Chapter 2
As their intimate kissing lingered, a chill seeped through my veins, leaving me paralyzed in the shadows. My heart felt like
my
a fragile pane of glass, cracking with each muffled sound of their passion. I clenched
fists to suppress the tremor in my hands, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from crying out. When I finally turned to leave, my steps were as silent as my breaking heart.
***
The drive home was excruciating. Ray insisted Christine sit in the front passenger seat, claiming she got carsick. I was relegated to the back, crammed amongst an assortment of disheveled shopping bags, perfume samples and crumpled receipts. The faint aroma of Christine’s perfume lingered in the car, nauseatingly sweet, a reminder of her presence.
“Susan,” Christine said, her tone dripping
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with condescension, “these items are very delicate and expensive. You’d better be careful not to damage them.”
Her words were a slap disguised as concern. I opened my mouth to respond, but Ray cut me off before I could say a
word.
“Susan,” he said, forcing a cheerful tone, “I brought you a gift from my trip abroad.”
Christine chimed in, her voice bright and possessive. “It’s in the second bag by the window. The rest are mine–don’t take the wrong one.”
I rifled through the bags, feeling like an intruder in my own space. As Christine’s chatter filled the car, my fingers brushed against something soft. I pulled it out–a piece of black mesh fabric, barely enough to cover anything. My throat tightened.
“Ray,” I said, my voice low, holding the fabric between two fingers. “Is this supposed to be for me?”
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Ray’s face drained of color. “Susan, that’s
not-”
Before he could finish, Christine let out a theatrical gasp, her cheeks flushed with mock embarrassment. “Oh my, how could you go through someone else’s belongings like that?” she scolded playfully, snatching the fabric from my hands. “That’s a gift my boyfriend gave me.”
The words hung in the air like a noose. tightening around my chest. I felt as if the walls of the car were closing in, suffocating me. Ray’s silence was deafening.
Eventually, I located the “gift” meant for me -a plain silver bracelet, so uninspired and cheap that it felt like an afterthought. As I held it, the realization hit me like a tidal wave: everything Ray had ever given me, every trinket I had cherished, was merely Christine’s castoffs.
“Do you like it?” Ray asked, his voice tinged with guilt. He glanced at me in the
rearview mirror, his expression guarded.
Chapter 2
I stared at the bracelet for a moment before forcing myself to respond. “You don’t have to give me gifts.”
Christine seized the opportunity, her voice sweet yet laced with venom. “Oh, Susan,” she said, turning slightly in her seat to look at me. “Your husband work so hard to earn money. A housewife like you, who spends all day in the kitchen, should be grateful just to have a bracelet to wear. Why be so picky?”
As she spoke, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, deliberately revealing the
diamond bracelet on her wrist. The
glittering stones mocked me, as did the faint red marks scattered across her neck-
indisputable evidence of their escapades. during this “business trip.” My stomach
churned.
“It’s okay,” Ray said, attempting to smooth things over. “Since Susan doesn’t like it, we can go pick out another one for her at the mall tonight.” His tone was confident, as if
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this would solve everything. He even exchanged a quick, knowing glance with
Christine.
I forced myself to swallow the lump in my throat and replied, my voice trembling with suppressed emotion. “No need. Didn’t you promise you’d always stay by my side? Ray, let’s go home.”
The words hung heavy in the air, a challenge disguised as a request. Through the rearview mirror, I saw him reach out to touch Christine’s hand, his fingers brushing hers in a gesture meant to calm her. Then, reluctantly, he nodded.
“Alright,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
For a fleeting moment, hope stirred within. me–a fragile, flickering light in the darkness. But the moment we arrived, it was extinguished. Christine stepped out of the car without hesitation, her demeanor as confident as if she owned the place. Ray followed her to the door, kneeling to help her change into a pair of slippers.
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I stood frozen in the entryway, watching in disbelief as the man I loved showered another woman with affection. Christine, clinging to his arm like a triumphant conqueror, pointed at the master bedroom and declared, “I’ll sleep there tonight. I’m quite particular about beds,” her smile as radiant as the morning sun.
Her audacity left me speechless. I turned to Ray, searching his face for a shred of guilt, an ounce of remorse. Instead, he offered me a feeble explanation.
“Susan, don’t misunderstand,” he said, his tone placating. “What Christine means is that her bed at home is the same model as yours.”
It was a weak, pathetic lie and he knew it. Swallowing the surge of anger rising within me, I blinked back tears and asked, my voice trembling, “Today is my birthday. Why did you bring her here?”
Ray didn’t flinch. His expression remained infuriatingly calm as he replied, “I just
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received word that there were some obsessive fans outside Christine’s house. It’s dangerous for her to go back now. As her boss, I have a responsibility to ensure her safety.”
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