Chapter 8

Xavier continued to plead, saying, “We're still married. I shredded the divorce papers. You're my wife. About Jennifer, let me explain. It was a moment of madness. I swear, you're the one I've always loved, and that will never change.”

“You know my position. In my world, you think you can solve any problem, bend any rule. Women are always an issue. I was desperate. I couldn't control my… my savior complex, so…”

His self-serving excuse felt like a final, deliberate insult, mocking the years of devotion and trust I had placed in him.

Unable to restrain myself any longer, I slapped him across the face, the sound echoing in the quiet lane.

“That’s your excuse for betrayal?” I exclaimed, my voice trembling with rage. “I told you before: if you ever cheated on me or lied to me, you had to tell me. But you? You’ve been with her for two years. Two years! You had countless chances to be honest, but you chose deceit. You even planned to carve me up like an animal so she could live!”