CHAPTER TWO
Ava did not remesuber sitting down, but somehow she was on the kitchen floor, hey back pressed against the cabinet, the phone lying face up beside her
The photo burned into her mind
Daniel's hand on Serena's waist.
His forehead touching hers.
The intimacy he had denied Ava for years displayed so easily for another woman.
Her chest tightened painfully. She pressed her palm against it, gasping as if the air itself had become too heavy to breathe. The baby clothes were still scattered across the floor, a cruel reminder of the future she had imagined only hours ago.
Her phone buzzed again.
Another message from the same unknown number.
You are not crazy. You are not imagining things. He has been lying to you since she came back.
Ava stared at the words until they blurred. Her fingers shook as she typed.
Who is this?
The reply came almost instantly.
Someone who knows the truth. And someone who thinks you deserve better than being the woman who waits at home.
A hollow laugh escaped Ava's lips.
Waiting. That had always been her role.
Her phone buzzed again, this time with a call. Lily.
Ava answered without speaking.
"Oh my God," Lily breathed. "I saw it. I saw everything. Ava, say something."
"He left," Ava whispered. "He left me again."
Silence filled the line, thick with anger
Nis, Ava replied quickly. "Please, I need to think"
"You should not be alone."
"I have been alone for years, Ava said softly. "Tonight just made it obvious."
After she ended the call, Ava forced herself to stand. Her legs trembled, but she moved anyway, gathering the baby clothes with careful hands. She placed them back into the drawer, one by one, like she was closing a chapter of her life she had not even been allowed to open.
She washed her face in the bathroom, gripping the sink as she stared at her reflection. Her eyes were red, her skin pale, but beneath the shock, something else stirred.
Clarity
Daniel had never chosen her. He had settled.
And tonight, he had stopped pretending.
Her phone vibrated again.
A new message appeared.
She is at the Vale Hotel. Suite 1803. That is where he always goes when he is with her
Ava's breath caught.
Always.
So this was not new. Just newly exposed.
She locked the phone screen and stood there for a long moment, wrestling with herself. Part of her wanted to crawl into bed and disappear. Another part wanted to scream until her throat burned.
But a quieter, stronger voice rose above the chaos.
If she stayed silent tonight, she would stay silent forever
Ava grabbed her coat and key.
The drive to the hotel felt unreal, the city lights blurring past her as if she were watching someone else's life unfold. Every red light tested her resolve. Every green light pushed her closer to a truth she was not sure she was ready to face.
The Vale Hotel towered above her, elegant and cold.
She walked inside, her heart pounding so loudly she was sure the receptionist could hear it.
"Good evening," the woman said politely.
"I am looking for my husband," Ava replied, her voice steady despite the storm Inside her "Daniel Lucas."
The receptionist hesitated, fingers pausing over the keyboard.
"He is expecting me," Ava added quickly. "I forgot something important."
The woman glanced at the screen, then nodded "Suite 1803."
The elevator ride felt endlessi
When the doors opened, the hallway was silent, carpeted in deep red. Ava walked slowly, each step heavier than the last, until she stood in front of the door.
She raised her hand to knock.
Laughter drifted from inside.
A woman's laugh.
Serena.
Ava's hand trembled, but she knocked anyway.
The laughter stopped.
Footsteps approached.
The door opened.
Serena Vale stood there in a silk robe, her hair loose, her makeup perfect. Her smile froze when she saw Ava.
"Oh," Serena said softly "You came."
Ava stared at her, taking in every detail. This was the woman who had haunted her marriage without ever showing her face. The woman Daniel ran to when things became inconvenient.
"Move," Ava sald
Serena hesitated, then stepped aside.
The room smelled like expensive perfume and familiarity. Ava walked in and saw Daniel standing near the window, his jacket draped over a chair, his shirt sleeves rolled up
His face drained of color.
"Ava," he said. "What are you doing here?"
She laughed. "You forgot to mention you were busy."
Serena crossed her arms. "Daniel told me you understood."
Ava turned to her slowly. "You should stop speaking."
Daniel stepped forward. "This is not what it looks like."
Ava met his eyes. "Then explain it."
He opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
The silence was devastating.
Serena sighed. "She deserves the truth."
Daniel shot her a warning look.
"What truth?" Ava demanded.
Serena smiled sadly. "That he never stopped loving me. That your marriage was built on timing, not choice. And that tonight was never about business."
Ava felt something inside her finally shatter
She looked at Daniel, searching for denial, for anger, for anything.
He said nothing.
Her hand moved to her stomach instinctively.
"You were never going to tell me," she said
Daniel's voice was quiet. "I did not want to hurt you."
Ava laughed again, this time sharp and broken. "Congratulations. You succeeded."
She turned toward the door, her legs shaking
"Ava," Daniel called. "Wait."
She paused, not turning around.
"There is something you should know," Serena said behind her.
Ava closed her eyes.
"What," she whispered.
Serena's voice dropped, deliberate and calm.
"I am pregnant too."
The world tilted.
Ava spun around, staring at her
Daniel's face told her everything before he spoke.
The betrayal was not just emotional.
It was complete.