Betrayer

Cleo stood at the door of her boyfriend's apartment with a wide smile. In her hands was a box of birthday cake decorated with a small candle, ready to be lit. She had already imagined the surprised expression on her boyfriend Evan's face when he saw the surprise.

Carefully, Cleo unlocked Evan's apartment door using the access code he had once given her.

The apartment was silent. The dim lighting in the living room made her think Evan might be asleep or unaware of her arrival.

It wasn't surprising for Cleo to assume Evan was asleep-it was already late at night. Even so, she was determined to surprise him.

Her steps were cheerful, almost soundless. But after just a few steps, she heard a faint sound coming from the bedroom. At first, she thought it was the television, but as the sound became clearer, Cleo's heart began to race.

"Ahh ... faster ...."

A woman's voice came through, soft and filled with moans, followed by the voice of a man Cleo knew all too well.

Evan.

Cleo froze in place. Her eyebrows furrowed, curiosity and unease rising in her chest. With hesitant steps, she moved closer to the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar.

She peeked through the crack. What she saw made Cleo's world crumble instantly. On the bed were Evan and her stepsister, Celine, completely naked.

Their bodies were pressed close together, sweat glistening on their skin under the glow of the bedroom light.

"So, when are you going to break up with that fool?" Celine's voice was sharp and clear, each word slapping Cleo with unbearable pain.

Cleo clasped a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle the gasp of disbelief. Her hands trembled, the cake box she held nearly slipping from her grasp.

"I'll end things with her soon. I'm tired of pretending to love her," Evan replied, his tone dismissive. "She's nothing compared to you. You're so much more exciting, especially in bed like this."

After finishing his sentence, Evan pulled Celine into his arms and kissed her passionately, as if unwilling to let even the smallest space exist between them.

Cleo couldn't hold back her tears any longer as she watched the scene unfold. Slowly, she turned and walked toward the door, leaving the apartment behind.

Once outside, tears streamed down her face. She had planned to give Evan a surprise, but instead, she was surprised. Her heart ached as if it had been ripped to shreds.

Inside her, a fiery anger began to build. She vowed to make them pay for what they'd done in a way that would be far more painful.

She could have stormed into the bedroom and confronted them right then, but she wanted to deliver a punishment so cruel they'd never forget it.

With determined steps, Cleo walked out of the apartment, ignoring the tears still streaming down her face.

Once outside, she paused to collect herself, then promptly threw the birthday cake in her hands into a nearby trash can.

Taking a deep breath, Cleo reached into her bag and pulled out her phone. She had decided to tell her stepsister's fiancé, Sean, about what she had just witnessed.

Quickly, she typed out a message.

[Sean, I need to talk to you. There's something very important you need to know.]