Was I Not Enough?

"Julian, stop...someone might see us," the woman purred, her voice a seductive whisper.

Julian chuckled, pulling her closer. "Then let them. Or better yet..." he trailed a finger down her arm, placing a lingering kiss on her perfect cleavage, his voice dropping in a husky whisper, "why don't we make round two even more sensual?"

Stephanie stood frozen, her hand pressed against the cool wood of the bedroom door, the scene before her a grotesque mockery of the life she had built with Julian. He was entangled in the sheets with another woman. Their entwined bodies felt like a betrayal of everything they'd shared.

The air in the room seemed to cracked with unspoken tension. Panic clawed at her throat, threatening to suffocate her.

She wanted to run, to scream, to make this nightmare disappear.

But her feet wouldn't move, they stood rooted to the spot, and her heart... a leaden weight in her chest.

She wanted to believe this was a mistake, a cruel trick of fate. But the woman's smug smile, the way she traced delicate fingers down Julian's chest, confirmed the truth.

He was gone. Lost in the arms of another.

"Julian" she muttered, her voice a mere breath, a hollow echo in the room.

Julian turned, his eyes widening in surprise, the shock of being caught momentarily eclipsing the guilt.

So this was what she meant to him?

All those late nights spent worrying, the unanswered calls, the heartfelt conversations that led nowhere… was this what kept him busy?

A bitter laugh bubbled, but she swallowed it.

"Stephanie?" he asked, his voice laced with confusion, his brows furrowed in a gesture that seemed to mock her pain. "What are you doing here?" His question, innocent and naive, was the final blow.

The realization that he didn't even know how deeply he had hurt her, how completely he had shattered their world, was a wound that cut deeper than any physical betrayal. She bit her quivering lips, tasting her own tears and snot.

Looking at the man she had loved since childhood. She didn't know what to say anymore. It pained her that she had invested her whole life in this relationship.

Stephanie shook her head in outright denial.

"This... this can't be happening." She choked out, her voice trembling. "Julian, why?" She grabbed her head, her fingers digging into her hair as if trying to claw her way out of this nightmare.

"I did everything you wanted me to do. Everything. I worked so hard, ten times more than a legally wedded wife. I never seemed to give you a reason to complain. So, why? What exactly did I do wrong?!" Her voice cracked, her hands balled into fists, the pain of betrayal radiating through her like a festering wound.

Stephanie took a deep breath. "Well, your message is clear. I'm not good enough for you." She muttered, her voice shaky but firm.

Julian stepped forward, his expression conflicted, hands slightly raised as if to reach for her. "Stephanie don't—"

"I hate you! Julian!" Her voice echoed through the room, a raw, unfiltered expression of her pain.

Stephanie's breath came in ragged gasps, her pulse pounded heavily in her ears. Her vision blurred as hot tears welled up, spilling all over again before she could stop them, her throat burned with pain and betrayal.

Julian ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his jaw clenching. "Please, just let me explain—"

She let out a bitter, hollow laugh. "Explain? Explain what, Julian? That I walked in on you screwing another woman? That all the nights I spent waiting, hoping, believing in you...meant nothing?"

He sighed, looking away, frustration flickering across his face. "It's not like that, Steph. It just... happened."

Her lips parted slightly, disbelief flashing across her tear-streaked face. "It just happened?"

She let the words settle in, the weight pressing down on her chest. Then, suddenly, she furiously lunged forward, shoving him with both hands.

"You don't just accidentally betray someone who gave you their whole damn life, Julian!"

Julian stumbled and nearly fell from the impact, his expression darkened.

"I never asked you to give me your life," he muttered, his voice low.

Stephanie froze.

Her breath hitched as his words sliced through her, a realization dawning that she had been clinging to a love that was never truly hers to claim.

For a moment, she just stared at him, her chest rising and falling with the force of her emotions. Then she let out a small, humorless chuckle, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand.

"You're right," she whispered. "You never asked me to. But you sure as hell didn't stop me either."

She took a shaky step back, gripping the doorframe for support. "And that's on me. For believing you were worth it."

Julian's gaze softened, guilt finally creeping into his features. "Steph, don't do this... I—"

She lifted a trembling hand. "Don't. Just… don't."

A deep, suffocating silence stretched between them.

Then, without another word, Stephanie turned on her heels and walked away.

This time, she didn't look back.

Her hands trembled violently as she fumbled with the doorknob, yanking it open so hard it slammed against the wall. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

"I need to get out. Now."

His betrayal pressed in suffocatingly around her as she stumbled down the hallway, her frail body threatening to crumble. Behind her, she could hear Julian's hushed curses and scrambling movements that only fueled the fire raging inside. She refused to hear his excuses.

"I was stupid to trust him. Stupid to believe in us."

Tears streamed down her cheeks flowing like a broken dam.

The moment she hit the pavement outside, the cold night air crashed into her, mixing with the warmth of her tears. She furiously wiped her face, but it was useless, they just kept falling.

She blindly sauntered forward.

Stepping out onto the street, she flagged down a cab. "Anywhere but here... just drive," her voice, once smooth and melodious, was now dull and hoarse from grief.

The cab man shot her a concerned look through the rearview mirror, but she didn't care. She pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Letting out a shuddering sign.

What kind of fool was she to believe that love was enough?

She had thought she had the best man—a partner worth every sacrifice. What a cruel joke.

*****

"Miss, are you okay?" The cab driver's voice barely cut through Stephanie's swirling thoughts.

She didn't respond. Her almond eyes stared blankly through the fogged-up window, watching the city lights blur as the cab sped through the streets.

Her body felt numb and exhausted. The earlier adrenaline now drained away, leaving behind a hollow ache.

She swiped her cheeks, her plump pink lips trembling as she sucked in an unsteady breath.

"How did everything spiral this fast?"

The driver cleared his throat, sparing her another cautious glance. "You sure you don't want to go home, miss?"

"Go home?" Her stomach churned. She wanted to, but how could she step into that house like this? Her mother would see through her in an instant. And the last thing she wanted was to worry her.

She weakly shook her head. "Just... keep driving." She murmured as she forced down the lump in her throat.

The driver hesitated, his gaze lingering on her disheveled form before nodding.

Minutes passed in painful silence. Until a sudden crash hit the windshield.

Stephanie jerked upright, her reddish-brown waves flying around as she gasped.

A colorful canopy billowing and flapping in the air descended onto their cab.

A parachute?

The heavy fabric enveloped the cab, blocking the driver's view.

"Shit!" The driver cursed, yanking the steering wheel.

He turned sharply, tires screeching in protest.

Stephanie's eyes widened in horror as she saw the headlights illuminate a tree... it all happened too fast.

CRASH!

The impact threw her forward, the seatbelt dug into her chest as the car buckled against the tree's rough bark. Her forehead slammed against the window, followed by a dizzying burst of stars.

Then — darkness.

*****