Echoes of Betrayal

My husband is choosing to save his ex-girlfriend while I lie trapped under a five-ton truck.

I cant feel my legs. The crushing weight of the delivery truck has pinned me against the asphalt, but the pain in my body is nothing compared to the knife twisting in my heart.

Adrian stands five feet away. He isn't looking at my mangled body. His eyes are locked on Savannah, who is crying over a scraped knee in the distance. He meets my gaze for a split second. There is no love there. Only impatience.

"Cole, take over here," Adrian barks, dropping the jack that could save my life. "I have to get to her."

He turns his back on his dying wife to run to the one that got away.

And as the darkness swallows me, I realize the truck isn't the only thing crushing me today.

Chapter 1

Clang.

Adrian threw the heavy jack onto the asphalt, his face dark. "Something urgent came up. Get Cole over here."

Fifteen minutes. That's all it took for my calm, collected husband to crack after hearing the news about Savannah.

He stood up, peeling off his work gloves, trying to look calm, refusing to look at me. But the slight tremor in his boot gave him away. Savannah was hurt, and he was losing his mind.

"Adrian, your wife is losing a lot of blood. If we delay any longer, we might be looking at amputation. Are you sure you're not going to help with the extraction?"

My chest felt like it had been pierced by a thousand needles.

I kept my voice steady as I addressed the other rescue workers. "It's fine. Anyone can pull me out."

From the moment Savannah returned to the States, I knew my marriage to Adrian was over.

Footsteps scrambled around me, chaotic and loud. But the sound of Adrian's boots grew fainter and fainter, until they disappeared completely.

A cold chill seeped into my bones. I squeezed my eyes shut, surrendering to the despair.

God, this is humiliating. Claire, this isn't the first time you've been abandoned. Why does it still hurt like hell?

The jack reappeared in my line of sight.

A deep, indifferent voice cut through the noise. "I'm here. Why the tears?"

The crushing weight of the truck slowly lifted.

Blinding light flooded in, forcing me to shut my eyes tight. Paramedics swarmed. The world tilted and swayed as I was loaded into the ambulance, and then everything went black.

I woke up in the ER.

"Who is Claire's family?" a nurse shouted.

Silence.

My lips curled into a weak, bitter smile. My family was busy saving his first love.

Then, that same cool, detached voice spoke up. "I am. What needs signing?"

Darkness pulled me under again.

When I opened my eyes, evening shadows stretched across the room.

The cold man was sitting by my bedside. "You're up? Your husband's on the phone."

He held the device to my ear.

A sugary, high-pitched voice dripped from the speaker. "Oh! Claire picked up! Adrian, listen!"

"Claire, I am so sorry. I just took a little tumble down the stairs. I don't know what the neighbor girl told him. I already scolded her."

I listened, my face a blank mask.

Her voice turned syrupy sweet. "Adrian, you've been working for so long, why are you still acting like a reckless college boy? Do you think we're still dating or something? Hurry up and apologize to Claire. You'd better bring her a mille-crepe cake."

Rustling sounds. The phone changed hands.

Adrian's voice came through. "If you want to heal fast, stop moving around. Claire doesn't like mille-crepe cakes. If you want one, just say so. I'll buy it for you later."

Another girl's voice piped up in the background. "Sis, can I have some of the cake my brother-in-law buys too?"

Savannah's voice fluttered, flustered and coy. "Kiki, stop talking nonsense. Adrian is my ex-boyfriend. We broke up."

"So what if you broke up? You can always get back together."

Suddenly, the mangled mess of my leg didn't hurt nearly as much as my heart. It felt like someone was carving my chest open with a dull knife.

The call cut off abruptly.

Chapter 2

Cole rolled his wrist, a sharp crack echoing in the quiet room. "Tired. The doctor said you're lucky. Just superficial wounds. Ten stitches on the ankle. You'll be discharged in a week."

"Thanks."

I discharged myself after four days. The neighbors had filed complaints about my dog, Sasha, barking all night.

Ruby, my neighbor, lit up when she saw me. "You're finally back! No one's been home for days. I was worried Sasha was starving."

"No one?"

Adrian hadn't been home in days?

I rushed to unlock the door. Sasha was lying limp by her bed. She didn't even have the strength to lift her head to greet me.

"Sasha"

My heart clenched. I scooped her up. "It's okay. Mommy's taking you to the vet right now."

"Oh, Adrian if you bring me inside, won't Claire be upset?"

My hand froze on Sasha's fur.

The door swung open from the outside. Adrian and Savannah stood there, freezing when they saw me.

"Claire? You're discharged? Why didn't you call me to pick you up?"

I stared at them blankly. Savannah's jacket was draped casually over his arm.

