“You didn’t keep any of those promises. And you know what other vow you crushed under your selfishness?” My voice trembles. “That you would give meeverything you have... and that I would always haveall of you.”
A sob tears through me, ripping straight from my chest.
“You lied. You gave pieces of yourself to another woman. You shared with her what was meant to be mine—mine until death do us part—all while wearing the ring I put on your finger.”
By the time the last words leave my mouth, my voice is gone. Reduced to shattered whispers.
“No, Ceci, please! You have to believe me. It was never like that! Never! I never shared anything meaningful with anyone but you.”
“Don’t you get it?” I force out, my voice breaking apart with every word. “The how it was, the why, the when, or how long—none of that matters.It happened, Colin. That’s all that matters."
I tilt my head back, staring at the ceiling, trying to hold myself together as I wipe the tears from my face with shaking hands.
“Do you honestly believewecould ever be happy again?” I ask, disbelief and hurt tangled in my voice. “Thatyoucould ever make me happy?”
Without a second’s hesitation, he takes two steps closer, nodding like a man clinging to his last breath. “Yes. I’ll do whatever it takes to make you happy again. Happier than we ever were.”
“Okay,” I whisper, the word barely more than air as I let out a shaky breath.
His face softens. His eyes widen, hopeful, as if he’s waiting for a miracle. Waiting for me to tell him how to put the pieces back together.
Oh, Colin…
“Where were you on the day Alicia had the prom Sophia’s mom planned for the kids?”
He hesitates. Then, finally, “At work. You already know that.”
God. This man. He just doesn’t get it.
“Where were you the day Alicia was burning with a fever? When Ethan and I had to rush her to the hospital and you didn’t show up until almost nine that night?”
He stays silent for a few seconds, but I don’t let him fill the space with another lie.
“What about the weekend we spent in the Hamptons?”
He answers quickly this time. “You didn’t want me to go. I asked you, and you said no.”
“We’re far from poor, Colin. Yes, I didn’t want you to drive after working all day. It wouldn’t have been safe. But if you wanted to be there, you would have been. You could have hired a driver, or even requested a helicopter through the aviation company Montgomery Clifford has a contract with. If you truly wanted to go,nothingwould have stopped you. You didn’t need my permission. They’re your children too. And that’s your parents’ house.”
We stare at each other, stripped of excuses, with no lies left to hide behind.
“And before you try lying again,” I say, my voice low, “I checked all those dates. Your location history matched hers every single time. The first two were after work hours, both of you staying late at the office. And I highly doubt you were reviewing proposals or meeting notes.”
I grip the back of the couch, my fingers digging into the fabric, my hands trembling even though my tone stays calm. “And the last one, you were atherapartment. You got there Saturday afternoon... and didn't leave until Sunday morning.”
I can hear his breathing. Uneven, shallow, the only sound breaking through the suffocating silence.
“Ceci,” he finally says, his voice strained. “This already happened. Going over it again won’t change anything. I know I was wrong… I shouldn’t have done it. I shouldn’t have hurt you. I promise it will never happen again. We can move past it. We can be happy again.”
I look at him. Really look at him, this man who once was my home, my safe place.
“How do you think I could ever be happywith you, Colin?” I ask. “How could I ever feel safe enough to trust you again—with my heart, or my body?”
He opens his mouth to speak, but I don't let him. I can't bear to hear another empty promise.
“How do you think I’ll feel when you touch me, Colin? When your mouth is on the most private parts of me, and all I can think about is whether you did the same to her?"
His eyes widen, his breath catches. But I don't stop. Each word feels heavier, pulled from somewhere raw and bleeding inside me.
