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Chapter_40
The Truth Unfolds
I stood frozen, my heart hammering in my chest as I watched the scene unfold before me. The reality hit me like a bolt of lightning. I felt paralyzed, unable to move, as I stared at the two figures in the dimly lit room. Matthew and Melanie—his own sister—locked in a passionate embrace. I had known about Matthew’s infidelity, but I never imagined it would be like this. Never in my worst nightmares did I think it would involve her.
A scream clawed at my throat, but I couldn’t let it out. I was stunned, overwhelmed by the horror of what I was witnessing. My mind raced, but my body refused to obey. The sound of their bodies together, so raw and intimate, filled the room, drowning out all rational thought.
The weight of the moment dragged me down, yet I forced myself to act. My hands shook uncontrollably as I fumbled for my phone and snapped photos and a video. I couldn’t look away, even as the nausea rolled over me in waves. It felt as though the ground beneath me was giving way, and I was falling into a black abyss.
I stumbled out of the room, unable to process what I had just seen. The bile rose in my throat, and I rushed downstairs, vomiting uncontrollably into the nearest trash can. My stomach heaved with the weight of betrayal, and tears blurred my vision. I needed to escape. I had to run. There was no plan, no destination—only the desperate need to get away from everything.
I bolted down Bayview Street, my feet pounding the pavement as I sprinted aimlessly, the world around me becoming a blur. Everything was clearer now—the lies, the deceit, the disgusting truth. He had been with her all along, his sister. That’s why she had always been so cruel to me, why Matthew had always put her first. She had been his priority, even over me and Ava.
Everything made sense now—why she had freely flaunted their closeness at Galar Tower, why she could accompany him on business trips, why the house he bought was in her name. She wasn’t just his mistress. She was something much worse. The revelation felt like poison spreading through my veins.
I reached the riverside, where the bright lights reflected off the water. My anger and heartbreak consumed me, and in a fit of rage, I screamed at the roaring river, hoping the water could take away my pain. But nothing could cleanse me, nothing could erase the images burned into my mind.
Feeling filthy and desperate, I rushed to the riverbank, wanting to disappear into its cold depths. Maybe if I could just drown the pain, I could forget. I plunged myself into the water, the icy cold swallowing me whole. The current was stronger than I anticipated, and panic surged through me as I struggled to keep my head above water.
Before I could fully lose control, a strong hand grabbed my arm, pulling me toward the shore. I gasped for air, my body shuddering with cold as I was thrown onto the ground. I coughed and wheezed, my chest heaving as the water poured from my clothes.
A towering figure stood before me, backlit by the dim light. Water dripped from his hair, his silhouette dark and imposing. But when he stepped closer, I saw his face—it was Atlas.
Humiliation and anger mixed in a torrent inside me. I howled and cried, no longer caring how I looked. I let the grief, the pain, and the fury all spill out, like a broken dam. I didn’t care who saw or heard. It didn’t matter anymore.
Atlas didn’t stop me. He didn’t try to pull me up or hush my sobs. He just stood there, silent and watchful, as if ensuring I didn’t throw myself back into the water. His presence, though cold and unyielding, was strangely comforting.
Eventually, my sobs slowed, and I struggled to get up. My body was numb from the cold, shivering uncontrollably. But Atlas was there, offering his coat, warm and damp from the rain. Without a word, he draped it over my shoulders, enveloping me in the faint warmth it offered.
“Don’t do that again,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Your parents gave you life to cherish, not waste.”
I nodded weakly, tears still flowing down my face. His words were so simple, yet they struck deep. I hadn’t been cherishing anything. I had let myself be consumed by the lies, by the pain, by the betrayal.
Atlas didn’t ask me why I had done it. He didn’t embarrass me. Instead, he wrapped me in his coat, offering silent comfort as I tried to regain my composure. His presence was a strange balm to my broken heart.
“You’re the only one who can overcome whatever happens,” he said, his voice softening. “Let me take you home.”
I forced a bitter smile, the words bitter on my tongue. “I don’t have a home anymore.”
Atlas paused, as if considering my words. Then, without another word, he reached for me, pulling me into his arms with surprising gentleness. His grip tightened around me, his warmth seeping into my cold, shivering body.
For the first time in what felt like forever, I allowed myself to be held.