scorned in paris

CHAPTER 1: “John?” I called out softly. No answer. A shadow shifted inside, accompanied by a hushed giggle. My brow furrowed and I got suspicious. I pushed the door open further, and my heart stopped beating for a while. There, tangled and cuddled up like drunken lover birds in the sheets, were John and Evelyn having s*x. Hot moans escaped through Evelyn's mouth as John thrusted furiously. He had his fingers wrapped around her succulent small breast and his other fingers on her c******s, rubbing and stroking it fiercely as Evelyn jerked up and down in pleasure. John has never made me feel like that before. I can't even remember the last time we had s*x and even if I did, he didn't hold or caress my body like that or thrust in passionately. It was always a quickie, as if someone would catch up with us. For a moment, the world spun around in those few seconds. I stood, frozen, my mind racing to make sense of the scene before me. Right there in my confusion, my black shimmering purse dropped to the floor, startling the two love birds banging on the bed. John’s head shot up, his face pale and shocked at seeing me and the consequence of what had just happened. Evelyn didn’t even bother to cover herself, she just lay there, stark naked, still stroking her c******s and moaning softly. Her hands holding John's d**k, her lips curling into a lazy wicked smirk. “Sophia, I…” Chris stammered. “Don’t,” I almost choked, my voice barely in a whisper. “Don’t you dare.” Evelyn stretched lazily, as if this betrayal was nothing more than a casual inconvenience. “Sophia, it’s not what it looks like,” she said, her tone devoid of any real apology or shame for what they just did. “It’s exactly what it looks like,” I snapped, my voice rising, and my face scrunched disgustingly. John stood, grabbing his shirt. “Please, Sophia, let me explain…,” But, I was already backing away, my chest heaving with a mix of fury and unexpected heartbreak. “Explain? Explain what exactly? Explain how my fiancé of three years has been screwing my best friend? That I just caught you both having s*x?” My voice cracked and I almost choked. “Don’t bother. I have seen enough.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, a hint of amusement glinting in them. “You are actually being dramatic, Sophia. You will understand someday. It’s just business, c'mon.” “Business?” I repeated, stunned and unable to utter any word. John made to reach for me, his expression pleading. “Sophia please, listen to me…” “No.” I held up my hand, stepping further away. “You have said enough.” I turned on my heels and stormed out, my sight blurred by hot tears that gushed out freely. The cool Parisian night air hit me like a slap as I stepped into the garden. The laughter and chatter of friends and other tables faded into a distant buzz. My phone buzzed in my hand. It was a message from Evelyn : “You will understand someday that it was just business and nothing else. Moreover, he really loves you and not me.” I stared so hard at the words, bile rising in her throat. Business? Was that all my relationship had been with them? A transaction? Seriously? “What the f**k? Like, seriously?” My mind raced back over the past few months. In the late nights, John claimed to be working. The subtle shifts in Evelyn’s attitude. The moments I had dismissed as mere paranoia now took on a more sinister clarity. My instincts seem to be haunting me now as they were right. It has dawned on me now. I stumbled to the edge of the garden, my legs trembling beneath me as if they couldn't carry me any longer. Tears streamed down my cheeks as the scene I had just seen kept replaying in my head. This weekend was supposed to be a dream come true, a picturesque getaway with my fiancé, John, his friends from work, and my home. I had envisioned laughter, wine, and perhaps even a long-overdue proposal date which made me giggle at the thought of it. But, John has been acting strangely for weeks, distant and secretive, but I had somehow dismissed it as pre-wedding jitters, more like pre-proposal jitters. After all, we had been engaged for three years, and life had been very busy for both of us for all these years. Between my demanding career as an architect and John’s ambition to climb the corporate ladder, our relationship often took a backseat and always suffered as we hardly kept up with each other. This weekend, however, was supposed to rekindle what we had lost in the past months. “Sophia, hurry up!” Evelyn’s voice floated through the suite. “We are all waiting downstairs!” “I will be down in ten minutes!” I called back, slipping on my favorite pair of black heels. I grabbed my phone and glanced at the text John had sent me earlier: “Don’t be late. I have a surprise for you tonight.” My heart fluttered. John always had a way of making me feel special when it mattered. Maybe tonight, amidst the charm of Paris, the city of love, he would finally set a wedding date. I left my room and headed downstairs after touching up one more time. The laughter of their group echoed from the garden, mingling with the faint scent of roses and champagne. I passed by John’s room and stopped short. The door was ajar. And that's what led me to this discovery. How could I have been so blind? How could the two people I love most in the world do this to me? “John having