Heather felt it coming over her as she unlocked the door to her lover’s apartment, a sense of dread, as if every moment split into two versions of itself; one where everything was fine, the other where it all fell apart. Each of the two versions snared her like two rushing tides, neither of which would let her out easily.
The moment the door opened, she knew the second option would be the one she’d end up with. She found her lover, Roman, and his girlfriend, Mia, in the bedroom, clearly lost in a moment of passionate infidelity.
Heather was in shock and didn’t know what to do. Years of sharing Roman’s secrets, secrets she’d sworn to take to the grave, came back to haunt her. She felt betrayed and embarrassed, violated by the fact that her lover of over five years, who had been her closest confidante, was betraying her.
There was nobody she could turn to for support. She was frozen, all of her energy devoted to one thought: revenge.
Heather briefly considered walking away and never looking back, but something inside her refused to let go. She decided it was better to make a scene, to confront the truth and make them feel the pain she was feeling. She screamed, “What kind of man are you!?”
Roman and Mia broke apart, startled. Roman, who had always been the light to her darkness, now looked like a stranger. His brown eyes, once so full of life, were now stained with shame.
Heather felt like her soul was being shredded by the sharp claws of anger and hurt. She wanted to make Roman and Mia pay for what they had done.
“Don’t you have any respect for me!?” Heather said, her voice thick with tears. Roman remained silent, and Mia tried to brush it off as if it were no big deal.
Heather was done listening. In a fit of anger, she slapped Mia hard and grabbed Roman by the arm, dragging him out of the bedroom. Adrenaline was coursing through her, her blood pressure raging like a storm at sea.
She was losing control, and a part of her knew it but still she couldn’t stop. She felt a sudden surge of energy, a rush of power over the two people who had hurt her for so long.
Heather dragged Roman down the hallway, across the living room and out the front door. He struggled against her grip, but she was too strong. She wanted him to suffer, to feel the same kind of pain she had felt.
They stumbled into the street, Heather screaming and Roman backing away, both of them completely out of control. Passersby stopped to stare, and Heather’s fury grew.
Heather felt her grip on reality slipping further and further away. The only thing she wanted to do was make Roman and Mia pay for what they had done. She wanted revenge.
But then she heard a voice. It was quiet and gentle and it brought her back to reality. It was Roman, telling Heather he loved her and he was sorry for what he had done.
Heather stopped, her heart throbbing with pain and regret. She looked at him, standing there in the middle of the street, and she felt a sudden wave of tenderness. She realized she still loved him, despite everything.
Heather slowly released her grip, and the two of them embraced. All the pain of the past few hours melted away, and Heather finally felt a semblance of peace.
That night, Heather understood the true cost of infidelity. She had been so close to losing control, and she was grateful she hadn’t.
The experience had made her realize that she could survive, that with love and understanding even the most devastating pain can be healed. She was filled with a newfound appreciation for her love with Roman, and she vowed never to let it slip away.
