Crestfallen [COMPLETED]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ - 32

Alex

Time stretches on endlessly as I sit in my car, parked outside the upper east side.

Three hours. Three excruciating hours of waiting.

Of uncertainty, of battling with my own demons.

I can feel the tension in my back, the ache that's settled in from the hours of sitting here, consumed by my thoughts. My head rests heavily against the seat, a futile attempt to alleviate the weight that's crushing my chest.

She wouldn't do this.
I try to convince myself. Maybe she just needed to blow off steam. some time away from the suffocating atmosphere of our strained marriage.

Maybe this is just about her finding some solace, some escape from the turmoil that has become our lives.

It doesn't have to be another man. It can't be.

My heart pounds mercilessly as the gate to an apartment in the upper floors opens. My eyes remain fixed, watching for any sign of her.

My breath catches when I see her.

Joanna step out, my relief tangible.

I would confront her tonight. About all these doubts creeping in my mind.
I will end all the distance between us. I decide.

But then, everything crashes down around me like a tidal wave as a guy follows her.

He pulls her close, his hand on her waist. My heart shatters into a million pieces as he presses her against the wall, their lips colliding in a desperate kiss.

I can't tear my eyes away, even as I feel the hot sting of tears welling up.

My grip on the steering wheel tightens, my knuckles almost white.

The sight is a nightmare, a horror unfolding before me. My wife, the woman I love, is in the arms of another man.

A wave of anguish engulfs me as I witness her lean into him, kissing him back with an intensity. The betrayal is a knife twisting in my heart, the pain unbearable.

Uncontrollable tears stream down my face, blurring my vision as I struggle to process what's happening.

My grip on the steering wheel is so tight that it's almost painful. But the pain in my chest is worse.

A physical ache that mirrors the devastation I'm feeling inside.

I can't comprehend this sight displaying before me.

I'm frozen in that moment, too numb to function.

My mind is a whirlwind of emotions.

I am engulfed in a haze of uncontrollable anger, my vision clouded by the torrent of tears streaming down.

The weight in my chest is unbearable.

I step out of the car, my steps heavy and unsteady as I walk towards the entrance of the building. The world around me seems to blur as my focus narrows on reaching her.

I reach the floor they are on, my pulse racing in my ears, the rage boiling within me.
My eyes lock onto them, and a guttural growl escapes my lips at the sight that greets me.

My wife, the woman who was once mine, pressed against another man, her eyes full of lust for him.

It twists a knife even deeper.

I can't tear my gaze away, the image burning into my mind.

Her lips on his, her body close to his. Her smiles for him.

When,
She doesn't even spare me a glance. She doesn't let me touch her. She hadn't let me kiss her then.

My chest tightens as the betrayal unfolds before me.

And then, as if in slow motion, her gaze turns towards me. Her eyes widen, the shock and disbelief evident on her face.

The realization dawns on her, and her grip on the other man loosens.

She says my name, her voice a mere whisper that still reaches my ears amidst the chaos.

"Alex."

A single tear slips down her cheek.

The guy releases her, stepping back as his face comes into full view. But I can't focus on him.

Not in this moment. All I can see is her, the woman I loved.
The woman who was supposed to be mine.
Staring mindlessly at me.