Crestfallen [COMPLETED]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ - 36

Alex

A searing headache pulsates through my skull as I wake up, disoriented. My body aches.

Sitting on the floor, my head rests on the couch. I struggle to lift myself up, my limbs heavy and drained of strength.

My gaze inadvertently falls on the table mirror, and I'm met with a disheveled reflection, messy hair, open shirt buttons, a bruised lower lip, bloodshot eyes.

It all comes crashing down on me – the memories of last night.
Joanna's piercing cries, her fist connecting with my jaw, everything that erupted between us.

The pain is unbearable, a raw wound that throbs.But it's not just physical pain; it's the agony of the truth. Her infidelity.

I reach out and my trembling fingers brush against something cold and metallic in the corner.

I lift it up, and there it is,

her wedding ring.

The symbol of our commitment, of the promises we made to each other. The very ring she discarded as if it held no significance.

As if our years together were nothing more than a fleeting memory.

I cradle the ring in my hand, feeling its weight against my palm.

I'm crying over it, holding onto it as if it's the last link to the life we once had.

I clutch it tighter, as if I can will it to stay with me, to not slip through my fingers like she did.

Regret hits me like a tidal wave, a sharp pang in my chest for what I had attempted to do. Slowly, I make my way to the closed bedroom door.

I remember her shutting herself in there, seeking refuge from my actions.

Remorse washes over me.

My knuckles graze lightly against the wood as I knock, my voice soft, laden with sorrow,

"Jo, I'm sorry." My words tremble in the air. "I am so sorry, baby. I shouldn't…"

My voice falters, the weight of my apology hanging heavily

"I hate myself for it. Believe me, I regret…" My voice gains volume, my heart tightening in my chest.

"But you hurt me too, Jo. Not just that punch. Yes, that hurts too," I admit, the admission a painful truth.

"You hurt me, Jo. It…" I swallow, my voice cracking under the weight of my emotions.

"It shattered me. Your affair broke me, Jo." The pain in my chest feels almost physical, like a tight grip that won't let go.

"I can't give excuses for my behavior. It was worse. I know I deserved that punch."

My plea continues, my voice tinged with desperation,

"Jo, open the door, please. Let's talk."

But the door remains closed, unyielding like her.

Frustration simmers within me, a tension building up. I give the door a frustrated hit, and it swings open, revealing our bedroom.

I step in, searching for Joanna, my heart racing as I scan the empty space.
She's not in the bathroom, nor in the bedroom.

Panic starts to grip me, and I move to the wardrobe, my hands trembling as I fling open the doors. Her clothes, her things all gone.

Her car keys gone.

A wave of dizziness threatens to overtake me, and I grip the doorframe to steady myself.

The truth hits me with the force of a hammer.

She's gone.

The woman I love, the love of my life, has walked out of my life.

She left in the dead of the night, while I was asleep, after everything that had transpired.

A lone tear escapes my eye, tracing a path down my cheek. The room around me feels like it's closing in, and I'm consumed by heartbreak, guilt, and longing, all together crushing me down under their weight.

My voice barely a whisper, I murmur, "Joanna…" as if saying her name might bring her back, as if I could will her to return.

But the room remains empty, the silence echoing with the weight of her absence.

And in that moment, I'm left with the realization that I've lost her the woman who was my everything

My heart breaks, the pain almost unbearable as I come to terms with the emptiness that now fills the space she once occupied in my life.