Chapter 3 Could It Be a Misunderstanding

Liora's POV Olivia? Her again? My vision darkened as the dream replayed in my mind—Ethan walking away with her. I could almost taste blood in my throat. I shot up from the bed, barefoot, and eased open the study door. The light was on, but the room was empty. The desk looked exactly the same as it had days ago, as if no one had touched it. I stood there, stunned, my mind blank. Ethan wasn't in the study. I checked every room carefully. The jacket he had left on the couch was gone, and so were the leather shoes he wore most. It was obvious Ethan had gone out. I didn't stop to think. I grabbed the keys and drove into the downpour. By the time I reached the hotel, it was 4:30 am. Eighteen miles only took me half an hour. I ignored the front desk and headed straight for Room 408. When I reached the door, everything felt unreal, like I had stepped into a bad dream. I held my breath, gripped the handle, and pushed the door open. A shredded black lace bra lay just behind the door—the same one from the selfie. A string thong was tossed nearby. Then, my eyes caught on a man's suit jacket, a crumpled dress shirt, and a torn deep-blue tie, all scattered across the floor. I recognized the tie by the rose-gold clip still fastened to it. I had given Ethan that set for his birthday last year. My fingers clamped around the knob until my knuckles turned white. It was the only way to keep my legs from giving out. I could picture their frenzy, ripping at each other's clothes, bodies tangling in feverish desire. After a long time, I stepped inside and picked my way over the mess toward the inner room. The door was ajar, a slice of light cutting through the dark. The sounds were loud enough to make my ears ring. "Yeah... Ethan, harder! You were so mean on the phone. You really hurt my feelings." Ethan spat words I'd never heard from him before. "Fuck you! You really are a whore! You sent those photos just to lure me here to fuck you, didn't you?" Whatever thin hope I had left broke. I wished it were only a dream or some mistake, but that illusion was shattered. I saw everything with my own eyes. I could never mistake that voice. It was the same voice that had once asked me to marry him in front of everyone. "I love you, Lio. Marry me. I swear by the Moon Goddess I'll be faithful to you for the rest of my life." Now, I was listening to him with another woman. Tears blurred my vision. Through the haze, I saw their bodies tangled on the bed. Olivia lifted her head from beneath him and gave me a smug smile. I couldn't hold it together another second. I turned and ran away. ... "What happened? Are you okay, Liora?" I lifted my head from my glass. The faces before me wavered and blurred, then sharpened into my friend Sarah's. "No," I said, then tossed back the rest of my whiskey. The burn tore down my throat, and my eyes watered from the sting. "Not really." I wasn't going to cry. Ethan didn't deserve my tears. It had to be the alcohol. I tapped the bar and shoved the empty glass toward the bartender. "Another." The bartender was a tall woman. She held up her hands to Sarah. "She's been here half an hour. That was her seventh drink, and now, she's having her eighth." She pointed to the line of empty glasses and poured again, sliding the new one to me. I raised it, ready to drink. Sarah sighed, caught my wrist, and leaned in until I had no choice but to meet her serious gaze. "Calm down." She gripped my shoulders and spun my stool until we were face-to-face. "Now, tell me what happened." I closed my eyes. The whiskey fuzzed the edges of my sight, but my mind was painfully clear. Even after eight glasses, that filthy scene was etched into me, deeper than memory. The moment I closed my eyes, I saw the clothes scattered across the floor, the naked bodies tangled on the bed, and Olivia's triumphant smile. All those eight years with Ethan suddenly felt like they meant nothing. I pressed my lips together as tears streamed down my face. I broke into sobs, and it took me a long time before I finally found my voice. "Ethan cheated with another woman." I went on, "We've been together eight years. I guess I never really knew him. We were even trying to get pregnant, but he..." Sarah's eyes went wide. She almost screamed. "Are you serious? He actually did that?" After a beat, she tilted her head and spoke carefully. "How did you find out? Liora, I'm not defending him. I've known you two since the beginning. But..." She hesitated, then spoke more softly, as if not to set me off. "Could it be a misunderstanding?"