Book4Chapter8
Part 2
The lines started to blur. The long nights at the office, fueled by whiskey and ambition, became my escape. Chloe was always there, a willing listener, a source of comfort and validation I didn’t realize I was seeking.
One morning, I woke up in her bed, my head–pounding, my stomach churning with a mix of pleasure and shame. I reached for my phone, my fingers hovering over Amelia’s name. I had to tell her, to apologize.
Chloe’s arms wrapped around me, her voice a husky whisper in my ear.
“Don’t tell her, John. It was just a mistake. She doesn’t need to know.”
“But it’s wrong,” I mumbled, my voice thick with guilt.
“No one has to know,” she murmured, pressing a kiss to my shoulder. “It can be our little secret. Just like your drinking.”
Her words struck a chord. Amelia hated it when I drank, and I’d gotten good at hiding it from her. Was this really so different?
I convinced myself it was harmless, a way to compartmentalize my guilt. But deep down, I knew it was a dangerous game I was playing.
When Amelia confronted me that night, her voice trembling with suspicion, I panicked. The guilt, amplified by alcohol and exhaustion, sent me into a blind rage. I shoved her away, not realizing the extent of my actions until I saw the
blood.
The sight of her, hurt and bleeding because of me, brought me crashing back to
reality.
Book Chapterk
What had I done?
Amelia insisted on looking into Chloe, and against my better judgment, I agreed. I watched in horror as she laid out the evidence of Chloe’s past, my stomach
twisting with each new revelation.
Relief washed over me when I realized there were no photos of me, no proof of my infidelity. I had kept my secret safe.
Or so I thought.
