The Truth

Ella shuddered, her body trembling as she began to speak, her voice shaky but desperate to explain. "I... I never thought things would turn out like this. Aiden, that morning, Father asked me to take Kimberlee to Serena. He told me Kimberlee knew things about you—things that, if Serena found out, she'd break it off with you. I… I thought…" Her words faltered, her guilt tangible in the air. "I thought you had cheated on Serena and that she deserved to know."

She paused, her gaze flickering toward Aiden before quickly looking away. "I'm not trying to claim the moral high ground here or pretend I was worried about Serena's well-being. That's not what this was about. I wanted to break your marriage because I believed Serena was the reason you were slipping further away from me. So, I took Kimberlee to her."