THE DON'S WEAKNESS

Today is my 22nd birthday, a day I had imagined would become one of the happiest memories of my life. My boyfriend, Jude, had been planning it for weeks. From the decorations to the cake, the guest list, and every little detail, he insisted on handling everything himself. Each time I asked if he needed help, he would grin and tell me to leave it to him. “You’ll thank me later,” he’d always say with that confident smile of his. We lived together in a small apartment on the third floor of an old building in the city of Las Vegas. It wasn’t luxurious. The walls had begun to fade with age, and the elevator had stopped working months ago, forcing everyone to use the stairs. I was the only one who had a job because Jude had been fired from work a year ago after the company downsized, but he always tried to support me by showing up for me, and I never made him feel less of a man at any point. “You don’t look okay,” said Tara, my colleague and close friend, as she placed a hand against my forehead. “I’m fine,” I lied, forcing a weak smile. Fridays are usually exhausting, and today was no different. Tara knew that and ignored my defense. “You’ve said ‘I’m fine’ three times in the last ten minutes.” I laughed softly as I rocked my chair slowly. “Go home, Amelia,” Tara added. “I still have work to finish,” I muttered. “I’ll handle it.” “What?” She folded her arms stubbornly. “Today’s your birthday. Besides, you look like you’re about to collapse. I’ll cover for you.” Tara wasn’t lying. Paying the bills alone had forced me to work extra hours just to keep us afloat. I worked as a secretary in a private company, yet I always stayed back to earn enough to keep up with our expenses. I stared at Tara for a moment before pulling her into a grateful hug. “Thank you.” “You owe me cake.” “I’ll buy you two.” We laughed. The office officially closed by 5 p.m., but thanks to Tara, I was able to leave much earlier. The birthday party was scheduled to commence by 11 p.m., so I figured I’d get some rest before the guests started arriving. On my way home, I stopped at the nearest grocery store, picked up Jude’s favorite fruits and snacks along with a few other things we needed around the apartment, and headed home. As I walked through the aisles, I couldn’t stop smiling. My mind wandered back to everything Jude had promised me. Aside from that, I accidentally overheard him speaking on the phone a few days earlier. “Don’t worry,” he whispered excitedly. “She’s going to love the surprise. On her birthday I’ll finally propose.” I hadn’t meant to eavesdrop. The words reached my ears while I was walking past the bedroom, and ever since, I’d pretended not to know and just waited patiently. Every time I remembered, butterflies danced inside my stomach. I’ll finally be Mrs. Jude. The thought alone made my cheeks burn with excitement. The stairway echoed with nothing except my footsteps. Everywhere was seemingly quiet because most residents were still at work, leaving the building eerily silent. Just as I reached the hallway, something felt off. I heard an unusual sound, and it was coming from our room. Room 301. The groceries were still clutched tightly against my chest. It was 3 p.m., and my heart raced. The door was slightly open, and I peeped inside, wondering why. Jude was clearly not the type to leave the door half-open. I walked into the sitting room, which was completely dark, and gently turned on the light as I kept hearing a faint whimper of pleasure. A lady’s pants were lying on the couch, and a bra hung on the bedroom door handle. I shivered. Whose belongings are these? Definitely not mine. I picked them up to examine them closely, wondering if my mind was playing tricks on me. A sweet floral perfume lingered in the air. “Yeahhhh… just how I like it. Go deeper, Jude. Oh my God,” came a voice from the bedroom, whimpering softly. I gasped. “You like it like that?” Jude asked whoever was in the bedroom with him. “Don’t stop… just like that.” I stood there in the living room for a while, too frozen to make a move, with the pants still in my hand. My brain tried to convince my ears that they had heard wrongly. The pleasurable moans continued. I couldn’t take it any longer. Jude was obviously in there with someone else. I almost choked on that thought. Or maybe not. I tried to convince myself once more. I needed to see. My hand trembled as I held the doorknob and slowly pushed the door open. My jaw dropped at the sight. “Jude!” I called out in so much disbelief. The groceries in my hands fell to the floor. Oranges rolled across the room as I stood completely flabbergasted. Jude was in bed with our next-door neighbor, Vanessa. The same red-haired woman I’d seen around the building several times. He had told me stories about her some time ago—how promiscuous she was and how much he disliked her. A wave of betrayal and anger clouded me. I couldn’t believe my eyes. How dare he? Both of them went silent at that instant. Obviously, Jude wasn’t expecting me to be home that early, so he looked completely shocked. Vanessa shamelessly pulled the blanket over her bare chest, looking away unbothered, as though I deserved the humiliation. “Uhm… Amelia… Amelia, you never told me you’d be home this soon,” Jude said, stammering. “Seriously?” A stream of tears filled my eyes, and my vision blurred. “Look, I’m sorry.” “Jude! Why?” He stepped off the bed and wrapped my little brown towel around his waist, covering his c**k which was still standing and swirling and dangling slightly as he walked up to me. He reached for me slightly. “I’ve been meaning to tell you this,” he said. I gently pulled his hands away. The air in the room was thick with sweat and perfume, making my stomach churn. I was infuriated. “Tell me what?” I asked angrily. He sighed. “She’s pregnant… and I’ll take responsibility,” he said, pointing at her. My eyes widened. My heart didn’t just break. It shattered.