Breathe
by;michichiro
Chapter 22
"Mom, Dad, I need to talk to you about something important. This is my friend Oli," I said as I introduced Oli to them.
"Of course Z, come in and have a seat. It's nice to see you, Oli," Mom replied, gesturing for us to sit down.
"Thank you, Mrs. Loire. I'm afraid what I have to tell you isn't going to be easy," said Oli, shifting her gaze from Mom to Dad.
"What's this all about then? You both look quite serious," Dad replied, looking at Oli seriously.
"Daddy, it's about Clint. Oli has...discovered some evidence that he has been unfaithful to me," I said, pretending to be hurt and disappointed.
"What? That can't be right. Clint seems like such a nice young man. Are you sure about this?" Mom said in surprise.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm certain. Perhaps it's best if I explain what happened. Earlier today, I went over to Clint's apartment to pick up some documents he needed for the wedding planners. As per Zia's words, his door was unlocked, so I let myself in, thinking he had just stepped out. That's when I saw a woman's purse on the sofa," Oli said.
"I don't like where this is going," Dad said, looking at Oli as if he were reading Oli's expression.
"I didn't think much of it at first, assuming it belonged to a relative or something. But then I heard noises coming from the bedroom. Muffled voices. When I got closer, I could make out...well, the unmistakable sounds of intimacy," Oli said, gazing down.
I pretended to feel that I was hurting. Shaking my head.
"I felt sickened at the thought of what might be happening. But I had to know for sure. I crept up to the bedroom door and slowly pushed it open, just a crack. And that's when I saw them—Clint and some woman I didn't recognize, completely nude and engaged in...well, you can imagine," Oli continued.
"That no-good, lying sack of—I'll kill him!" Dad said in anger.
"Calm down, honey," Mom said as she tapped Dad's shoulder.
"I was utterly shocked. I didn't know what to do. Part of me wanted to barge in and confront them right then and there. But I also knew Zia would want proof, something concrete. So I crept back out and grabbed the woman's purse off the sofa. Inside was a wallet with her ID and some incriminating...personal items. I stuffed it into my bag and got out of there as quickly as I could." Oli continues to tell her story.
I looked up when my tears were about to fall.
"Oli came straight to me after that and showed me everything—the ID, the belongings, everything. I couldn't believe Clint could do such a thing after how much I trusted him. My heart shattered into pieces," I said in a sad voice.
"Oh, sweetie, I'm so sorry. No one should ever have to go through such a terrible betrayal," Mom said, looking at me with pity in her eyes.
"That bastard is going to pay for this. Our daughter didn't deserve to be treated this way by anyone, especially not the man who claimed to love her enough to marry her! I'll make him regret the day he—" Oli cut Dad.
"Mr. Loire, with all due respect, I think the most important thing now is being there for Zia and helping her get through this as best we can. Dwelling on revenge won't help to heal her heart right now. We should focus on that first," said Oli as she tried to comfort me.
I gave Oli a grateful look through my tears and squeezed her hand.
"You're right, Oli. This is a terrible trauma for my daughter to process. I'm sure she'll need our support in the days ahead," Mom said, looking at me.
