Twice Betrayed

On the drive back from picking up our marriage license, Emily Adair suddenly spoke up. "I cheated on you." She pointed at the passenger seat where I was sitting and smiled with cruel amusement. "He was sitting right there yesterday, kissing me. He's an amazing kisser. I couldn't help myself, so I slept with him." Betrayed for the second time. I froze, the pain crushing my chest so hard I couldn't make a single sound. But Emily's smile only grew wider. "I finally get what Jessica saw in him. Honestly? Dylan is way more of a man than you'll ever be." Jessica was my ex-wife. Dylan used to be my closest friend. Five years ago, I walked in on the two of them together in bed. When I'd lost all hope, Emily came into my life and saved me. But now, she had betrayed me with the same exact man. Chapter 1 It felt as though an invisible hand had wrapped itself around my throat. Only after a long while did I finally regain a shred of composure. My voice trembled as I asked, "Why?" Why cheat on me, only to go register our marriage afterward? Why wait until the happiest moment of my life to cruelly tell me the truth? Emily Adair stared at me for a second, stunned. Then, she suddenly burst into loud laughter. "Dylan, you won." I looked at her blankly, unable to understand. The next second, a familiar voice came through the car speakers. "Then don't forget to wear the black stockings I bought you tonight." My eyes widened in disbelief. It felt as though every drop of blood in my body was slowly turning to ice. "I made a bet with Dylan about how you'd react after finding out I cheated. I said you'd get angry and slap me. He said you'd only ask why. If I won, he'd use the scent I like. If he won…" Emily smiled meaningfully. "You heard it yourself, didn't you?" As if answering her, Dylan James's voice sounded from the speakers again. "Anthony, are you even a man? It's been five years. When your wife cheats on you, all you can do is ask why." He paused before continuing, smug and venomous. "But your taste in women is pretty good. I like this one too." Their mocking laughter made my limbs go numb. In a daze, I felt as though I'd been dragged back to five years ago. I had cut my business trip short, planning to surprise my ex-wife, Jessica Lawrence, for her birthday. But when I opened the door, I found Jessica and Dylan tangled together beside the bed. The moment she saw me, Jessica panicked and scrambled to get dressed. Dylan, however, lounged against the sofa and lit a cigarette with smug ease. "Sorry, buddy. Being single for too long got lonely, so I borrowed your wife for a bit." In an instant, my blood ran backward. I wanted nothing more than to stab him to death. But the moment I lifted my foot, all strength drained from my body, and I collapsed to one knee. All I could do was ask them in despair, "Why?" But as their mouths moved in explanation, it felt like my ears had been stuffed with cotton. I couldn't hear a single word. It wasn't until blood began pouring from beneath Jessica, and she clutched my leg while begging for help, that I finally snapped back to my senses. I carried her to the hospital as fast as I could, but we were still too late. The doctor said their sex had been too rough, and Jessica's uterus was already too fragile. The baby couldn't be saved. That night, I stood outside the hospital room and smoked until dawn, mourning my dead love, my ruined friendship… and my unborn child. Chapter 2 "Alright, Dylan, stop provoking him. See you tonight. I'll take Anthony home first." Emily's voice dragged me out of the nightmare of my memories. She hung up the call, and the car was instantly swallowed by silence, broken only by the sound of our breathing. A moment later, she spoke first. "You must be hungry. I'll take you to a restaurant for something to eat before I drive you home." Her tone was gentle, as though nothing had happened at all. It only made me look even more pathetic—eyes bloodshot, body trembling uncontrollably. "Emily, why are you doing this? You said you'd cherish me for the rest of your life." The words tore from my throat in a ragged scream. My tears fell uselessly after them. But this time, Emily didn't wipe them away with heartbroken tenderness like she used to. She leaned lazily against her seat, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Anthony, if you'd chosen me the first time around, I probably really would have cherished you forever. But now? You're a divorcee. Why should I stay pure for you?" After speaking, she casually handed me a tissue, as though granting charity. I instinctively shrank back, staring at her like she was a monster. The four of us had been college classmates. Back then, both she and Jessica pursued me. And I chose Jessica. Emily congratulated us politely and quietly disappeared from my life. It wasn't until Jessica cheated on me that Emily appeared again. Unable to endure the betrayal, I had slit my wrists in despair. Emily stayed by my side day and night, healing me, pulling me out of hell and back into the world of the living. Thinking of all the tenderness she had once shown me, I asked helplessly, "If it bothered you