DEAR EX,ITS TOO LATE

Mitchelle’s life could not be complete without Drew. That was how much she loved him. Going against her family was just a tip of the iceberg. “Are you tired already? I thought you love him and you're willing to do anything for him.” Her friend Ava said over the phone. “That's not it, Ava. I love him..” She let out an exasperated sigh, allowing her voice to trail off. “Just be a little patient as you have always been. Maybe he's just stressed out with work.” Ava said. “I thought as much. Drew would never be unreasonable to me.” She added in her head. “Okay? Can you hear me, Mitch?” Ava said when she noticed Mitchelle didn't reply her. “Okay. I heard all you said.” Mitchelle muttered, shrugging her shoulders as if Ava could see her. “I'll see you tomorrow, girl. Hang in there.” Ava said and hung up on the call. “He’s just out of the blue and will be back to himself soon.” Puffing out air, she got back to what she was doing at the dinning. Drew, her husband had been acting all grumpy for the past week. Ignoring her as if she never existed and getting irritated at every little thing made her really worried. She decided to prepare his special meal, creating a lively atmosphere to ease his burden and make him happy a little. As she carefully arranged the last dish on the dining table, Mitchelle stepped back to admire her handiwork. The soft glow of the candelabras cast a warm ambiance, and the aroma of Drew's favorite meal wafted through the air, making her stomach growl. She had gone all out, preparing his beloved beef Wellington, roasted vegetables, and even his favorite dessert, crème brûlée. Satisfied with the setup, Maya poured herself a glass of wine and settled into the plush armchair in the adjacent living room. She picked up a book, trying to distract herself from the nagging worry that had been plaguing her all week. But her eyes kept drifting back to the clock on the mantle, the ticking of its mechanism echoing through the silent mansion. As the hours crept by, the house grew quieter, the maids having retired to their quarters for the night. Mitchelle’s anxiety simmered just below the surface, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. Where was Drew? Why hadn't he come home yet? She set her book aside and rose from the armchair, her eyes scanning the darkened room as if searching for answers. With a sigh, she retrieved her phone from the coffee table and dialed Drew's number. It rang several times before a voice picked up, but it wasn't Drew's deep, familiar tone. "Hello?" a sultry female voice purred, sending a shiver down Maya's spine. Maya's grip on the phone tightened, her heart sinking. "Drew? Who is this?" she asked, trying to keep her tone neutral. There was a pause, and for a moment, Maya wondered if the woman had hung up. But then, the voice spoke again, not to her this time but to someone else in the background. “Hurry up, babe. Don't keep me waiting for long.” “I'm coming, let me take a quick shower, sweetheart.” She thought she heard Drew's voice in the background. “It can't be!” She thought aloud in her head. She believed Drew would never cheat on her so this was all a prank. She dialed Drew's number with shaky hands again but the call was not connecting again. Mitchelle's eyes scanned the room, searching for a distraction from the turmoil boiling inside her. She tried to focus on the soft glow of the candelabras, the gentle hum of the air conditioner, or the comforting silence of the mansion. But her mind refused to let go of the unsettling conversation she'd just had. She took a few deep breaths, attempting to calm her racing heart. Maybe Drew was playing some kind of twisted joke on her. Just as she was starting to convince herself that everything was fine, her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Mitchelle's heart skipped a beat as she hesitantly reached for the device. The screen displayed a text from an unknown number, accompanied by an image. Maya's fingers trembled as she opened the message. The image loaded slowly, and Mitchelle's anxiety grew with each passing second. Finally, the picture appeared on her screen, and Mitchelle's world came crashing down. Drew, her husband, was standing in the center of the image, surrounded by a woman and two children. The woman's arms were wrapped around Drew's waist, and the children were giggling as they played with his hair. “What is my husband doing with two children and a woman?” She more she tried not to believe, the more reality hit her. In that moment, she heard the sound of a car outside. Drew was back. As his figure walked in through the door, she rushed to meet him but her legs gave her away as she staggered to remain on her feet, stretching out her hand to him for support. “Are you okay?” Drew raised a brow, the lines on his face twitching. “Wouldn't you help me stand at least?” She said, almost choking on her own words. “You should go to the hospital if you're sick. Must you wait for me?” he grudgingly stretched out his hand to hold her palm. “Sick? Has it gotten to this Drew? Do you not care about me anymore?” She said im pain as she locked eyes with him but he threw his face away. “I am tired Mitchelle. I don't have time for your drama tonight.” “Where have you been? You’re back so late.” These words she wanted to say hung in her throat like a lump and instead a fiery cry came out. “Did you just call my name, Drew?.” “So? Isn't that your name?” He shrugged. “I can't help but believe what I saw is the truth.” “What truth?” “You're a cheat, Drew!” “Watch your mouth woman!” He raised his voice. “No! If not, then what the heck are you doing in this picture with a woman and two kids? Is that a friend I don't know about, wife and his children?” She shoved her phone's screen right in front of him, revealing the image the unknown number had sent to her. “I don't need to look closer to see that's me.” “What?” Mitchelle's mouth dropped opened at his response. Was this man admitting that he had a woman outside and children? She had pleaded so much in her heart that he would deny so hard and everything would be back to normal and all this was just a bad phase for them. “Drew! “You call me a cheat but what are you? A cheater? Nah, that's an understatement.” Flinging out a picture from somewhere around him towards Mitchelle, she was surprised to see her nightmare before her eyes. “Isn't this what you'll call a balance deal?” Drew grunted. Mitchelle watched as the man turned evil stood above her, smiling evily.