Shattered Vows

Chapter 11: Secrets Revealed

The mirror told Mark a story he didn't want to read. His tie hung crooked, his eyes hollow from another night of restless turning. He tugged at the knot, redoing it for the third time, though he knew it wouldn't matter. No amount of straightening could erase the shadows bruising his face.

The wedding was three weeks away. He should have felt anticipation, that nervous energy couples joked about when planning the "big day." But instead, a suffocating weight pressed into his chest each morning. Sophie had been too kind lately, too forgiving, her smiles carrying an edge he couldn't decipher. And Jessica... Jessica had been sharp and irritable, quick to snap, quick to retreat.

They hadn't dared to talk openly about the affair since the engagement party debacle, not when every moment risked exposure. They lived now on fragments—half-texts, fleeting glances, a brush of hands when no one else was watching. It should have thrilled him, that stolen intimacy. But all it did was deepen the sense that the walls were closing in.

Mark gripped the dresser, staring down at his reflection until the knock at the door startled him.

Evan stepped inside, casual as ever, leaning against the frame with his hands in his pockets. "Hey, man. You look like hell."

Mark forced a thin smile. "Rough week. Wedding stuff. Work."

"Mm." Evan's gaze was steady, unreadable. "That all?"

Mark turned back to the mirror, his throat tightening. Evan always had this way of cutting through his bullshit. He'd been Sophie's friend first, years before Mark came into the picture, which meant he'd seen sides of her Mark sometimes pretended didn't exist—the strength, the fire. Evan knew how deeply Sophie could feel, and how deeply she could hurt.

"It's enough," Mark muttered, smoothing his tie.

Evan stepped farther into the room, folding his arms. "I've known you too long to buy that. You've been... off. Distracted. Not just wedding jitters. Something's eating at you."

Mark's pulse spiked. For weeks, he'd convinced himself he could hold it in, keep the secret compartmentalized. But Sophie's unsettling calmness had eroded his resolve. Every affectionate word from her felt like a knife twisting deeper. And now Evan, standing there with that sharp-eyed stare, made the pressure unbearable.

He sank onto the edge of the bed, shoulders heavy. "There's something I need to tell you."

Evan didn't flinch, just waited.

Mark pressed his palms together, his voice hoarse. "It's Jessica. I... I've been with her. For years. Behind Sophie's back."

The words felt like poison leaving his body.

Evan's jaw tightened. His usual easygoing air hardened into something colder. "Jesus Christ, Mark."

Mark rubbed his face, shame burning hot across his skin. "I didn't plan it. It just happened. I—she—"

"Don't," Evan snapped, his voice sharper than Mark had ever heard it. "Don't try to dress this up like an accident. You've been stringing Sophie along while sneaking around with her sister. Do you even realize what you've done to her?"

Mark's breath stuttered. He'd expected anger, maybe disappointment. But Evan's words cut with a precision that made him feel exposed.

"I know," Mark whispered. "I know I screwed up. But Jessica... she gets me in ways Sophie never could. I can't explain it."

Evan paced, running a hand through his hair. "So what? That gives you a free pass? You think that makes betrayal okay?" He stopped, eyes narrowing. "God, Mark, she trusts you. She's planning a life with you. And you—" He broke off, shaking his head. "You disgust me."