Savannah's voice was small, fragile. "Claire, don't misunderstand. I was worried Sasha was lonely, so I begged Adrian to bring me over to check on her."

I looked at Adrian. I didn't say a word.

Savannah's tone grew urgent. "Claire, don't blame Adrian. Blame me"

"Savannah, this isn't on you," he said, his voice smooth. "I ran into her on the way. I just gave her a ride. It wasn't planned."

His eyes were clear, calm. As if the jacket on his arm belonged to a stranger.

They stood there like a perfect couple, framed by the doorway. I stood on the other side of the threshold, in the shadows. Two different worlds.

Before we got married, he confessed. "I have a childhood friend. She went abroad. We're impossible. After we marry, I'll be faithful to you until the end."

Before Savannah came back, he was. He came home straight after work. He reported everything to me.

But even the strongest fortress erodes in the storm. Especially a heart that was never firm to begin with.

"How is Sasha?"

His gaze finally landed on the dog in my arms.

I swallowed the bitterness rising in my throat. "I'm taking her to the vet. Drive me. Sasha gets scared around strangers when she's sick. I don't want anyone else in the car."

Savannah lifted her wet, doe-like eyes. "Adrian, I can take a cab back."

"But you just got back to the States. You don't know the roads."

Adrian looked at me, his eyes dark, silently demanding I be the "sensible" one and take back my request.

I stroked Sasha's fur, ignoring him. I was done compromising.

Savannah's eyes rimmed red. She whispered, "Adrian, I can do it"

Sasha let out a weak whimper. I didn't have time to watch their little soap opera. Holding Sasha tight, I walked right past Adrian's expectant gaze and out the door.

Slam.

I shut the door in his face.

Chapter 3

I looked at Savannah, my voice flat. "There's a taxi stand downstairs. And a bus stop. Do you need me to call you an Uber?"

Adrian frowned. "Claire, Savannah doesn't know the area. It's not safe for her to be alone. Maybe"

I cut him off. "Option one: You take her home. Option two: You take me and Sasha to the vet. Pick one."

He looked baffled. Like he couldn't understand why I was being so petty.

Savannah's voice went soft and pleading. "Adrian, don't fight with Claire over me. I'll go right now"

Red light. The air in the car was suffocating.

Adrian's knuckles were white on the wheel, veins popping. His eyes were glued to the rearview mirror, watching Savannah by the curb, worry etched on his face.

I curled my lip into a cold smile. "Should Sasha and I get out?"

He took a deep breath, keeping his voice steady. "Stop being unreasonable. Savannah is alone in this city. If she gets into an accident, she has no one. I'd do the same for any friend."

I stroked Sasha, exhaustion seeping into my marrow.

Everything he did was logical. Everything I did was unreasonable.

The light turned green. He glanced at Savannah on the roadside again. The car didn't move. Horns blared behind us. Reluctantly, he finally pressed the gas.

"Let's get a divorce," I said quietly.

He slammed on the brakes. Everything in the car went flying.

"Claire, what is your problem now?"

The rearview mirror showed chaos. In the distance, I could vaguely see Savannah sitting on the ground.

I smiled. "Your friend seems to have fallen. Aren't you going to go help her?"

Adrian gritted his teeth. "Is this really the time? You're joking about this now?"

I chuckled softly. "Time for what?"

Adrian pressed his lips into a thin line and stomped on the gas.

I watched Savannah shrink in the rearview mirror. Just before she disappeared, I caught the look in her eyes. Pure venom.

The vet said Sasha was severely malnourished. It damaged her stomach. We'd have to be careful with her diet from now on.

Adrian and I stood there, faces like stone. The vet sensed the tension and skipped the upsell, just telling us to take Sasha home to rest.

Back home, Adrian softened his tone. "Want to try that new restaurant out in the suburbs this weekend?"

Normally, I would have taken the olive branch. This time, I didn't say a word.

He walked over, wrapping his arms around my waist, dropping a light kiss on my cheek.

I felt nothing but nausea.

"No. I have to work overtime this weekend."

Adrian and I met on a blind date five years ago. I was at the age to marry. He just happened to be there. I thought we'd live a life of mutual respect.

Four years ago, when I was at my lowest, he held me and said, "Claire, don't be afraid. I've got you. We're husband and wife. You can love me. You can trust me."

Like a fool, I opened my heart to him.

I thought love could be grown. I thought a heart could be warmed.

Reality slapped me in the face. Hard.

If Savannah had come back four years ago, I wouldn't have cared. I would have stepped aside.

But why did he have to make me fall for him when she was still in his heart?

Chapter 4

I opened Instagram. Savannah's story was right at the top.

Hurt my leg. Gained a personal nurse.

The photo showed a man's hand applying ointment to her knee. That familiar hand. The one that used to trace the curves of my body. Now it was touching someone else.

