Chapter 7: The End of Us

Once the wedding bustle faded, my stomach began to ache violently—like knives twisting in my gut. I doubled over in the elevator, sweat beading on my forehead, the world blurring at the edges.

In that helpless moment, I instinctively took out my phone and dialed Marcus’s number.

But all I got was a cold automated message—he’d already blocked me. The robotic voice sounded almost smug in my ear.

For a second, hatred flashed through me. It was hot, ugly, and it scared me. But mostly, I just felt empty.

I couldn’t help thinking: if I really had an emergency, what would I do? Was I really that alone now?

I gritted my teeth, stumbling toward the elevator. Every step felt like I was walking on air, the world unreal. My vision tunneled, but I kept going, one foot in front of the other.

Doubt crept in. Eight years together—how did it come to this? Where did we go wrong? Am I just not worthy of love?

Dazed, I pushed open the door to my hotel room. The electronic lock beeped, the hallway behind me echoing with the sound.

The carpet was thick under my heels, muffling my steps as I stood frozen outside the door. The scene before me hit like a bolt of lightning. I froze.

I pressed my ear to the door, my breath fogging the cold metal. There were sounds from inside—laughter, then a woman’s moan. My heart stopped.

I couldn’t believe my ears. I looked down at my room card, checking again and again to make sure I hadn’t walked into the wrong room. My hands were shaking so badly I nearly dropped it.

“Marcus, be gentle.” A woman’s coy voice came from inside.

“Don’t talk.” That was Marcus—his voice low, urgent.

My blood ran cold. It felt like all the oxygen had been sucked from the hallway.

My heart felt squeezed by an invisible hand; I could barely breathe. Tears welled up, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not yet.

My ears buzzed. My mind went blank. The world narrowed down to that door, that voice, that betrayal.

“Marcus, what are you afraid of? I’ve already locked the door—no one will hear.”

Lillian’s voice again, tinged with pride and triumph, as if flaunting her victory.

I stood outside, gripping my room card so tightly my fingers went white. My nails dug into the plastic, the pain anchoring me to the moment.

Eight years of love, all the promises and sweetness, crumbled to ashes in that instant. It was like a movie reel snapping, spilling all those memories onto the floor.

Everything we’d vowed, all the memories, now seemed like a cruel joke. I stood there for a long moment, then turned and walked away, the sound of my heels echoing down the hallway. My heels clicked down the hallway, each step hammering the end of us into the silence.