Betray Me Once, Regret Forever

Chapter 2: The First Move

I didn't sleep much that night.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the photograph again.

Daniel's hand around Vanessa's waist.

Vanessa smiling at him.

The hotel behind them.

I had spent three years believing I knew the man I loved. Now I wasn't even sure I knew what his favorite lie was.

At six in the morning, I finally gave up trying to sleep.

I walked to the kitchen, made coffee, and stood by the window while the city slowly woke up.

My phone was on the counter.

I had received no new messages from the mysterious number.

Part of me was relieved.

Another part was annoyed.

I hated that I was curious about him.

I hated even more that I was waiting for him to message me.

"Pathetic," I whispered to myself.

I picked up my coffee.

"You're waiting for a stranger now?"

My phone suddenly vibrated.

I nearly dropped the cup.

I looked at the screen.

Unknown: Good morning.

I stared at it.

Then I laughed.

Of course.

I typed back.

Me: Do you have nothing better to do?

Unknown: I was wondering if you slept.

Me: I did.

Unknown: Liar.

I frowned.

Me: You don't know me well enough to call me a liar.

Unknown: Fair point.

Then another message appeared.

Unknown: But I know you probably spent half the night looking at those photographs.

I didn't answer.

Because he was right.

Unknown: Don't worry. I'm not sending anything else today.

I raised an eyebrow.

Me: Why?

Unknown: Because you need to see something for yourself.

That made me pause.

Me: What?

There was no response.

I waited.

Nothing.

"Seriously?"

I threw my phone onto the couch.

Whoever this man was, he had an incredible talent for irritating me.

By eight, I had showered and changed.

I decided to go to work.

I needed something to keep my mind busy.

Besides, staying home and thinking about Daniel would only make me miserable.

I had barely reached the office when I saw Vanessa.

She was standing near the elevator, talking to one of our coworkers.

The moment she saw me, she smiled.

"You're early."

"So are you."

She walked toward me.

"How are you?"

"Good."

She studied my face.

"You really are okay?"

I smiled.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

She shrugged.

"I don't know. You and Daniel seemed weird yesterday."

I pressed the elevator button.

"We're fine."

"That's good."

The elevator doors opened.

We stepped inside.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then she suddenly asked, "Did Daniel tell you where he was last Saturday?"

My eyes moved toward her.

"Why?"

She looked surprised.

"No reason."

I smiled.

"You seem to know a lot about Daniel's schedule."

Her expression changed.

Only slightly.

But I noticed.

"I don't. I was just asking."

"Relax."

I laughed.

"I'm not accusing you of anything."

The elevator doors opened.

I walked out first.

She followed.

Neither of us mentioned it again.

But now I had another question.

Why Saturday?

I remembered Daniel telling me he had been working late that night.

I had never questioned it.

I opened my phone and checked our old messages.

There it was.

Daniel: Sorry, babe. Work is crazy tonight. I'll probably be home late.

I looked at the date.

Saturday.

I stared at the screen.

Then I remembered the first photograph.

The timestamp.

Saturday.

My stomach tightened.

I didn't need another photograph.

I needed proof.

At lunch, I went through Daniel's social media.

Nothing unusual.

Then I checked Vanessa's.

Nothing.

They were careful.

Very careful.

That made me even more suspicious.

I was about to put my phone away when someone dropped into the chair across from me.

I looked up.

A man was sitting there.

Tall.

Dark hair.

White shirt with the sleeves rolled up.

He looked annoyingly confident.

"You're staring," he said.

I blinked.

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"I was wondering why you sat at my table."

He smiled.

"Because every other table was taken."

I looked around.

There were at least five empty tables.

I looked back at him.

"Really?"

He glanced around.

"Okay. Maybe I lied."

I laughed despite myself.

"At least you're honest about being a liar."

"Only when I'm caught."

I studied him.

There was something familiar about his face.

Not familiar enough to place.

"Do I know you?"

"No."

"Then why are you sitting here?"

He leaned back.

"Maybe I wanted to meet you."

"That's a terrible excuse."

"Then I'll try again."

He smiled.

"You looked lonely."

That caught me off guard.

I looked away.

"I'm not lonely."

"You're sure?"

"Very."

"Good."

He stood.

"Then I'll leave you alone."

He picked up his coffee.

I frowned.

"Wait."

He stopped.

"What?"

I didn't know why I stopped him.

I just did.

"What's your name?"

His smile returned.

"Adrian."

I nodded.

"I'm..."

"I know."

My eyebrows pulled together.

"You know what?"

He looked at me for a moment.

Then he smiled.

"Nothing."

And he walked away.

I watched him leave.

Something about him bothered me.

Not in a bad way.

In an interesting way.

My phone vibrated.

I checked it.

Unknown: He seems charming.

My eyes widened.

I looked around the restaurant.

My heart started beating faster.

Me: Are you watching me?

No response.

I immediately looked toward the entrance.

Adrian was gone.

I suddenly felt uneasy.

I didn't like being watched.

But I also couldn't ignore the coincidence.

I put my phone away.

That afternoon, Daniel picked me up from work.

He kissed my cheek as soon as I got into the car.

"How was your day?"

"Fine."

"You seem quiet."

"I'm tired."

He reached for my hand.

I let him hold it.

Then I noticed something.

A small scratch near his wrist.

I stared at it.

He noticed.

"What?"

"Nothing."

He smiled.

"You're staring."

I pulled my hand away.

"Where did you get that?"

He looked at his wrist.

"This?"

"Yes."

He thought for a second.

"Work."

"Work?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"Nothing serious."

