TWISTS OF FATE

CHAPTER 2

I didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want this perfect image of him—the man I’d loved for seven years—to c***k. But now, there was a growing fracture, and I didn’t know how to stop it from breaking wider.

And for the first time, I asked myself the question I never dared to think of:

Is he lying to me now?

And maybe, just maybe… did I ever truly know him?

THE NEXT DAY

I was scrolling through my social media, until I saw a familiar bouquet. I immediately stared closely at the picture in front of me. I cannot be wrong, this is the bouquet Oliver bought at the flower shop. Is it a coincidence? I checked the person who posted the photo.

Mandy.

I knew her. I met her a couple of times at some business events.

The photo was a mirror selfie of her holding the bouquet. It was actually 3 photos, and I wasn’t the type to stalk someone, but something urged me to do this.

I looked intently at the two other photos, looking for something familiar. Until I saw a hand a man. Mandy seems to have captured a photo of the man giving her the bouquet. I looked carefully at the hand captured, and I couldn’t be wrong. It was Oliver.

For the last seven years we’ve been together, I memorized everything about him. I cannot be wrong with him. Oliver gave Mandy a bouquet, but... what for?

I decided to keep this to myself first, although I am sure it was Oliver’s hand. I still wanted some evidence that he really is cheating on me.

Just thinking about the thought of him cheating on me after everything we’ve been through seems like a slap in my face.

I cannot believe I’m calling someone right now to investigate him. But I needed to do this. I cannot let the wedding push through if, all these times, he has been lying and cheating on me.

I set up a meeting with someone at our house today. Yes, today, because I wanted to know the truth earlier than possible.

The moment I ended the call with the private investigator, a strange chill settled over me. I never imagined I’d be the type of woman to do this—to doubt, to question, to spy on the man I was supposed to marry. But here I was, standing by the window, nervously biting my nail, waiting for someone I barely knew to help me uncover the truth about someone I thought I knew like the back of my hand.

In those thirty minutes, I sat down and stared at my engagement ring. The diamond sparkled beautifully. I used to look at it and feel butterflies, but now? All I felt was a heavy knot in my stomach.

What if this is all a misunderstanding? What if Oliver really had a reason?

But then again… why lie?

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts.

He was here.

I opened the door to a man in his mid-thirties, wearing a simple shirt and jeans. He introduced himself as Jacob.

“Miss Sofia, thank you for trusting me with this,” he said kindly. “You mentioned you needed confirmation of a possible affair?”

I nodded and stepped aside so he could come in. “Yes. I—I don’t want to accuse him without proof. But something isn’t right. I saw him go into a flower shop, and then hours later, a woman we both know posted photos holding the same bouquet. There’s even a glimpse of his hand in the picture. I know it’s him. I just… I need to be sure.”

Jacob nodded, took a notebook from his bag, and jotted down a few notes.

“I’ll start surveillance immediately. I’ll follow his movements discreetly, check where he goes after work, who he meets. If there’s something going on, I’ll find out.”

I gave him all the details he needed—Oliver’s schedule, the car he drives, even his favorite coffee spot. He left shortly after, promising to send updates through encrypted messages.

As the door clicked shut behind him, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

I felt guilty. I felt ashamed. I felt terrified.

But more than anything, I felt something shift inside me—a c***k in my once-perfect world. And I knew there was no turning back.

Whatever truth was waiting for me at the end of this, I had to face it.

No matter how much it hurts.

As the days passed by, I tried to act like nothing happened, like I didn’t know anything whenever I was with him.

“The engagement party is getting near, are you ready?” I asked him with a fake smile. I wanted to capture his reaction.

But his reaction was the same. He smiled like he was genuinely happy and couldn’t wait for the party to happen.

We were talking about the upcoming engagement of ours. I told him about the guests I invited until a message popped into my phone.

I quickly grabbed my phone, and decided to see who messaged me, and it was Jacob. I decided not to open the message yet. Instead, I asked Oliver to drive me back home.

“What happened?” he asked me.

“Mom wanted to have dinner with me, at my place. I told her I'd cook for her,” I lied.

“Oh, that’s nice and so sweet of you, babe,” he smiled at me, “Come on, I’ll drive you home.”

Oliver quickly held my hands as we walked together towards his car.

The entire ride home felt like a movie scene I didn’t want to be in. Oliver hummed softly to a song playing on the radio, his hand still gently wrapped around mine. He looked so calm, so normal. But I wasn't.

My heart thudded in my chest, knowing that just one message—just one—might change everything.

When we finally pulled up to my place, I gave him a kiss on the cheek and thanked him. “Drive safe,” I said, forcing a small smile.

“Text me once you’re done with dinner, okay? I’ll call you later. I love you,” he said.

I watched him drive away, my stomach in knots. The moment he turned the corner, I ran inside and locked the door. I sat on the couch, opened my phone, and tapped on Jacob’s message.