BROKEN VOWS, BURNING HEARTS

The Night My Marriage Died The night I discovered my husband was cheating on me, I was wearing the dress he had bought for our wedding anniversary. A beautiful red silk gown. Alexander had once told me that red was his favourite colour on me. He said it made me look irresistible. I had spent three hours getting ready, curling my hair, applying my makeup and choosing the diamond earrings he had given me on our first anniversary. Tonight was supposed to be special. Three years of marriage. Three years of loving the same man with everything I had. And three years of believing I was the luckiest woman alive. I glanced at the time on my phone. 9:47 p.m. Alexander was late. Again. I sighed and picked up my phone, typing a message. Aurora: Baby, are you still at the office? The message was delivered, but there was no reply. I placed the phone on the dining table and looked at the beautifully decorated room. Candles flickered around the dining area. A bottle of expensive champagne sat in an ice bucket, and his favourite meal was arranged neatly on the table. I had prepared everything myself. I wanted tonight to remind him of the woman he married. The woman who had stood beside him when his company was struggling. The woman who had believed in him when everyone else doubted him. My phone vibrated. I smiled immediately. Finally. But the smile disappeared when I read the message. Unknown Number: Your husband is not at the office. If you want to know where he is, come to the Grand Royale Hotel. Room 806. And please, come alone. My heart skipped. I read the message again. Then again. A strange feeling settled in my stomach. Who was this? And why would someone send me such a message? I immediately called Alexander. One ring. Two rings. Three. He answered. "Hello, sweetheart." His voice was calm. Too calm. "Hi, baby. Where are you?" "I'm at the office. Something came up. I'll be home soon." I closed my eyes. "Are you sure?" There was a brief silence. "Of course. Why are you asking?" I swallowed. "Nothing. I just miss you." "I miss you too, princess. I'll make it up to you tomorrow." Then he ended the call. I stared at my phone. Something wasn't right. I wanted to believe him. God, I wanted to believe him. But the message wouldn't leave my mind. Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in my car outside the Grand Royale Hotel. My hands were trembling. I almost turned around. Perhaps it was a prank. Perhaps someone wanted to ruin my marriage. But if there was nothing to hide, why was Alexander lying? I stepped out of the car and walked into the hotel. The receptionist greeted me politely. "Good evening, ma'am. How may I help you?" "Room 806, please." She checked her computer. "Are you a guest?" I hesitated. "Yes. I'm meeting someone." She handed me a visitor pass. "Enjoy your evening, ma'am." Enjoy? I almost laughed. I entered the elevator and pressed the eighth-floor button. With every passing second, my heartbeat grew louder. When the elevator doors opened, I stepped into the hallway. Room 806 was at the far end. I stopped in front of the door. My fingers hovered over the handle. Then I heard it. A woman's laughter. Alexander's laughter followed. I froze. I knew that laugh. I knew that voice. It belonged to Victoria Sterling. Alexander's business associate. The woman he had repeatedly assured me was nothing more than a colleague. My stomach twisted. I pushed the door slightly. It wasn't locked. And then I saw them. Alexander was standing beside the bed, his shirt unbuttoned, while Victoria sat comfortably on the edge wearing his jacket. His jacket. The same black jacket I had helped him choose. For several seconds, nobody moved. Then Alexander turned. His eyes widened. "Aurora?" I couldn't breathe. Victoria slowly stood up, a small, satisfied smile appearing on her face. "Oh," she said softly. "I didn't know you were coming." I looked at Alexander. Then at her. Then back at him. "Tell me this isn't what it looks like." Alexander ran a hand through his hair. "Aurora, listen to me." "Listen to you?" My voice cracked. "What exactly am I supposed to listen to?" "It's not that simple." I laughed bitterly. "Three years, Alexander. Three years of marriage. And this is what you give me?" He took a step towards me. "Please, don't make a scene." Those words hurt more than anything. Don't make a scene? I looked at the man I had loved with my entire heart. The man whose surname I carried. The man whose happiness I had placed above my own. And suddenly, I felt like a complete stranger. "How long?" I whispered. He said nothing. "Alexander, how long have you been sleeping with her?" Victoria folded her arms. "Maybe you should ask your husband why he stopped coming home early." I turned towards her. "Stay out of this." She smiled. "Unfortunately, darling, I think I'm very much involved." Alexander shot her a warning look. "Victoria, enough." I shook my head, tears burning my eyes. "Did you ever love me?" His expression changed. "Aurora—" "Answer me!" He looked away. That was when I understood. I wasn't going to get the answer I wanted. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and straightened my dress. "Happy anniversary, Alexander." I turned and walked out. "Aurora! Wait!" He followed me into the hallway, but I didn't stop. He caught my wrist. "Can we talk about this?" I pulled my hand away. "Don't touch me." "You're my wife." I looked at him, tears streaming down my face. "Then why did you make me feel like I was never enough?" For the first time that night, he had no answer. I entered the elevator. Just before the doors closed, I saw him standing there. The man I had promised to love forever. The man who had just destroyed everything. And as the elevator descended, I made myself a promise. I would never beg Alexander Blackwood to love me again. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not ever. 12:36 a.m. I returned to our mansion alone. The candles had burned out. The champagne was still unopened. His favourite meal sat untouched on the dining table. I walked upstairs, removed my wedding ring and placed it beside our wedding photograph. I stared at the picture. We looked so happy. So certain. So in love. My phone suddenly rang. Alexander. I watched it ring until the screen went dark. Then a message appeared. Alexander: Come home. We need to talk. Don't do anything stupid. I let out a painful laugh. He had cheated on me, lied to me and humiliated me. Yet somehow, he still thought he had the right to tell me what to do. I typed my reply. Aurora: You wanted a marriage without loyalty. Now you can have a life without me. I pressed send. Then I heard something that made my blood run cold. A notification from the unknown number. Unknown Number: Aurora, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. But Victoria isn't the only woman your husband has been seeing. My fingers went numb. Another message arrived. Unknown Number: And there's something about your marriage you need to know. Alexander never told you the truth about why he married you. I stared at the screen. My tears stopped. What did that mean? Why had Alexander married me? And who was this person who seemed to know everything? I slowly sat on the edge of the bed. For the first time in three years, I realised something terrifying. Perhaps I had never truly known my husband.