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I stood there, my chest rising and falling with uneven breaths. The sting of my slap still lingered in my palm
Seth and Dad approached me with dark expressions on their faces.
“Astrid, just breathe,” Seth said gently. “We’re lucky you intervened sooner.”
“How can I calm down, Seth?” I snapped, “She could’ve died, my mother could’ve died because of his son! And then he had the audacity to defend it, like it’s no big deal!”
“They’re shameless,” I muttered, more to myself than to them. “How could they think it’s okay to show up here? After everything?” I yelled.
Dad placed a hand on my shoulder, “Thank you Asher, you saved her life.”
“Do you think I overreacted?” I asked, my voice quieter now but still laced with anger.
Seth exchanged a glance with dad before speaking. “No,” he said firmly “You’re right to be angry. They shouldn’t have even shown their faces here, not after everything they’ve done to you.
“But now I think you need to relax a bit, you just got back,” Dad patted my shoulder. “Your mom needs you and you can’t help her if you are overstressed like this.”
I exhaled, They were right. As much as I hated to admit it, they were right.
I needed to relax.
The bar buzzed with life, low hum of conversations mingling with the clinking of glasses and faint sound of music in the background
I sat alone at a corner table, nursing a drink I barely touched as I looked at a photo on my phone’s screen
Kate and the doctor were in the photo. Her affair!
“This was undeniable “I said looking at it with a smile and for a brief second, I felt vindicated, as it something to tip the scales of justice that had long been against me
if I finally had
I bit my lip, my finger hovering over the screen. It would be so easy One click, and the whole world would know
Ash would know Everything they had built together would crumble, just like my life had when they destroyed it
I closed my eyes, deep in thought, deciding how I was going to go about it
I took a deep breath and put the phone down. My reflection in the polished table stared back at me, a woman who had fought tooth and nail to claw her way back to herself after everything they had done. I had gone to countless therapy sessions, spent sleepless nights wrestling with my pain, and fought every day to rebuild the pieces they had shattered
I wasn’t that broken woman anymore.
I picked up my bag and slid my phone into it, the photo hidden from sight Rising from the chair, I placed a few bills on the table and headed for the door.
As I walked out I made my final decision. I wouldn’t forgive Ash and Kate.
I went back to the hospital but I didn’t go straight to my mother’s ward. Instead I went to see someone.
Tappeared in front of his office and knocked on the door.
The door flew open and the face of the man Kate was having an affair with stepped out.
“I don’t have an appointment with you ma’am” he said as he observed me.
Ilet out a smile, “Actually I’m here because of Kate.”
His expression hardened the moment I mentioned Kate’s name. “Who is that ma’am?” He asked. but I didn’t back down Pulling out my phone, I showed him the photo I had taken of Kate and him, in a compromising position.
“Remember her now ”
“What do you want?” He asked immediately, interrupting me with a surprise expression on his face
“I want the truth,” I said, my voice cold and steady. “Or this goes public. Everyone in this hospital will know about
your little affair”
He paled, his initial calm expression was slipping as he tried to stammer out a response “Th–this isn’t what it
looks like he began, but I cut him off with a sharp glare
“Save it I don’t care about excuses,” I snapped, leaning forward. “Either you tell me everything, or I’ll make sure this picture lands in the hands of everyone you work with and Kate’s husband.”
The room fell into tense silence before he finally exhaled, his shoulders sagging. “Fine,” he muttered, his voice barely audible “We’re having aling That’s it. Nothing serious
Haised an eyebrow, crossing my arms “And the pregnancy?”
“She
His face contorted into a mix of frustration and embarrassment “That’s all Kate,” he admitted reluctantly fabricated the whole thing. The medical reports, the symptoms, everything. She told me it was the only way to keep Ash’s family happy and secure her position in their lives”
For a moment, I was stunned. Then, unexpectedly, I let out a burst of laughter. The irony was too delicious to
ignore
“Let me get this straight,” I said, my tone laced with sarcasm. “The woman he left me for, the one he built a life
with, has been lying to him and his entire family? She’s not pregnant at all?
The doctor nodded
I stood up to leave, slipping my phone back into my pocket. “Thanks for your honesty,” I said, snugly my voice
filled with satisfaction
Haughed as I walked out. It felt like destiny took her revenge. The woman he loved deceived and cheated on him
The next morning, my phone buzzed relentlessly. I groaned, picking it up to see a flood of messages from Ash
“Astrid, please I’m sorry for everything*
“Tell me what I can do to make this right”
“How do I make you and Seth forgive me?
I stared at the messages, my emotions wavering between disdain and indifference
I chuckled, typing a single response before setting my phone down
“I’ll see you at the gender reveal party
A smug smile crept up my face
thad plans of course-
