Nine Years, One Betrayal

ninth weddin

et of ninety-nine red roses, their scent filling my car. I had also booked a tabl

d been the center of my world. I

ps had become more frequent over the past two years, but I never questioned them. I trusted her. I w

lap. I felt a familiar flutter of excitement, the same feeling I got every time s

I sa

the gate, smiling.

hly messy. He looked like he just got out of

le froze o

placed a hand on his cheek. Th

k. It was a long, deep kiss, the kind

ments over the loudspeaker, it all faded into a dull hum. The roses in my

m around her waist, and she leaned into him, her head resting on his shoulder. The

me out of my trance. I pulled ou

tired. Can't wait to

n's arms, whispering something in his ear that made him grin. The

d now linked with his. They looked like any other couple in love,

an icy clarity. There was no confusion, no denial. I saw the truth for

of roses inside. The vibrant red petals fell against discarded cof

ad worked so hard to pay for. I looked at the warm lights glowing in the windows. It didn't feel like

ch in the dark when I he

in, dropping her bags with a wea

roke into a wide smile when she saw me.

her arms around my neck, try

nded on my cheek. It felt cold. I didn't hu

e," I said,

eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came.

pulling a small, elegantly wrapped box

pened it slowly. Inside

had pointed it out in a magazine months ago. But m

atch the young man at t

said, her voice full of false en

s, Ethan. Can you believe it? It feels like just yesterday we w

t this woman I thought I knew better than myself. Her s

en romantic getaways? How many times had she texte

every trip, every late night at her office, every v

ping my own face a

ice steady, betraying non

have a go