Chapter 10: The Reckoning
1438 Words
A Shattering Revelation
Alodia’s breath hitched at Raegan’s words.
“I know everything.”
Her grip on the phone tightened as she sat up in Jasper’s bed, heart pounding against her ribs.
Jasper’s gaze sharpened, reading the panic in her expression. “What did he say?”
Alodia didn’t answer immediately. She forced herself to focus on the voice on the other end of the call.
“How… how do you know?” she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Raegan let out a bitter laugh. “It doesn’t matter how, Alodia. What matters is that I do.”
Her mouth ran dry.
She had always feared this moment, but nothing could have prepared her for the weight of those words.
Jasper sat up beside her, watching her closely. His hand found hers, squeezing it in silent support.
“Raegan,” she started, but he cut her off.
“Come home. Now.”
The call ended before she could respond.
Alodia stared at her phone, pulse roaring in her ears.
Jasper’s fingers tightened around hers. “Are you going to him?”
She swallowed hard. “I have to.”
His jaw clenched. “Alodia—”
“My children are there,” she said firmly, pulling away from his grasp. “No matter what happens, I need to face this.”
Jasper exhaled sharply, his frustration evident, but he didn’t stop her.
Instead, he cupped her face, his thumbs brushing against her cheeks.
“If he tries to hurt you—”
“He won’t.”
Jasper searched her eyes, as if trying to find reassurance, but she wasn’t sure she had any to give.
Finally, he let her go.
“I’ll be waiting,” he murmured.
She nodded, forcing herself to step away from him.
And then, without another word, she left.
---
The Confrontation
The house was eerily silent when Alodia stepped inside.
Raegan was sitting in the living room, arms crossed over his chest, eyes cold and unreadable.
She knew that look.
She had seen it before, but never directed at her.
Her heart ached at the realization.
She took a shaky breath. “Where are the kids?”
“Asleep.” His voice was clipped.
A long silence stretched between them.
Then, Raegan leaned forward, elbows on his knees.
“How long?”
Alodia flinched. She knew what he was asking.
She could lie.
Or she could face the truth.
“… Three years.”
Raegan let out a harsh breath, running a hand through his hair.
“Three years,” he repeated, laughing bitterly. “Jesus Christ, Alodia.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
Raegan’s eyes snapped to hers. “But you did.”
She flinched at the raw pain in his voice.
“I tried, Alodia,” he continued. “I tried to be a good husband, a good father. I thought we were—” His voice broke, and he shook his head. “God, was I blind?”
Tears burned her eyes. “Raegan, I—”
“Was it worth it?” he asked suddenly.
She hesitated.
“Was he worth throwing this away?”
Alodia sucked in a shaky breath.
“I don’t know.”
Raegan’s laughter was hollow. “Of course. The same answer you’ve been giving me for weeks.”
She wiped at her eyes, frustration bubbling up inside her. “What do you want me to say? That I regret it? That I don’t love him?”
Raegan’s expression darkened. “So you do love him.”
She froze.
Did she?
Jasper was passion, desire, escape.
But love?
The answer terrified her.
“I don’t know,” she whispered again.
Raegan exhaled harshly, leaning back against the couch.
“You don’t know,” he repeated, shaking his head. “Then what the hell are we doing, Alodia?”
She opened her mouth, but no words came.
Because she didn’t have an answer.
And maybe that was the worst part of all.
---
Shattered Promises
Raegan stared at Alodia, his eyes filled with exhaustion rather than anger.
“This isn’t just about you and me, Alodia. We have a family. We built a life together. And you threw it away for him.”
His voice wavered, but he held her gaze.
Alodia’s chest tightened. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“But you did.” His jaw clenched. “For three years.”
She felt the weight of those words crush her. The betrayal wasn’t just in the affair—it was in the years of deception, the moments she had come home to him after being with Jasper.
“I was lost,” she admitted. “I was unhappy, Raegan. We both know our marriage wasn’t the same.”
Raegan let out a bitter chuckle. “So instead of trying to fix it, you ran into another man’s arms?”
Tears welled in her eyes. “I tried. But you were always working, always distant. And then Jasper… he made me feel alive again.”
Raegan’s hands curled into fists, but he didn’t lash out. He just let out a slow, controlled breath.
“Did you ever think about the damage this would cause? Not just to me, but to our kids?”
Alodia’s stomach twisted in guilt. “Of course I did.”
Raegan studied her for a long moment, then looked away. “And yet, you still chose him.”
Silence stretched between them, suffocating and heavy.
Finally, Raegan stood. “I need time to process this. But let me be clear—our kids come first. Whatever happens between us, we don’t drag them into this mess.”
Alodia nodded quickly. “I agree.”
Raegan exhaled, rubbing his temples. “I’m staying at a hotel tonight. I need space.”
Her throat tightened. “Raegan—”
He shook his head. “Don’t.”
Without another word, he grabbed his keys and left.
Alodia stood frozen, her body trembling.
She had feared this moment for years, and now that it had arrived, she wasn’t prepared for the wreckage it left behind.
---
A Desperate Call
Alodia sat in the living room for what felt like hours.
The weight of her choices pressed down on her like an anchor, suffocating and inescapable.
Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone.
She hesitated before dialing.
The call barely rang before Jasper answered.
“Alodia?” His voice was filled with concern.
A shaky breath escaped her lips. “Raegan knows.”
Silence.
Then, “What happened?”
She swallowed the lump in her throat. “He left. He said he needs time.”
Jasper let out a low breath. “Are you okay?”
“No,” she admitted.
“Where are you?”
“At home.”
“I’m coming.”
She should have told him not to. She should have told him to stay away.
But she didn’t.
Because at that moment, she needed him.
---
The Line Between Love and Guilt
An hour later, Jasper was at her doorstep.
The moment she opened the door, he pulled her into his arms.
She clung to him, breathing in his familiar scent, seeking comfort in his embrace.
“You don’t have to do this alone,” he murmured.
Alodia buried her face in his chest, her voice muffled. “I don’t know what to do.”
Jasper pulled back slightly, tilting her chin up. “Do you regret us?”
Her breath hitched.
Did she?
She thought of the stolen moments, the passion, the way he made her feel alive.
Then she thought of her children, her marriage, the destruction left in the wake of her affair.
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
Jasper’s expression hardened. “That’s not an answer.”
She exhaled shakily. “Because I don’t have one.”
Jasper searched her face. “Alodia… I love you. I want to be with you. But I won’t be your secret anymore.”
Her stomach twisted. “I don’t want to lose my family, Jasper.”
His jaw tightened. “Then what am I to you?”
She didn’t know how to answer that.
And that silence spoke louder than words.
Jasper exhaled sharply, stepping back. “I can’t keep waiting, Alodia.”
Her heart clenched. “Jasper—”
He shook his head. “Figure out what you want.”
Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.
And for the first time, Alodia realized she might lose both of them.
- Writer
