Divorce from Betrayal

After Gabriel stood me up three times, I decided to go to the cinema alone to catch *The Avengers 2*. Halfway through the film, I had to use the restroom, and from the next stall, I heard unmistakable sounds of intimacy.

The soft moans, although faint, were undeniable. I frowned, eager to leave quickly. From the adjoining stall, a woman teased playfully, "Is your wife this adventurous?"

"A woman like her probably just lies there, not moving an inch," the man replied, his voice dripping with desire.

I knew that voice—it was my husband, Gabriel!

My mind went blank, and my legs turned to jelly, causing me to collapse onto the toilet seat. The woman continued breathlessly, "Next time we work out together, take a picture of her lying there like a log. Imagine how much fun that would be."

Amidst the rhythmic sounds, Gabriel responded in a low tone, "Alright."

I stood in front of the thin stall door, my hand rising and falling helplessly multiple times. I didn't dare confront it; I couldn't handle the truth.

Gabriel had ditched me three times, soothingly claiming that work was overwhelming and he couldn't find the time to be with me. He even bought me a designer handbag as an apology. I had started to reflect on myself—it’s perfectly fine to watch a movie alone. His career was mostly for my benefit, and I should be more independent.

Yet here he was, claiming to be so busy, now with another woman in the cinema, unable to control himself even in the restroom.

The crashing sounds quickened, and the moaning grew louder. My heart felt like it was splitting open; a suffocating sensation swept over me like a tide. I opened my mouth mechanically, but no air filled my lungs.

Finally, Gabriel let out a satisfied sigh, and the movement in the stall ceased. The woman teased, "Oh look at you, so eager and wild. You've ripped my dress—how am I supposed to face anyone now?"

Gabriel chuckled, "Wear mine. It’s got your scent all over it."

"Fine, let's see how you explain this to your wife when you get home."

"I’ll just say I fell asleep at the office, and it went missing."

"You don't even bother to lie well. Let’s see if she buys it."

"Her? She never questions me. I could tell her the company went under, and she'd just grit her teeth and support me."

As they got themselves together, they continued their playful banter. Outside the door, I stood, teeth clenched, fists tight, eyes stinging, yet no tears came. I stared at that door, replaying countless confrontations with Gabriel in my mind like a slideshow.

Blood rushed to my head, a mix of sadness and anger demanding release. I wanted to hit him, scream at him, burst in there and tear him apart, demand to know how he could betray me. How could he?

The lock clicked open, and in that last moment, the breath I'd been holding suddenly escaped. I fled, overwhelmed by defeat.

I returned home feeling like a ghost, too drained to change my shoes or turn on the lights. I sat in the living room, staring vacantly as the sunset faded away through the large window, allowing darkness to swallow the entire house.

Gabriel walked in, humming a tune.

He flicked on the living room lights and jumped back in surprise when he saw me sitting there motionless on the couch, dropping the fancy gift bag he was holding. The sudden brightness made me squint as he rushed over to me, concern etched on his face as he touched my forehead.

"Galilea, are you alright? Are you feeling sick?"

I turned my head slightly to dodge his touch, instinctively pulling away from him. His hand hovered awkwardly in the air, a hint of cold indifference creeping into his expression. Without a word from me, Gabriel picked up the bag from the floor, offering it to me like it was a trophy.

"I'm sorry I've been so useless. The company is going through a critical phase, and I've been neglecting you."

"I noticed you lingered a bit when you saw the ad for this bag in the fashion magazine the other day. I got it for you."

"My darling, please don't be upset, alright?"

I looked down at his hand holding the bag.

Just a couple of hours ago, in the restroom at the theater, that hand had been caressing another woman's skin, lost in desire. He'd called her his "little enchantress."

And now, that same hand held a bag bought out of guilt. He called me "darling."

A wave of nausea hit me, and I pushed Gabriel aside, rushing to the bathroom to vomit until I felt dizzy.

Gabriel quickly brought me tissues and water. "Darling, are you... are you pregnant?"

I lifted my eyelids to look at him blankly and shook my head.

He abruptly leaned in, wrapping me in his arms without warning.

"Galilea, let's have a baby, okay?"

A faint scent of perfume drifted from Gabriel's hair and shirt, overwhelming my senses. I pushed him away.

"You smell."

Gabriel misunderstood, laughing knowingly as he gently tapped my nose. "Got it. I'll take a shower. Wait for me."

He stood up, sent a few messages on his phone, and casually left it on the table before heading to the bathroom.

I stared at his phone, feeling an irresistible urge, and got up to enter the password.

His phone was open to a chat with a woman named "Valery Bell."

Gabriel: [Don’t you want to see it? I’ll shower first, and then I'll send it to you.]

Valery: [So thrilling, I’m excited again.]

[Later, we’ll swap. I’ll look at hers, and you’ll look at mine.]

A chill ran through me, my hands trembling uncontrollably as the phone slipped from my grasp onto the floor.

I tried to bend down and pick it up, but my legs were too weak to support me. So, I stayed on the floor, hugging my knees, letting tears fall, soaking into the carpet until only tiny circles remained.

Mom, in the end, I chose the wrong person.

It was my blind love that gave Gabriel the courage to act so recklessly.

He knew I trusted him, that I wouldn't question him.

That's why he was so brazen—he didn’t even bother to change his phone password.

I bit my lower lip, suppressing my sobs until the taste of blood filled my mouth.

The intense pain finally jolted me back to reality.