1 Rumors of infidelity

Esme hurried out of the airport; her sole focus was to reach her boyfriend as quickly as she could. 

She heard someone shouting behind her, but she completely ignored it. Summoning a cab, she wasted no time in getting to her boyfriend's place, her heart pulsating with a mix of excitement and apprehension.

Would he be happy to see her? Or would he be angry with her for not informing him about her arrival beforehand?

Even if he became enraged with her, she would apologize. That's what she did whenever he raged at her.

Buzz-Buzz…

Esme's phone vibrated inside her bag, breaking her trance. It was her friend.

She answered the call. "Yes, I just landed. Thanks, Adel, for booking the ticket for me in a hurry. I'll pay you back." 

"Oh, come on, Esme. I am not thinking about that. How was the exam by the way?" her friend asked, a tinge of worry in her tone.

Esme didn't reply immediately, her thoughts trailing off. She had been excited since the last night with the prospect that the final exam of her master's degree would be over and that she would fly to her boyfriend before heading back home. However, all her excitement vanished when she received some disturbing photographs of her boyfriend early this morning. 

Her mind was a jumbled mess of conflicting emotions, barely caring about the exam.

"Yeah, it was okay," she replied with a sigh. "I'll call you later. Bye." 

A sigh of dismay escaped her lips as she leaned back on the seat. Her mind raced back to the messages she had received in the morning- Julian with a beautiful woman, their arms wrapped around each other, smiling happily. The image stung like a slap across her face, leaving her feeling breathless and betrayed.

She had done everything she could to keep this woman away from him. But this woman had her own way of getting back to Julian.

'Everything is fine. He is not cheating on me,' she murmured to herself. 'It's just another rumor.' 

Esme had interrogated Julian, who had already clarified that he had nothing to do with this woman. She had faith in him, but not in this woman. 

Such kind of woman would go out of her way to win over a successful guy like Julian. At that moment of desperation, Esme had made a quick decision to fly to him. So she called her friend to book the flight ticket before going for the examination. Her eyes, slightly watery, scanned the scenery outside the window.

The two years of their engagement had been an agreement to support his career aspirations. He had urged her to complete her master's degree before they tied the knot, a sacrifice she had willingly made to please him.

Now that he had successfully climbed to the top position within the company's management, she couldn't help but feel optimistic. Surely, with his newfound success, there wouldn't be any obstacles in their path to marriage. 

The anticipation of seeing him outweighed any lingering worry, as she held onto the belief that their love would smooth over any rough edges.

Esme arrived at his apartment in no time. She quietly slipped in, using the spare key he had entrusted her with. The emptiness of the hallway eased her nerves, assuming Julian hadn't returned home from work yet. Placing her bag on the sofa, she resolved to surprise him by preparing dinner.

Just then, she heard Julian's loud laughter coming from his bedroom followed by a woman's giggle. A sudden heaviness settled in Esme's chest.

'He had brought a woman into his house,' she murmured to herself, tears welling up in her eyes. The rumors of his infidelity, which she had previously dismissed, now seemed painfully real.

Furious, Esme marched toward his bedroom, her emotions in turmoil. As she burst into the room, her eyes widened in disbelief.

Esme's heart raced with anger and betrayal. The sight that greeted her was one she would never forget. Julian was lying on his bed, his arms wrapped around a beautiful woman, both of them laughing and kissing passionately. Their clothes were scattered all over the floor.

Esme felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe that Julian, the man she loved and trusted, had been cheating on her. She felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and her vision began to blur.

"Julian, what the hell is going on here?" Esme demanded, her voice shaking with rage.

Julian froze, his eyes wide with shock at her unexpected arrival. "Esme! What are you doing here?" he exclaimed, sitting up. He did not, however, attempt to get out of bed and dress.

The woman also didn't show any sign of getting out of bed. She looked up at Esme, a mixture of fear and defiance in her eyes. She moved closer to Julian, hugging him tighter.

Esme's world crumbled, the pain of betrayal suffocating her. The love she had for him for years felt tarnished and destroyed. His lack of remorse felt like a brutal mockery, a humiliating betrayal of their shared past.

"Tell her to leave," Esme demanded vehemently, a desperate attempt to regain some semblance of control.

"Darling, she's asking me to leave," the woman countered, her tone tinged with petulance. "She barged in without invitation. She should leave."

Julian remained silent, his gaze fixed on Esme, his unreadable expression adding to her torment. "Wait for me in the car," he said after some time, thinking he had to have this conversation with Esme.

"What?" The woman beside him exclaimed with disbelief.

"Ruby, just do as I say," Julian grumbled, shooting her a warning glare.

Ruby quickly scrambled off the bed, got dressed, and hurried out of the room.

Julian slipped into his trousers, his movement unhurried. "You shouldn't have come here without informing me," he said indifferently, cold and detached.

Julian's nonchalant demeanor cut through Esme like a knife; his indifference to the situation was chilling. His lack of shame or remorse only fueled Esme's rage.

"I wouldn't have seen this if I had informed you earlier," she raged. "You were cheating on me, humiliating our relationship!" Esme's words erupted with a ferocity that shook the room.

"I was going to let you know after your exam was over."

His explanation only fueled her ire. "What were you going to tell me? You were with that woman? That you were cheating? What about our love and our relationship?" Her voice reverberated, charged with hurt and disbelief.

"I don't want that relationship. I never did," Julian shouted even louder than her. His retort cut deeper than any insult. "I never wanted to be tied down to a small town or marry a small-town girl. Do you think I will be satisfied with that small wood factory my father owns?"