Chapter 8: The Unraveling Truth
1149 Words
Caught in the Act
Raegan’s eyes burned into Alodia’s as silence stretched between them. His expression was eerily calm, but she could see the storm brewing beneath the surface.
Jasper, on the other hand, didn’t seem fazed. He crossed his arms, his stance unwavering.
Alodia’s heart pounded as she took a step forward. “Raegan, I—”
“Don’t.” His voice was firm, his jaw tight. “Don’t insult me with a lie.”
She swallowed hard, panic rising in her chest.
Jasper took a step closer to her, as if making his stance clear. “She doesn’t owe you an explanation.”
Raegan let out a dry laugh, his gaze shifting to Jasper. “Is that right?”
Jasper didn’t back down. “That's right.”
Alodia placed a hand on Jasper’s arm, silently pleading with him to stop. This was spiraling too fast.
Raegan shook his head, his expression hardening. “So it’s true, then?” His voice was low, dangerously quiet. “You’ve been sleeping with him all this time?”
Her throat tightened. “Raegan—”
“Answer me, Alodia!” His voice rose, raw and filled with something that made her chest ache.
Her lips parted, but she couldn’t find the words.
Because the truth was there, hanging in the air between them.
She didn’t have to say it.
Raegan already knew.
---
A Broken Home
Raegan let out a slow breath, shaking his head.
“I should’ve known,” he muttered. “The late nights, the excuses… I let myself believe you were just busy with work.” He let out a bitter chuckle. “Turns out, you were just busy with him.”
Alodia’s stomach twisted. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she whispered.
Raegan’s eyes snapped to hers. “Then what was it supposed to be?” His voice was sharp, cutting through her like a blade. “A mistake? A fling? A way to get back at me?”
Tears burned in her eyes. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
Raegan let out a slow exhale, running a hand down his face. “Well, congratulations, Alodia. You did.”
The weight of his words crushed her.
Jasper, however, remained unfazed.
“She doesn’t belong to you anymore,” he said, his voice calm but firm.
Raegan turned to Jasper, his expression unreadable. “And you think she belongs to you?”
Jasper met his gaze without hesitation. “I know she does.”
Alodia’s breath hitched.
Raegan let out another bitter laugh, shaking his head. “Good luck with that, then.”
And with that, he turned and walked away.
Leaving Alodia standing in the wreckage of the life she once knew.
---
Jasper’s Promise
Jasper gently cupped her face, wiping away the tears that had started to fall.
“Hey,” he murmured. “It’s over now.”
But Alodia shook her head. “No, Jasper. It’s just beginning.”
Because this wasn’t the end.
This was just the start of something even more dangerous.
And she wasn’t sure if she was ready for what came next.
---
A Family Torn Apart
Alodia barely slept that night.
Raegan hadn’t returned home. She had stayed up, sitting in the dimly lit living room, waiting for the sound of the door unlocking.
But it never came.
By morning, the weight of her choices pressed down on her like a suffocating blanket.
Her children stirred upstairs, unaware of the storm brewing beneath their roof. How long could she keep it hidden from them?
A sudden vibration broke the silence.
Her phone.
Jasper.
She hesitated before answering.
“Alodia.” His voice was warm, reassuring. Like an anchor in the chaos.
She closed her eyes. “Raegan knows.”
“I figured,” Jasper said. “How are you holding up?”
“I don’t know.” She exhaled shakily. “He didn’t come home.”
Silence stretched between them before Jasper spoke. “Come with me.”
Alodia’s fingers tightened around the phone. “Jasper—”
“Let me take you away from all of this.” His voice was firm. “You don’t have to go through this alone.”
A part of her wanted to say yes.
To run.
To leave behind the shattered remains of her marriage and dive headfirst into the passion Jasper offered her.
But she wasn’t just Alodia.
She was a mother.
And her children needed her.
“I can’t,” she whispered.
Jasper sighed. “Then let me come to you.”
“No,” she said quickly. “Not now.”
More silence. Then—
“All right,” Jasper finally said. “But if he hurts you, if he tries to make you feel guilty for choosing yourself… call me.”
Alodia swallowed past the lump in her throat. “I will.”
When the call ended, she felt more lost than ever.
---
The Fallout
Later that morning, as she was preparing breakfast, the front door creaked open.
Raegan.
Alodia turned to find him standing in the doorway, looking exhausted.
His shirt was wrinkled, his hair disheveled. Like he had spent the night drinking or just… thinking.
Their children, Leila and Noah, rushed toward him. “Daddy!”
Raegan forced a smile and knelt down, hugging them tightly.
Alodia’s heart clenched at the sight.
This was their family.
And she had torn it apart.
After a few moments, the kids ran off, leaving their parents alone.
Raegan met her gaze.
“We need to talk.”
Alodia nodded, already knowing this conversation was inevitable.
They moved to the back patio, where Raegan finally spoke.
“Are you in love with him?”
Alodia sucked in a breath.
She had prepared for many things.
But not that question.
She hesitated. “Raegan—”
“Just answer me,” he said quietly. “Do you love him?”
The truth clawed at her throat.
Did she?
Jasper was passion. Jasper was freedom. He made her feel wanted, desired, alive.
But love?
Finally, she whispered, “I don’t know.”
Raegan laughed bitterly. “That’s worse than a yes.”
Alodia looked away, shame creeping up her spine.
“I never meant for it to get this far,” she admitted.
“But it did,” Raegan said. “And now what? Do we keep pretending? Do we lie to our kids? Or do I step aside so you can be with him?”
Alodia’s breath hitched. “Raegan…”
“I won’t stand in your way,” he said. “But I need to know. Are we done?”
The words hung heavy in the air.
This was it.
The moment where she had to decide.
Her past.
Or her future.
Tears welled in her eyes as she whispered, “I don’t know.”
- Writer
