After Midnight With Him

Chapter Two: He Hit Me

Sophia Bennett

I stared at Ethan in shock. He didn't even blink. He didn't even look at my face. Tears streamed down my cheeks, but the slap wasn't what hurt the most. What hurt was the man standing in front of me—the man I had loved with all my heart for five years.

Five whole years. Five f*****g years. I had given him my heart. My trust. My future.

And this was how it ended.

Was I the fool who had been deceiving myself all this time? Or had he been deceiving me from the very beginning?

I stood there, trembling with anger and regret.

"S-Sophia..."

He stammered my name as though he had only just realized what he had done. Or maybe he was just pretending.

"What do you think you're doing?" I snapped before he could say another word.

The sound of his voice made my chest tighten painfully. I looked at him with disbelief and anger. I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

"Sophia, I'm sorry," he said quietly.

His boyfriend immediately placed a comforting hand on his ass. The gesture irritated me more than I thought possible.

Just moments ago, I had actually considered forgiving Ethan.

Maybe if he had apologized sincerely.

Maybe if he had promised never to hurt me again. Maybe. But now?

Watching another man comfort him while I stood there broken? No. The other man glanced at me and frowned.

"I never knew she was this dramatic," he muttered. "Why is she acting like she's lost her mind?"

My fists clenched. I wanted to react. I wanted to scream at him. But the memory of Ethan's hand striking my face stopped me. The pain on my cheek was still fresh.

What confused me most was how normal they seemed.

Why weren't they ashamed? Why weren't they embarrassed? Why were they acting as though I was the one causing a problem?

"I'm really sorry you had to find out this way," Ethan said.

I stared at him. Was this really the man I had wanted to spend the rest of my life with? The man I loved?

"Do you love me?" I asked suddenly.

The room fell silent. Ethan lowered his gaze. He didn't answer.

"Say something!" I shouted.

My entire body was shaking. Still, he remained silent.

Finally, he said,"It's my family."

I laughed bitterly. Of course. An excuse.

"When they found out I was gay, they pressured me into this marriage."

I wasn't interested. Not anymore. Why should I care? Would his explanation change what I had seen? Would it erase five years of lies? "No."

I shook my head.

"Don't do that."

"Sophia—"

"No!"

My voice cracked.

"You're a grown man, Ethan. Stop blaming your family. They don't control your life."

The more I spoke, the angrier I became.

A headache pounded behind my eyes.

"They arranged the marriage because they believed marrying you would fix me," he admitted quietly. "They thought it would make me normal."

The words felt like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. I looked at him. He was still standing close to the other man.

Still protecting him. Still choosing him. The realization nearly destroyed me. Five days.

In five days, I was supposed to become his wife.

What would I have told people afterward?

How would I explain that my husband preferred another man? The questions raced through my mind. Memories flooded back one after another.

The nights he stayed awake when I was sick. The way he rubbed my back during my menstrual cramps. The way he skipped meals because he worried about me. The way he always seemed willing to sacrifice everything for my happiness.

Had all of it been fake? Had every moment been a lie? I felt sick.

"Please," Ethan said. "I'm sorry. Just forgive me."

The other man rolled his eyes. "Why are you still begging her?" he asked. "You've already told her the truth."

I ignored him. He wasn't important.

Ethan was. I looked directly at the man I had loved for five years.

"I have one last question." Neither man spoke. I swallowed hard. "When you answer, I want the truth."

Ethan's expression darkened.

"Do you really love me?"

Silence. A long, painful silence. My heart pounded. The answer was right there.

In his silence. In his eyes. In the way he couldn't look at me.

The other man smirked. "What if he doesn't?"

I ignored him again. My attention never left Ethan. I waited. And waited. But he said nothing. Not a single word. That hurt more than any answer ever could.

"Please, Sophia," Ethan said quietly. "Stop this."

I laughed bitterly. Stop this?

I wasn't the one who had destroyed our relationship.

"We're done." The words came out calm.

Colder than I expected. His eyes widened.

"I am no longer interested in this marriage."

Slowly, I pulled the engagement ring from my finger. Then I removed the watch he had bought for me. The bracelets. Every gift connected to our future together.

One by one, I dropped them onto the floor.

The sound echoed through the room. And with each item I discarded, another piece of our relationship died. I turned toward the door.

"What about the business deal?" Ethan suddenly asked.

I froze. Business deal? For a brief moment, confusion crossed my face. Then anger returned. Stronger than ever.

"To hell with your business deal." I grabbed the door handle. "And to hell with you and your family."

Without looking back, I slammed the door behind me. Leaving Ethan and his boyfriend alone. Leaving behind five years of lies. Leaving behind the future I thought I wanted.

And for the first time that night, I realized something terrifying. I had absolutely no idea what would happen next.