Heaven On Fire

Twenty Five

The days stretched on, each one bringing with it a new layer of turmoil and uncertainty. Benjamin's betrayal lingered like a dark cloud over our marriage, his late nights and secretive behavior a constant reminder of the shattered trust between us.

And now, a rumor threatened to unravel me completely.

I sat alone in the dimly lit living room, the weight of the world pressing down on my shoulders. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the wall.

My mind raced with a million questions, a million doubts that gnawed at my sanity.

The sound of my phone buzzing on the coffee table broke through the silence, jolting me from my thoughts.

With trembling hands, I picked it up, my heart pounding in my chest.

It was Francine, my confidante, the one who had brought me the devastating news.

"Loren," her voice came through the line, filled with concern.

"I'm so sorry to be the one to tell you this, but... Cherie called Benjamin. She's pregnant."

The words hit me like a sledgehammer, knocking the breath from my lungs. Pregnant.

The word echoed in my mind, a relentless taunt that filled me with a sense of dread.

How could this be happening? How could Benjamin betray me in such a cruel and unforgivable way?

"I don't know what to do, Francine," I whispered, my voice barely above a whisper. "I feel like I'm drowning in a sea of betrayal."

There was a pause on the other end of the line, as if Francine was searching for the right words to say.

"I wish I had answers for you, Loren," she finally replied, her voice soft with sympathy.

"But all I can offer is my support till you filed what you needed to file. You'll get through this, I promise."

I thanked her before hanging up, the weight of her words settling heavily on my shoulders.

With a heavy heart, I rose from my seat and made my way to the bedroom. Benjamin was still at work, but I knew that I couldn't face him right now.

Not when the wounds were still so fresh, so raw.

I lay on the bed, the tears came unbidden, streaming down my cheeks in a torrent of pain and betrayal.

How had it come to this? How had the man I loved, the man I had vowed to spend my life with, become nothing more than a stranger to me?

Amidst the darkness, a small voice whispered in the depths of my soul – the voice of my brother, Jessie, the one who had always been with me, my strongest rock.

With his strength coursing through my veins, I found the courage to face the challenges that lay ahead, to confront the harsh realities of my fractured marriage and the uncertain future that stretched out before me.

Days turned into weeks, each one bringing with it new challenges and more revelations coming up from Francine's sources about Benjamin's errands.

Benjamin and I tried to navigate the turbulent waters of our marriage, but the distance between us only seemed to grow wider with each passing day.

The news of Cherie's pregnancy hung over us like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over our already fragile relationship.

And then, tragedy struck. I received a phone call from my mother, her voice trembling with fear and concern. Jessie had been involved in a serious accident, and his condition was critical.