that much, then why chase me? Why be with me at all?" Our eyes met, and in her pupils, I saw my own devastated reflection. She let out a quiet sigh. "I thought it didn't matter. But when we started preparing for the wedding…" Looking at me, she frowned irritably. "You were too experienced. "For the wedding photos, you knew how to bargain with the salespeople. When we bought rings, you knew to buy a fake one for the ceremony too. Even today, for registering our marriage, you already knew what documents to bring and what to wear without even checking." Her expression darkened completely. "Everything you did kept reminding me that I was marrying a divorcee. Anthony, I can't accept that." My vision blurred with tears. When you can't see clearly, you hear even more clearly. "But I love you. Since you were married to Jessica for one year, I'll indulge myself for one year too before returning to your side. Sounds fair, doesn't it?" A sudden warmth brushed my face. I blinked hard, and my tears splashed onto Emily's hand. As though burned, she jerked it away. "It's not fair! If you cared that much, you could've told me instead of saving me first and betraying me afterward! Emily, I want a divorce!" I roared the words, feeling as though my soul were being ripped apart. But she only looked at me calmly. Not until I had exhausted myself did she let out a mocking laugh. "We already got the marriage certificate. Whether it's fair or not isn't up to you anymore. As for divorce…" She lowered her eyes, as though suppressing some emotion. "Keep dreaming. If you can accept it, then accept it. If you can't, endure it." The moment she finished speaking, she unlocked the passenger door and shoved it open. Before I could react, she pushed me out of the car. "The way you are right now is making me very unhappy. Take some time to reflect on yourself." Chapter 3 A torrential downpour had just passed outside. I fell hard into a pool of mud. The rain-slick pavement beneath me was too slippery. I struggled several times to stand, but failed every time. My pathetic state amused Emily. "Anthony, see that?" I looked back at her blankly, and she sneered. "Without me, you can't even get back on your feet. If you divorce me, where else could you possibly go?" Before I could answer, the car door slammed shut. The vehicle shot past me like an arrow released from a bow, splashing muddy water across my face. My vision gradually blurred, but memories of my past with Emily flickered through my mind like scenes from a film. After divorcing my ex-wife, I fell into severe depression and couldn't stop hurting myself. Whenever I cut myself once, Emily would stab herself twice after finding out. When I couldn't sleep through the night, she had the roof of the villa torn open. She replaced it with a skylight and held me while counting stars with me until dawn. When I couldn't eat, she starved herself alongside me. With her by my side, I slowly recovered after a year. Little by little, I learned to trust her. The day we decided to be together, she stood there with reddened eyes and promised she would never betray me for the rest of her life. But I never expected… that the "lifetime" she had promised me would be so short. Not even a year later, her promise had already expired. When I finally came back to my senses, I wiped the grime from my face and forced myself upright against the pavement. My clumsy movements drew laughter from passersby. Humiliated and at a loss, I hurriedly waved for a taxi. But I was too filthy. After standing in the rain for an entire hour, one driver finally agreed to take me—on the condition that I paid upfront and added an extra fifty bucks. I immediately agreed. But when I tried to pay, I was told my card had been frozen. I couldn't access a single cent. And that, too, was Emily's punishment for me. The moment I was shoved out of the taxi, the rain had started pouring again. The icy drops struck my body, leaving me numb with pain. I didn't know how long I walked before I finally made it back to the home I shared with Emily. The moment I pushed open the door, my mind went blank. A pair of high heels and men's dress shoes lay tangled together on the floor. Black lace lingerie was strewn together with a dark suit. By the window, Emily stood wrapped in Dylan's arms as they kissed passionately. For a split second, the scene before me overlapped with the memory from five years ago. An inhuman, broken sound tore from my throat before I could stop it. My hands and legs trembled uncontrollably. The noise disturbed the couple. Emily frowned impatiently. "What are you making such a fuss about? It's not like you haven't been through this before." Dylan let out a mocking laugh. "Long time no see, Anthony. I was wrong on the phone earlier—Emily's way better than your ex-wife." His words clearly pleased her. "At least you've got good taste." Smiling faintly, Emily rose and walked toward me. But the closer she came, the harder I shook. Finally, just as she reached out to touch me, I doubled over and vomited uncontrollably. For a brief instant, Emily seemed to freeze. Then a chilling voice sounded beside my ear. "Anthony… do