XSTORIES4U: Tales of Love, Lies, and Betrayal - Book 2

Part 9 Two Families, Two Babies: My Heart Shattered

I was glowing, still reeling from the joy of telling him about our baby, when he dropped the bombshell. "I have another family," he said, barely meeting my eyes. My world shattered in an instant. He described a woman and child in another city, a parallel life he'd been living for years. Rage and disbelief fought for dominance in my heart as I demanded details. He admitted to spending weekends with them, using 'business trips' as his cover. As he spoke, I realized the truth behind those long absences and late-night meetings. I felt like a fool. He had promised me forever, yet he'd been splitting his love and loyalty all this time. Just when I thought I couldn't feel more betrayed, he confessed the other woman was also pregnant. The room spun. Two families, two unborn children—twins of betrayal. My pregnancy had been a joyous revelation, but now it was tainted with his deceit. The man I loved had broken me, and I stood there, numb, unable to process the gravity of what he was telling me. My hands instinctively went to my stomach, as if protecting the life growing inside me from the cruelty of the world I had just been thrown into.

"I need to make this right," he said, reaching for my hand, but I yanked it away. His touch burned like a betrayal all over again.

"Right?" I spat. "There's no making this right."

He looked away, a flash of something—was it guilt?—flickering in his eyes. For a moment, I thought I saw regret, but I quickly realized he was probably just rehearsing another lie in his mind. I had trusted him with everything, and now he was asking for understanding? My world was unraveling, and the one person who was supposed to be my rock had become a stranger.

"What are you going to do?" I asked, my voice breaking.

He paused, then sighed deeply. "I... I don't know yet. I need time."

"Time?" My voice rose in disbelief. "You had years! How much more time do you need to figure out if you love me or them?"

Silence hung between us, thick and suffocating. I could barely breathe, the weight of his betrayal crushing me from every angle. My mind raced, but a nagging thought wouldn't leave me alone. If he had been lying for this long, what else hadn't he told me?

As if sensing the shift in my demeanor, he shifted uncomfortably. "I didn't mean for it to happen this way," he mumbled, but his words were hollow.

I couldn't help but wonder how many more lies he had woven. My instincts screamed at me to walk away, to leave him standing there with his guilt and shame, but something held me back. Maybe it was the baby. Maybe it was the hope, however dim, that this could still somehow be undone.

Then a dark thought crept into my mind.

"What if... what if I told her?" I said slowly, testing the waters. "What if she knew everything too?"

His eyes widened in shock, fear flickering in them. That was all I needed.

I grabbed my phone, scrolling quickly through his contacts until I found her name. He lunged for the phone, but I sidestepped him easily. "You're not going to stop me," I warned, my voice cold and steady.

"Please, don't," he begged. "She doesn't know about you. I... I don't want to hurt her."

I scoffed. "You don't want to hurt her?" My laugh was bitter and sharp. "What about me? What about us?"

I hit the call button. My heart raced as it rang. He stood frozen, panic etched across his face.

A soft, uncertain voice answered, "Hello?"

For a moment, I was silent, stunned that I was about to destroy another woman's world the same way mine had been wrecked moments earlier. But the need for truth overwhelmed the guilt.

"I think we need to talk," I said, my voice steely. "About your husband."

There was a pause, and then she said something that stopped my heart cold.

"I know," she whispered.

I blinked, taken aback. "What?"

She exhaled shakily. "I know who you are. I've known about you for months."

My legs gave way, and I sank into the nearest chair, the phone trembling in my hand. He stared at me, his face pale, as if he knew what was coming.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I stammered, the room spinning around me again.

"I wanted to," she admitted, her voice cracking. "But I was scared. I didn't know what you knew or how much you loved him. He always told me he was leaving you, that you were the mistake."

The words hit me like a physical blow. Tears burned at my eyes, but I forced them back. I couldn't break—not now.

She continued, "I was going to confront you... but then I found out I was pregnant. I didn't want to ruin everything."

I closed my eyes, my mind swirling with confusion and rage. We were both victims, trapped in his web of deceit.

Then, as if the universe hadn't twisted the knife deep enough, she said the one thing that shattered everything I thought I knew.

"He's not just seeing you and me," she whispered. "There's another woman too."

The phone slipped from my hand, crashing to the floor. I could barely hear her voice anymore, but the damage was done. He wasn't just living a double life; he was living three lives.

I stared at him, a mix of disgust and horror washing over me as the truth sunk in. He didn't just have two families. He had three. Three women, three lives, and who knew how many lies.

He didn't say anything. He didn't even try to defend himself. He just stood there, broken, caught, and terrified.

But I wasn't broken anymore.

I was done.

Standing, I walked to the door. "You'll never see me again," I said, my voice stronger than I expected.

As I stepped out into the cold night, a strange sense of freedom washed over me. He had shattered my heart, but he'd also set me free.

And I would never look back.