The Cheat
That look of hatred—the same eyes, the same lips that had once spoken words that tore at my self-esteem, leaving it in pieces.
“What about Gigi?” I asked, my voice shaking despite my attempt to sound steady. “It’s a shame you cheated on her with me.”
Rowan’s expression tightened, his jaw clenching as he took a small step forward. “I didn’t cheat on anyone, Remi.”
“Oh, right,” I shot back, crossing my arms defensively. “So Gigi just… what, doesn’t count? Isn’t that what this is?”
His eyes narrowed. “I never said that. But if we’re going to talk about mistakes, maybe I should remind you that last night wasn’t exactly planned. You weren’t complaining then.”
I felt a surge of anger at his dismissive tone. “Wow, I wasn’t complaining, huh? I’m sorry, but last night was… it was…” I hesitated, the words tangling in my mouth. “A mistake.”
He laughed, though there was no humor in it. “Fine. Let’s call it that, then. A mistake. We can both forget it and move on, right?”
“Exactly,” I replied, though the pit in my stomach only deepened. “Forget it happened.”
Rowan’s gaze hardened, and he gave a slight nod. “Good. We’ll leave it at that.”
But as he turned away, something inside me twisted, a mix of regret and resentment that I couldn’t shake. This should have been easy. Just a clean break, something we could both walk away from without a second thought.
He paused, glancing back over his shoulder. “And Remi,” he added, his tone colder, “maybe next time, think twice before assuming you know someone’s life or motives.”
I felt my fists clench, but I didn’t respond. With one last look, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, trying to swallow the bitter taste in my mouth.
---
I found Claire a few minutes later, sitting with a group of her friends, her laughter ringing through the air. As I approached, she turned, her smile faltering as she saw the look on my face.
“Remi!” she greeted, her tone cheerful but cautious. “You… okay?”
“Can we talk?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, but she seemed to catch the urgency in it.
“Of course,” she said, excusing herself from the group and following me to a quieter corner of the room. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” I echoed, crossing my arms. “Claire, you knew. You knew last night.”
Her face dropped, and she looked away, rubbing the back of her neck. “Remi…”
“Don’t Remi me,” I interrupted, my voice growing louder than I intended. “You knew it was Rowan. You knew who he was, and you didn’t say anything.”
Claire bit her lip, glancing around nervously. “I thought… I thought maybe it wasn’t my place.”
“Wasn’t your place?” I repeated, incredulous. “Claire, you’re my best friend! I walked right into this, and you just… let me.”
She sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Look, I didn’t know how you’d react. And to be fair, I didn’t expect things to go… that far.”
“You knew what I’d been through,” I shot back, my voice cracking. “And you just watched, knowing exactly who he was.”
Claire’s face softened, guilt flashing in her eyes. “Remi, I’m sorry. I just thought… maybe it would be different. Maybe it could be… I don’t know, a new start or something.”
“A new start?” I scoffed, feeling the sting of betrayal deep in my chest. “Claire, he’s engaged! He’s with Gigi!”
Claire’s expression wavered. “I know… I just thought maybe you’d find out on your own terms, without me interfering.”
I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping. “Some friend.”
The hurt in her eyes was unmistakable, and I could see her struggling with what to say. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, Remi. I just… I wanted you to have a night where you weren’t worried about anything.”
“Well, congratulations,” I muttered, the bitterness thick in my voice. “Mission accomplished.”
Claire reached out, her hand grazing my arm. “Remi, please don’t… don’t be mad. I thought I was doing the right thing.”
I took a shaky breath, the anger and disappointment twisting inside me. “I just need a minute, okay?”
Without waiting for her response, I turned and made my way toward the bathroom, the panic rising in my chest as I fought to keep my composure. I pushed open the door, needing to be alone, needing a second to just breathe. But as I stepped inside, I froze.
There, standing by the sink, was Charles, his arms wrapped around the same man I’d seen him staring at earlier. Their heads were close, Charles’s lips pressing against the man’s in a way that left no room for misinterpretation.
I let out a small gasp, unable to stop myself, and Charles’s eyes shot open, meeting mine in the mirror. His expression went from shock to horror in an instant.
“Remi…” he stammered, pulling away from the man. “Wait, I—”
But before he could explain, I heard a voice behind me.
“Remi!” Claire’s voice called, sounding strained, and I turned to find her standing in the doorway, her face pale, her gaze flicking between me and Charles.
“Claire,” I managed, my voice barely a whisper.
Her expression crumpled, realization dawning as she put together the scene in front of her.
“Oh, Claire…” I called out, my voice barely more than a whisper as she turned, her face broken and stricken with pain.
Before I could say anything more, she bolted out of the venue, weaving through the stunned guests. I tried to follow, calling her name, but she didn’t look back. She kept going until she’d reached her car, jumped in, and sped off before I could stop her.
“Claire!” I shouted after her, but it was no use.
Heart pounding, I turned, spotting one of Claire’s aunts nearby, her expression concerned as she watched the scene unfold.
“Please,” I begged, rushing over to her, my voice shaking. “Please keep an eye on the kids for me. I need to find Claire. She… she’s in a bad shape.”
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