you find me disgusting?" Chapter 4 I had no strength left to answer. All I felt was exhaustion—bone-deep and absolute. But my reaction wounded Emily. She grabbed my collar with both hands, fury twisting into laughter. "Anthony, you forced me into this. I originally planned to let things end after tonight, but now, I'm going to make sure you suffer every bit of pain I went through." She abruptly released me and waved toward Dylan. "At my wedding with Anthony, you'll be the groom." Dylan's eyes widened in delight. Right in front of me, he pulled Emily into a deep French kiss. "Really? Then I want Anthony to be my best man. Five years ago, I was his best man once. Now, it's his turn to be mine. That's only fair." "Sure. Then he can stand beside you and hand us the rings." Emily stared directly at me. Each word fell slowly, carving into my heart like a dull blade. I looked up at her in disbelief. I wanted to refuse, but my throat hurt too much to force out a single sound. All I could do was shake my head in despair. At that, Emily smiled viciously. "It hurts, doesn't it? Feels unbearable, right? Good. Because five years ago, when you married Jessica, that's exactly how I felt." I stared at the hatred twisting her face beyond recognition. And suddenly, I understood. She had never wanted fairness. She only wanted me to suffer the same agony she once had. The more pain I felt, the more satisfied she became. So I pressed a hand against my heart, already numb from hurting too long, and slowly curled my lips into a smile. "No. Emily, I'm not hurting. I'm disgusted." Those words ignited her rage. She shoved Dylan aside and grabbed me, dragging me upstairs. I struggled with everything I had, but years of depression had left my body weak and frail. In the end, she dragged me all the way up without much difficulty. When we passed the master bedroom, she paused briefly. Then she kicked open the room next door and shoved me inside. Seeing the door about to close, I lunged forward to stop it. "Let me out—" But I was too late. From outside the door came Emily's icy voice. "Disgusted, huh? There's something even more disgusting waiting for you tonight." "Dylan, come upstairs." Hearing that, I froze where I stood, cold spreading from head to toe. Chapter 5 A moment later, the sound of passionate kissing rose from the other side of the wall. Dylan's rough, low breathing followed close to my ear. "Thrilling… letting Anthony listen to us through the wall." "There's something even more exciting. Want to try it?" I covered my ears. But the sounds still seeped through my fingers. Coldness crept into my heart in thin, merciless strands, until the pain forced me to curl up on the floor. My mind fractured into two battling worlds. One moment, it was Emily's kindness—her promises, her smiles. The next, those same sounds dragged up vivid images of her entangled with Dylan. My head throbbed as if it were splitting apart. In a panic, I fumbled out my antidepressants and mechanically shoved pill after pill into my mouth. I didn't know how much time passed before the door opened. Emily stepped in, wrapped in a bath towel, looking down at me from above. "Can't even handle this much? How are you supposed to survive till next year?" Behind her, Dylan—his body marked with lingering traces of intimacy—laughed. "Emily, you're not actually feeling sorry for him, are you?" A flicker crossed Emily's eyes, but her smile remained cold. "Impossible. I married Anthony just so he could experience the same pain I once did. Why would I ever feel sorry for him?" I looked up at her in shock. Despair spread through my chest like a tide. So it was all fake. Emily had never loved me—only carefully planned revenge. At the edge of collapse, something inside me snapped. A surge of strength forced me upright, and I struck her across the face. The sharp sound echoed through the room. The three of us froze at once. Seconds later, Emily exploded in rage. "You dare hit me? Anthony, fuck you!" When pain reaches its peak, fear disappears. I laughed in utter despair. "Didn't you bet that I'd slap you when I found out you cheated? Now I did. Why are you angry?" My laughter grew louder. "But if it were Jessica, I really wouldn't have hit her. I couldn't bear to." At the mention of that name, Emily's face darkened completely. She stared at me for a long moment, then suddenly smiled. "You're doing this on purpose? Fine. I'll give you exactly what you want." She stepped back as the door slowly closed in front of me. This time, I didn't stop it. Instead, I climbed onto the bed with stiff, unresponsive limbs. When the sounds from next door started again, I piled the blankets high, stepped on them, and opened the skylight she had custom-built for me. I climbed upward, inch by inch, onto the roof. With every step, a voice echoed in my head, 'Go ahead and die. Emily stopped loving you long ago. She only stayed to take revenge. Only in death will you finally be free.' The moment the voice faded, I smiled and leapt from the roof. My body fell past Emily's window. "Anthony—NOO!" Inside the room, Emily's expression shattered. She rushed toward the window.