He laughed.

"Why are you interrogating me?"

I smiled.

"I'm curious."

He started the car.

"You've been acting strange lately."

"Have I?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe you're just noticing me more."

He glanced at me.

"What does that mean?"

I smiled.

"Nothing."

We drove in silence.

Then he suddenly said, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"If you ever found out I lied to you about something, would you forgive me?"

I turned toward him.

My heart skipped.

"Depends."

"On what?"

"On the lie."

He nodded slowly.

"What if it was a big lie?"

I looked out the window.

"Then I'd probably want the truth before deciding anything."

He didn't say anything after that.

When he dropped me off, he kissed my forehead.

"I love you."

I looked at him.

"I know."

He smiled.

But I noticed something.

He didn't say it again.

That night, I decided to test him.

I sent him a message.

Me: I might go out with Vanessa tomorrow.

He replied almost immediately.

Daniel: Where?

I smiled.

Interesting.

Me: Why?

Daniel: Just asking.

Me: Maybe dinner.

Daniel: With who?

I stared at the screen.

I typed:

Me: Vanessa.

His response took longer this time.

Daniel: Okay.

I smiled.

Then I sent another message.

Me: Maybe we'll go somewhere near your office.

No reply.

I waited.

Five minutes.

Ten.

Then:

Daniel: Why?

I laughed quietly.

There it was.

Fear.

I didn't answer.

Instead, I called Vanessa.

She answered on the second ring.

"Hey!"

"Hey. Are you free tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah. Dinner?"

There was a pause.

"Sure."

"Great."

"Where?"

I gave her the name of a restaurant near Daniel's office.

Silence.

Again.

Then she said, "That place?"

"Yes. Why?"

"No reason."

I smiled.

"Perfect. Seven?"

"Seven."

"See you."

I ended the call.

Now I had a plan.

Nothing complicated.

I simply wanted to see what happened when I put the pieces together.

The next evening, I arrived at the restaurant at six thirty.

Vanessa wasn't there yet.

I sat near the window.

Seven came.

Seven fifteen.

Seven thirty.

No Vanessa.

I called her.

No answer.

I called again.

Still nothing.

Then I received a message.

Vanessa: Sorry. Something came up. I can't make it.

I stared at the message.

Something felt wrong.

I ordered coffee.

Then I saw him.

Daniel.

Walking into the restaurant.

With another woman.

Not Vanessa.

A woman I had never seen before.

They were laughing.

He pulled out a chair for her.

Then kissed her cheek.

My heart stopped.

For a moment, I couldn't move.

Then I realized something.

Daniel had told me he was going to his mother's house that evening.

He had even sent me a picture of his mother earlier that afternoon.

I slowly picked up my phone.

I took a picture.

Then another.

I zoomed in.

The woman wasn't Vanessa.

So who was she?

I suddenly felt cold.

Maybe Vanessa wasn't the only woman.

Maybe I had been looking at the wrong betrayal.

I stood up.

I wasn't going to confront him.

Not yet.

I walked out through the side entrance before he could see me.

Outside, I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.

My phone vibrated.

Unknown: Now you understand.

I stared at the message.

Me: Who is she?

The response came.

Unknown: I don't know.

I frowned.

For the first time, he admitted he didn't know something.

Me: Then why did you send me the first photographs?

Unknown: Because I knew about Vanessa.

Me: And this woman?

Unknown: That's new to me too.

I looked back toward the restaurant.

Maybe the mysterious stranger wasn't controlling the game.

Maybe he was discovering things alongside me.

Another message appeared.

Unknown: Don't confront Daniel tonight.

Me: Why?

Unknown: Because if he knows you saw him, he'll start cleaning up the evidence.

I thought about it.

He was right.

I took one last picture through the window.

Then I walked away.

But I wasn't going home.

I had one more place to visit.

Daniel's office.

If he was supposed to be somewhere else tonight, I wanted to know why he was here.

I reached the building and waited across the street.

After twenty minutes, Vanessa finally appeared.

She wasn't with Daniel.

She was alone.

She walked into the same building.

My stomach dropped.

I stared at the entrance.

What was she doing there?

I followed her inside.

The security guard stopped me.

"Ma'am, where are you going?"

"I'm looking for someone."

"Who?"

I hesitated.

Before I could answer, a voice came from behind me.

"She's with me."

I turned.

Adrian.

He was standing there with his hands in his pockets.

I stared at him.

"What are you doing here?"

He smiled.

"Apparently, the same thing you are."

"You followed me?"

"No."

He looked toward the elevator.

"I work here."

I froze.

"What?"

He pressed the elevator button.

"I told you my name."

"You never told me where you work."

"You never asked."

The elevator doors opened.

He stepped inside.

Then looked at me.

"Coming?"

I didn't move.

He smiled.

"Unless you're suddenly scared."

I glared at him.

"I'm not scared."

"Good."

I stepped inside.

The doors closed.

I looked at him.

"Who are you really?"

His teasing smile disappeared.

"That's a longer story."

"Then start talking."

He looked at the elevator doors.

"Your boyfriend isn't the only person you should be worried about."

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

He turned toward me.

"It means you need to stop asking why Daniel is cheating."

He paused.

"And start asking who is helping him."

The elevator reached the next floor.

The doors opened.

I stepped out.

Adrian followed.

And for the first time since this nightmare began, I realized something.

Maybe I wasn't dealing with a cheating boyfriend.

Maybe I was dealing with a secret that was much bigger than Daniel and Vanessa.

And somehow, Adrian already knew where the door was.

The only problem was that I had no idea what was waiting on the other side.