s*x with Evelyn ? Unbelievable!” I looked up in confusion as the stars above seemed to mock me as I gritted my teeth, crying my heart away, tears gushing down in torrents. I sat at the edge of my hotel bed, my fingers clutching a now-empty glass of wine. The expensive red wine I had ordered from room service had done nothing to dull the sharp cut of my emotions. I felt so empty. My chest felt hollow, as though the betrayal had carved out a piece of my soul. I had replayed the scene a dozen times in my mind, trying to make sense of it. Evelyn, my best friend, and John, the man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. Together. In bed. In Paris, the city I had dreamed of visiting as a celebration of our love. Damn!!! “It’s just business.” Evelyn’s voice kept on echoing in my mind. I screamed and smashed the glass against the wall, watching as it shattered into tiny pieces. My phone buzzed on the bedside table. I ignored it at first, knowing it was likely another message from John or Evelyn . But, after a minute of playing with ignorance, curiosity got the better of me. I reached for it and saw John’s name flashing on the screen. The audacity! “You really have to understand me, Sophia . This wasn’t about us. It’s about my future. Please, let me explain. We need to talk.” I stared at the message, my fingers trembling so badly. The audacity of him, to act as if his betrayal could be rationalized or excused. He was clearly justifying his wrongs when I just caught him red-handed. My chest burned with the urge to respond to his text, but I stopped myself. “No. Not yet.” Instead, I opened my social media app, scrolling through the endless posts of our friends that were posted from the evening’s festivities. Pictures of John and Evelyn smiling together, surrounded by the elite crowd of friends. No one seemed to notice my absence. I had never felt so invisible in my entire life. Out of fury, I slammed my phone onto the nightstand, burying my face in my hands and tears trickled down to the tiles in between my fingers. The next morning, I forced myself to get out of bed. I had planned to leave Paris the night before after crying my eyes out, but something inside me wouldn’t let me run just like that. Not yet. I needed closure at least. I wouldn’t just give John and Evelyn the satisfaction of my retreat, especially Evelyn, who thinks she has my man at the tip of her fingers. Oh! My ex-man now. Fuck!! I dressed up in a sleek black dress, packed my messy hair into a bun, and applied concealer to cover up my eyebags and the puffiness of my eyes. I wore red lipstick and made a way to adorn myself with simple earrings and a necklace. Then, I hurriedly looked for my black sunglasses in my makeup drawer and put them on. Satisfied with my look in the mirror, I grinned. I made my way downstairs to the hotel’s restaurant. I needed coffee, something to ground me and keep my thoughts in check as I figured out my next move. At this point? I am just as confused. As I entered, my eyes landed on a familiar figure seated at a corner table. It was John , laughing with a group of their mutual friends. Evelyn was beside him, her hand resting possessively on his arm. “Damn it!” I cursed under my breath. My stomach churned, with internal rage, but I pretended not to have noticed anything. I wasn’t going to make them think that I was badly affected by what had happened. I crossed the room, my silver heels clicking against the black tiled floor, and approached the table. The laughter died as the group noticed me. John’s smile faltered, and Evelyn’s face changed. She had a smirk on her face which wasn't sitting right with me. “Sophia,” John started, standing awkwardly. “We…” “I am not here to talk to you, my voice cold. Rather, I turned to Evelyn. “How long?” Evelyn tilted her head, her expression smug. “Does it matter?” I clenched my fists at my sides, fighting the urge to slap the hell out of her. “I thought you were my friend, Evelyn .” “I was,” Evelyn said with a shrug. “But things change, Sophia. People change. Isn't that right?” I let out a bitter laugh. “No, Evelyn. People don’t change. They just show who they have been all along. That's what I think, and you just did that. It's so sad that it took me this long or will I say it took me to come to Paris to figure it out.” John reached for my arm, but I yanked it away. “Don’t you ever touch me,” I snapped. My voice rose, drawing the attention of nearby tables. Everyone began to look up towards where the table was. “I trusted you,” I continued, my voice trembling with anger. “ I trusted you so much, and I thought we had something serious going on. I gave you three years of my life, John. And you threw it away for what? Money? Status?” John’s face flushed with embarrassment as everyone at the table looked towards him in shock, but before he could answer, Evelyn stepped in. “You weren’t enough for him, Sophia. It’s that simple.” The words cut deep into my soul when she spat them out, but I refused to show Rather, I smiled and turned to John, my gaze icy. “You deserve each other.” With that, I turned and walked away, my head held high amidst the hushing and murmuring behind. The moment I was out of sight, my façade crumbled. I quickly ducked into the nearest restroom, locking myself in a stall as the tears fell down my face hurriedly in a rush.