He tried to appeal by mentioning our daughter's name.

I sighed.

To be honest, if it had been before, I would have considered the idea of going back. I used to be so silly... But now, after Noah, I don't feel like being with anyone else. I just want to be with him, the way we are. I've never felt like this before.

“It's not because we have a daughter together that I'm obliged to stay with you. I'm not the woman I used to be, Daniel. I've changed. This new Isabela won't accept crumbs and won't be unhappy in a shitty marriage because of her daughter.”

I saw the moment he turned red with anger, the veins popping out on his forehead and neck. He was furious.

“Shitty marriage, Isabela?” He shouted, cornering me against the wall. His face was very close to mine, forcing me to look the other way. “You've got someone; I'm sure of it! You spent the whole fucking night with the bastard! Who is he?”

“There's no one.”

"You've got someone," he laughed bitterly, "I know you have; look at me!" He held my chin tightly, forcing me to look at him, and I gave him the worst look I've ever had. Anger. Disgusted. "I'm going to find out who the son of a bitch is who's having sex with you, and listen to me, I'm going to end his shitty life, and you're going with him. I'll do my best to make Isis hate you and never want to see you in front of her again. You'll be sorry you ever thought of being with anyone other than me.

“You're crazy. I hate you,” I said through my teeth. “You fucking betrayed me,” I screamed. I don't know where I had the strength, but I pulled his filthy hands away from my face and started punching him in the chest. “I confess that for a while I was insecure; I still am a little. I thought that maybe I hadn't given him enough; maybe I had found something in someone else that I didn't have; maybe the other person was more interesting. I had so many questions; that I felt inadequate. Can you believe I blamed myself?” I laughed ironically through my tears. “I even blamed myself for being a cuckold. I couldn't go on with you because every time I looked at you, I imagined the two of you and wondered where I'd gone wrong if I'd missed something in our relationship, and where I'd lost you. And then I understood: I didn't miss anything, but you did. It wasn't a lack of love; it was a lack of character. You made your choice from the moment you chose to cheat on me, because yes, cheating was a choice you made,” I pointed my finger in your face. “You chose to cheat on me; you chose to do something that you knew would hurt me. You lied, you hurt me, and and at no time did you think about me or our daughter. You fucking betrayed me. You. You." I slapped him and he tried to defend himself. I was beside myself." You turned your back on everything we'd built; you forgot all the times I'd been by your side, you threw away all the time we'd invested in our relationship for one moment, one night. I couldn't go on with you, because I didn't see you in the same way anymore, I couldn't look you in the eye anymore, I couldn't trust you anymore; trust is the basis of a relationship, and you threw it away, our basis, my basis."

"It was a slip." It was the only thing that unfortunate man was capable of saying.

"A slip of five months?" I questioned.

"Isa, you're making this into something bigger than it is."

"I want you to get out of my house," I ordered.

I swear I was about to commit murder.

He sighed, wiped his hands across his face, and looked at me for a long moment. 

“Aren't you staying with someone? I forgive you, and that's it; we'll go back to our old lives. I miss you.”

I laughed out loud. I cried, laughing at this idiot. 

“I haven't forgiven you, Daniel. I hate you.” I cried again, punching him in the chest. 

Everything around me disappeared and all I could see was this unfortunate man's face, I punched him so hard I got tired. But I couldn't stop, and I punched him even harder when he slapped me. I'm going to jail, but I'm going to end this wretch's life just as he ended mine.