From what I can see of her, she’s a petite, curvy redhead. She’s pretty, someone my boyfriend knows. My choked groan brings her attention to me. You can practically see the puzzle pieces aligning in her mind. Her gaze shifts between us.
“Oh, shit,” she breathes, her brows pinching together. “I didn’t know. I swear.”
“Son of a bitch,” Tatiana growls. “You stupid fucking prick.”
“No!” Luciano whines, his face paling. He shakes his head vigorously, sensing the impending doom. “No, it’s not what you think, Caterina.”
The redhead’s apology doesn’t change the situation, but at least she’s showing some decency. I could be mad at her, but it’s not her fault. Even if she knew and still slept with him, the only person at fault here is Luciano. His lack of impulse control, his disregard for our relationship—this is all on him.
“Please… you don’t have to explain yourself,” I tell her, and her cheeks flush with embarrassment. She nods and slips past us, heading onto the dance floor.
“You lied to me,” I say, keeping my voice low but firm.
“I told you, it’s not what you think. It’s all a misunderstanding. You know I love you.”
He’s trying to soothe me, but his words only add to the anger and disappointment churning inside me. There’s no way I can believe him now. I reach out to him, but when he tries to touch me, I slap his hand away. My heart feels heavy, weighed down by the betrayal.
“All this time. All these years, and you do this to me? Things have been hard, and I haven’t been perfect, but…” I’m struggling to make sense of the situation. We weren’t perfect, and we were on rocky ground, but cheating was never necessary.
“You’re right,” he agrees quickly. “All these years spent together. Do you want to throw away what we have all because of something like this? Something so small.”
Nothing about this is small. Only he would consider cheating a trivial issue, something to be overlooked. His assumption that I would just accept this and move on is infuriating.
“You’re damn right, she does,” Tatiana snaps.
Luciano rolls his eyes. “Why don’t you mind your own fucking business for once?”
“Don’t talk to her that way,” I say, my voice cold and unwavering. I’m building a wall between my roiling emotions and the outside world. I will not break down here. An icy chill runs through me, and sweat forms against my brow. The knife of betrayal twists deeper in my gut, but I force myself to breathe, determined not to lose it in front of this cheating prick and a room full of strangers.
Luciano’s pleas fall on deaf ears as the reality of the situation crystallizes for me. His attempts to touch me, to plead for another chance, only deepen my sense of betrayal. I blink back tears, feeling a rage simmer beneath my skin, the kind that makes me want to lash out, to scream and tear at everything around me.
“I don’t think you know what love is, Luciano,” I manage to growl, my voice trembling with barely restrained anger. “But it doesn’t matter because we’re over. We’re done. I have more respect for myself than to stay with you, knowing you’re sleeping with other women. When you leave here, I want you to go back to the apartment we shared and pack as much as you can carry. Find somewhere else to stay. If I get there and you’re not gone, I’m calling the cops. You know, the people in blue who know me and respect my father. I’m sure you can figure out what happens next.”
Tatiana’s voice joins mine, dripping with venom. “Better hurry. Maybe I’ll call my dad, too. Just ’cause I’m a bitch like that.”
Luciano’s face twists in shock and panic as he realizes the gravity of the situation. He opens his mouth, probably to offer another excuse or beg for forgiveness, but then seems to think better of it. His lips press into a firm line as he walks away, leaving me to grapple with the hollow ache inside.
Once he’s out of sight, the strength I was clinging to evaporates, and I crumble. Tatiana wraps her arm around me, guiding me away from the scene. Her comforting presence is the only thing anchoring me right now.
“I’m sorry, C. I’m so sorry,” she says softly.
I shake my head, feeling the numbness inside me. “You were right. I was so stupid, so blind. I thought he was working, but he was with someone else. How could I have been so foolish?” The words tumble out of me in a torrent of pain and confusion.
“Come on.” Tatiana gently leads me down the hall, away from the club’s main area. “We’re going to get fucking wasted. That’s where.”
Her determination to take me somewhere safe and away from prying eyes is comforting, even if I’m not sure I have the strength to fully appreciate it right now. Once we emerge from the hallway, Tatiana signals a server. “We need a private table and a bottle of champagne. Keep them coming.”
The server looks at us curiously but nods and heads off to make the arrangements.
“What are you celebrating?” she asks, trying to keep the mood light.
Tatiana gives her a wry smile. “My friend here just lost a lot of weight. Like a hundred seventy-five pounds of worthless asshole.”
The server chuckles and leaves us to our own devices. I can’t help but appreciate Tatiana’s attempt to lighten the mood, even if I feel too broken to truly enjoy it.
We sit down, and as the champagne starts flowing, I let myself lean into Tatiana’s support, ready to drown my sorrows and attempt to piece together the fragments of my shattered heart.