Lifeline

Chapter 21

The month before the wedding had finally arrived, and Alex's bachelor party was in full swing. He had invited his friends from the UK and some of the new friends he had made at work, creating a lively and energetic group ready to celebrate his upcoming marriage. Meanwhile, I found myself at home, reflecting on the events of my own bachelorette party. My friends had thrown me a fun and unforgettable evening, filled with laughter and shared memories. As the evening progressed, I received sporadic messages from Alex, filled with laughter and snippets of the fun he was having. I smiled as I read his messages, glad that he was enjoying himself and making the most of his last month as an unmarried man. However, as the night wore on, the messages became less frequent, and a sense of unease began to settle in my chest. I tried to brush it off, reminding myself that he was just busy having a good time. But as the hours ticked by and my phone remained silent, my worry deepened. Finally, around 2 a.m., I received a message from Alex. It was clear that he had had too much to drink when I saw all the typos.

+"Hwy babe, havinf an amazin tome... wish yoi were hete."

I knew he was drunk, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. I quickly typed out a response, asking if he was okay and if he needed me to come pick him up. The reply came a little while later, with the words still blurry and difficult to decipher.

+"Nah, dpn't worty bout me. Jus enjoyim the nighr."

I tried to shake off my worry and go to bed, hoping that he would return home safely in the morning. But sleep eluded me, and by the time the sun began to rise, my anxiety had reached its breaking point. I heard the front door open, and my heart skipped a beat as I rushed to the living room. There stood Alex, dishevelled and clearly exhausted. The scent of alcohol clung to him, and I could see the weariness in his eyes. "Alex, what happened?" I demanded with a mixture of anger and concern in my voice. He looked at me, his expression a mix of guilt and sheepishness. "It was just a bachelor party, Liz. We were celebrating." I felt a surge of frustration rise within me. "I understand that, Alex. But you were clearly drunk, and you could have gotten hurt or worse. I just want you to be safe." His shoulders slumped, and he ran a hand through his hair. "I know, I know. I'm sorry, Liz. I didn't mean to worry you." "I just want us to communicate, Alex. We're about to get married, and we should be able to rely on each other." He sighed, his gaze meeting mine. "You're right. I messed up. I should have let you know what was going on." The exhaustion in his voice was evident, and I softened my tone. "I'm glad you're home safe. But I was worried.. Sorry for overreacting." He nodded, his expression remorseful. "It's okay, Liz. It won't happen again." "I know I worry too much. I'm just happy you had a good time." I wasn't able to shake the feeling that something was wrong when he just went to bed without another word.

A few days had passed since the night of Alex's bachelor party, and our wedding was just around the corner. The excitement and anticipation were building with each passing day. After his massive hangover, I definitely wasn't mad at him anymore; karma took care of it, and I just took care of him until he felt better, but now there were just 3 weeks left before we would finally say I do. I was at home, putting the final touches on some wedding decorations, when my phone buzzed with a notification. I picked it up, expecting to see a message from one of our vendors or perhaps a friend sharing their excitement about the upcoming day. But what I saw left me frozen with shock and disbelief. It was a picture of Alex taken at the bachelor party, and he was kissing another woman. My heart raced, and a knot formed in my stomach as I stared at the image, unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Tears welled up in my eyes as a flood of emotions overwhelmed me: anger, hurt, betrayal. I felt like the ground had been ripped out from beneath me, and I struggled to catch my breath. I sank onto the couch, my mind racing and my heart aching. How could this be happening? We had just worked through our issues, and I believed that we were stronger than ever. The thought of Alex being unfaithful was like a dagger to my heart. I wanted to confront him and demand an explanation, but my hands were shaking too violently to even type out a coherent message. I felt a surge of anger at the woman in the picture, at Alex, and at myself for trusting him so completely. As I sat there, lost in a sea of emotions, my phone rang. I glanced at the caller ID and saw Alex's name flashing on the screen. My heart pounded in my chest, torn between the urge to answer and the desire to ignore his call and avoid the confrontation. I took a deep breath and answered the call, my voice trembling as I spoke. "Hello?" "Hey, babe," Alex's voice came through the line, filled with warmth and affection. "I was just thinking about you and wanted to hear your voice." My emotions surged, a mix of anger and sadness warring within me. "Alex, we need to talk." There was a pause on the other end of the line, and I could sense his unease. "Liz, is everything okay?" I took a shaky breath, my voice quivering as I held back tears. "No, Alex. Everything is not okay. I saw the picture, Alex. I saw what happened at your bachelor party." There was a long silence, and I could hear his breath catch on the other end of the line. "Liz, I..." "Save it, Alex," I interrupted, my voice filled with a mixture of anger and hurt. "I can't believe you would do this, especially after everything we've been through. I trusted you, and you betrayed me." His voice cracked as he spoke, his words laced with regret. "Liz, I'm so sorry. I don't even know what to say. It's a misunderstanding. It meant nothing, I promise. She just did it out of nowhere! It wasn't me." I felt a surge of anger at his words. "A misunderstanding? You made a choice, Alex; you could've pushed her away. And you broke my trust. I can't believe you would do this to me, especially right before our wedding." "I know, Liz, and I hate that this happened, but I promise it wasn't me," he said, his voice filled with desperation. "Please, let me explain. I want to make things right." Tears streamed down my face as I listened to his pleas, the pain and betrayal cutting deep. "I need time, Alex. I need to figure out if I can ever trust you again." There was a heavy silence, and I could hear the weight of his guilt in his breathing. "I understand, Liz. I'll give you the time you need. Just know that I love you, and I'm so, so sorry." I ended the call with my heart shattered and my emotions raw. The picture revealed a side of Alex I had never seen before. As the wedding date drew closer, the future I had envisioned felt uncertain, overshadowed by the painful truth that had come to light.