Chapter 2: The Confrontation

"If you don't want to, then why go through with it? You know once you're married, we won't be able to see each other like this anymore." "I wouldn't be marrying her if she hadn't pushed me into it." Julian's words came out sharp, careless. The next second, he flipped Monica onto the bed, pressing her down. "Babe, your fiancée is really standing there." Monica placed her hands on his chest, tilting her chin toward the doorway. "That's impossible? I just dropped her off. There's no way she—" Julian glanced toward the door and froze. "Serena? What the hell?" His face drained of color the moment he saw me. He scrambled off Monica, panic rising in his eyes. All that lust vanished in an instant. He didn't even try to cover himself. Monica wrapped herself in the blanket, calm as ever. She looked at me with that smug little smile, her lips curled like she was watching a joke play out. Tears streamed down my face. I stood there, stunned, furious, humiliated. I wanted to scream. I wanted to break something. But all I could do was turn around and walk away. Julian grabbed a towel and chased after me, guilt written all over his face. "Serena, wait, I can explain—" "Explain what? I saw everything. What's left to say?" My chest was tight. The pain wouldn't let up, but somewhere deep down, a tiny shred of hope still stirred. Maybe there was a lie I hadn't seen through yet. Monica walked out casually, slipping into Julian's shirt. Her hair was a mess, tumbling down her shoulders like she was proud of what just happened. She stopped right in front of me, eyes glinting with something cruel. "Ian is Julian's son." Ian. Her son. The little boy I had played with so many times. My heart cracked in half. I looked at Julian, begging him with my eyes to say she was lying. But he didn't. He just stood there, eyes down, lips pressed tight, guilt radiating from every inch of him. And just like that, every bit of hope I had left shattered. The pain hit me all at once. My ears rang. My hands trembled. I wanted to scream, to cry, to tear both of them apart. For seven years, I loved this man with everything I had. I treated Monica like a sister. And now? They'd been behind my back the whole time. They had a child. "You bitch!" The words flew from my lips before I could stop them. I raised my hand and slapped her, hard. My palm stung. The sound echoed. "Monica!" Julian's voice cut through the room, sharp and protective. She turned her head back slowly, her face flushed with rage. "Are you okay? Did it hurt?" He rushed to her side like I was the villain in this mess. My heart sank even deeper. My fiancé, my so-called forever, was standing there, defending the woman who destroyed everything. "Julian, she hit me. My face hurts." Monica leaned against him, crocodile tears streaming as she played the part of the victim to perfection.