I let out a cold laugh and locked my screen.

When I opened it again, the story was gone. Deleted.

Ever since I brought up divorce, Adrian had been coming home on time every day, playing the role of the perfect, devoted husband.

3:00 AM.

A sharp ringtone shattered the silence.

Adrian snatched the phone, answering immediately. His voice was frantic. "Wait for me."

The sudden light stung my eyes. "What's wrong?"

He was scrambling to put on his pants, stumbling, nearly falling over as his foot got caught. "I've been called in. Urgent mission."

I watched his retreating back, sleep completely gone.

The roar of his engine tore through the quiet night.

Not long after, I saw Savannah's new post.

With you here, everything feels safe.

The photo was of his back as he poured water in her kitchen.

I tapped "like".

Then I turned off my phone and forced myself to close my eyes. I thought I'd toss and turn, but sleep came surprisingly fast.

The next morning, I turned my phone back on. Dozens of missed calls. Thirty unread messages. Just as I was about to put it down, it rang again.

"Why was your phone off last night?"

Hearing Adrian's accusatory tone, I kept my voice flat. "I didn't want to be woken up by another phone call in the middle of the night."

Silence on the other end.

"Savannah had a stomach ache last night. I I just stopped by to check on her on my way."

Savannah's innocent voice floated through the speaker. "Claire, don't misunderstand. Adrian was supposed to go on a mission, but my stomach hurt so bad he just swung by."

I was known for my good temper. But I wasn't a doormat. Even a rabbit bites when cornered.

"An emergency mission at your house? That is urgent."

Hearing my sarcasm, Adrian's tone dropped. "Claire, stop overthinking. It was literally on the way."

"Last I checked, your office is on the East Side. She lives on the West Side. How is that on the way? In what universe is that on the way?"

"You're being irrational," Adrian snapped. "The mission site was on the West Side."

I laughed, cold and sharp. "Adrian. I don't share. Pick one. Her or me. You can't have both."

Savannah's voice turned soft, fragile. "Claire, please don't get the wrong idea. Adrian and I really have nothing going on. If I'm affecting your relationship, I'll leave the city right now."

Adrian's voice cut in, urgent and protective. "Savannah, you just found a good job. There's no need to leave over this. Claire is just"

I hung up.

It felt like ten thousand needles piercing my heart.

Five years of marriage. In the end, it couldn't compare to the ghost of his first love.

Chapter 5

Adrian and I hadn't spoken since that phone call.

It was our first cold war in five years. Right when his "one that got away" decided to settle down in this city.

He stopped coming home entirely, claiming he was staying at the staff dorms.

"Claire, I saw Adrian at the supermarket with another girl the other day. They looked close."

Gertrude, my elderly neighbor, whispered the warning like it was a secret.

I forced a smile. "Probably just a colleague."

Gertrude hesitated, looking like she wanted to say more. "You know, some girls these days target married men. But if it's just a colleague, that's good."

I closed the door and looked around the empty, silent house. Our wedding photo hung dead center on the wall.

In the picture, his smile was warm, gentle. Right now, that smile was probably directed at Savannah.

I ordered something online but forgot to change the default address. It went to Adrian's parents' house.

I stopped by after work to pick it up. Before I even reached the door, I heard laughter.

Savannah's voice was crystal clear. "Thanks, Auntie Karen! You're the best!"

Karen sighed. "Oh, I always thought you'd be my daughter-in-law. Who knew"

"Auntie, I" Savannah started.

"Adrian, maybe you should just divorce Claire," Karen interrupted. "She hasn't been able to get pregnant for years"

"Mom, don't talk like that" Adrian muttered.

I pushed the door open. The laughter in the living room died instantly.

Adrian and Savannah were sitting side-by-side on the sofa. They looked like the married couple.

Karen's mouth twitched. "Why didn't you knock?" she snapped.

I scanned the room. Leftover dishes on the table. It looked like a feast.

"Your door wasn't locked."

I spotted my package, grabbed it, and turned to leave. Looking at them for one more second made me want to vomit.

Adrian shot up. "Claire, don't misunderstand. Savannah hasn't seen my parents in years. She just came to visit."

I smiled. "Sure. I'll send you the divorce agreement next week."

Adrian rushed toward me. "We really have nothing going on."

I slammed the door shut.

From inside, I heard Karen cursing. "Good riddance! What did we ever do to deserve a woman like that?"

Adrian didn't chase after me.

Midnight.

Savannah posted a photo. Messy hair. Swollen, red lips. The look of a woman who had been thoroughly loved.

Caption: That long-lost feeling. It's beautiful.

My heart clenched in pain. He never kissed me. He said he was a germaphobe.

It turned out his germaphobia was selective. To him, I was the dirty one.

Chapter 6