Lost Me Gained Regret

He shot up from his chair, a storm brewing on his face, and towered over me with a glare that felt like it lasted an eternity. Finally, through gritted teeth, he spat out, "In your dreams!"

My temper flared in response, and I abruptly stood, marching toward the living room where the whispering duo of Margaret and Teresa were seated. "Out with it, what's the deal?"

"Bry!" Margaret rose, smugness personified, her gaze skipping past me to land on Bryant as she dropped her bombshell. "You know what? That baby Jane carried might not even be yours."

The air seemed to freeze in that instant.

Rage consumed me, and I was about to let a slap fly her way when Margaret, ever the viper, dodged and shoved an envelope against me.Property © 2024 N0(v)elDrama.Org.

Her smirk came with scorn. "See for yourself. Let's see how you explain this to Bry!"

The envelope slid down my body to the floor, but before I could pick it up, Bryant was already on it, his fingers visibly tensed as he ripped it open and pulled out several photos.

Just like that, a noticeable change swept over him. What was once a gentle expression was now clouded with the onset of stormy anger.

My heart sank. I hesitated, then reached out to grab the photos, but Bryant pulled them away before my fingers could barely graze them.

An icy aura exuded from him, making my hand hang suspended in the air, unable to move.

"Bry, you see!" Margaret smiled, her voice a soft poison, "She's been unfaithful for a long time. That child in her belly was likely Mark's."

I glanced at the photos when Bryant was momentarily distracted and saw it was a shot of a hotel doorway. Indeed, standing there were Mark and I. When did Mark and I ever go to a hotel together?

Memories came flooding back. I was overseas on a business trip, caught up in a whirlwind of networking events. Overwhelmed by alcohol, I stumbled back to my hotel room, barely conscious.

Then Christine called, saying someone would drop off some hangover medicine for me.

I had been too dizzy to see who it was, thanking the mysterious benefactor and quickly shutting the door after receiving the medicine.

Could it have been Mark who delivered it? He had never mentioned that upon returning.

Someone with an agenda had captured that brief moment and saved it for such a time as this.

My voice trembled as I tried to explain, “Bryant, I swear, it’s not what it looks like. I was drunk and Christine said someone would bring me medicine.”

Bryant's face was a mask of betrayal and rage. “Do you expect me to believe this coincidence? Do you think I’m that naive?”

Tears welled up in my eyes. “Please, just hear me out. I’ve never been unfaithful to you. Margaret is lying. She’s trying to ruin us.”

Margaret’s laugh was cold and mocking. “Nice try, but the photos don’t lie. You’re busted.”

Bryant looked between the photos and me, his resolve wavering but his anger still dominant. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”

“Believe your heart,” I whispered. “Remember our love, our trust. Don’t let her poison destroy what we have.”

The silence that followed was deafening, the tension thick enough to cut with a knife. Bryant’s inner conflict was evident as he battled between the evidence presented and the love he had for me.

Finally, he threw the photos on the floor, his face a mixture of pain and determination. “We will get to the bottom of this. But if I find out you’re lying…”

“I’m not,” I interrupted, my voice steady despite the fear. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to prove it.”

Margaret’s smirk faltered, but she quickly recovered. “Good luck with that.”

Bryant turned to her, his eyes narrowing. “And you, stay out of our business. I’ll deal with you later.”

With that, he walked away, leaving the room in a tense silence. I was left standing there, my heart pounding, determined to fight for my marriage and clear my name.

Margaret's smug expression had slipped slightly, and Teresa looked between us, her face a mask of uncertainty. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the battles ahead. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot.