Her expression changed.
“What?”
“I don’t want us.”
“You’re panicking.”
“No. I’m finally not.”
Her mouth opened slightly.
I had never seen Vanessa speechless before.
Then her face hardened into something sharp and unfamiliar.
“You think you can just end this?”
“Yes.”
“You think you can use me for months, tell me you love me, promise me a future, and then throw me away because your wife embarrassed you?”
“I lied to you too,” I said quietly.
She stared.
“I lied when I said I’d leave Hannah. I lied when I said our life would be better. I lied because I wanted both.”
Vanessa’s eyes narrowed. “You coward.”
“Yes.”
The word seemed to frustrate her more than any denial could have.
She wanted a fight.
I had no fight left.
“Leave,” I said again.
She leaned closer, voice low. “You’re going to regret this.”
“I already regret everything.”
“No,” she whispered. “Not everything.”
Then she smiled.
It was small.
Cruel.
Almost pleased.
“There are things Hannah doesn’t know.”
My spine stiffened.
“What things?”
Vanessa slipped her sunglasses back on.
“You should check your email.”
Then she turned and walked away.
I watched her drive off, tires hissing against the pavement.
For several seconds, I stood frozen in the doorway.
Then I ran to my laptop.
My email inbox was full of junk, work messages, automated bills.
Nothing from Vanessa.
I refreshed.
Once.
Twice.
On the third time, a new message appeared.
No subject.
From Vanessa.
My pulse hammered as I opened it.
There was no text. NEXT PART 2
