Ruthless Romance

Katherine stormed down the sidewalk, her long, dark hair whipping behind her like a furious entity. The crisp afternoon air did little to calm her racing thoughts. She had been suspecting her boyfriend, James, for weeks, and she had decided to give him a surprise visit. Her heart sank with every step toward his apartment, she just hope it's not as she thought.

At 20, Katherine was a vibrant university student, balancing classes and a part-time job. Her relationship with James had seemed perfect – or so she thought. They had met in their sophomore year, bonding over late-night pizza and study sessions. But lately, James was always laughing over the phone, and if she asked he would say "it's just one of my old friends". Katherine was not ready to ignore the red flags and today seemed to be the day to find out.

She reached his apartment complex and took a deep breath before knocking on the door. The sound of muffled laughter and music drifted through the wood. Her anxiety spiked. She knocked again, harder this time.

The door swung open, revealing James disheveled appearance. He was just with a duvet and he was sweating profusely. His eyes widened as his eyes met with Katherine's. Behind him, a half-naked girl, blonde and curvy, scrambled to cover herself on the bed.

Katherine's world crumbled. Her eyes locked onto the girl, then back to her boyfriend guilty face.

"Who is she?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Katherine stuttered, "Babe, it's not –"

"Don't lie!" She interrupted, her voice rising. "I can see for myself."

The blonde girl, now wrapped in a towel, slunk away, disappearing into the bathroom. James attempted to grasp Katherine's arm, but she slapped his hand away.

"Don't touch me with those filthy hands!", She yelled. "How could you, James?" Her tears threatened to fall. "How could you do this to me, was I not enough?"

James expression suddenly turned cold. "You're overreacting, Katherine, It meant nothing."

"Really?", She muttered and began to walk away angrily. She took her steps slowly, hoping he would call out to her but he didn't. Her heart shattered into a million pieces and she ran in tears to God knows where.