Under the heavy droplets from the sky, shielded by an umbrella, Susan walked to Ben's house with a smile on her face. She quickened her steps so the hot bread she had just gotten from the bakery wouldn't cool off. Suddenly, her phone beeped, and she pulled it from her pocket to check it. Seeing a spam message pop up on the screen, she hissed in annoyance. As she returned the phone to her pocket, it slipped from her hand, falling straight into the drain.
"Oh, no," she gasped, bending down to retrieve it, but all her attempts failed. After a few futile tries, she reluctantly gave up and continued her journey, cursing silently for taking out her phone in the first place.
Upon reaching Ben's house, she found the door locked. Luckily, being his girlfriend, she had a spare key, which she used to grant herself access only to be met with a scene that made her heart drop.
The living room was a disaster zone, filled with empty bottles, leftover food, and packs of snacks scattered like confetti from a chaotic party. "What the hell happened here?" she muttered under her breath, a sense of unease creeping in.
As she cautiously approached the bedroom, she was met with an even more shocking sight: clothing strewn across the floor, a shirt, a mini-skirt, a blouse, a pair of trousers, and heels. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and through it, she could hear deep, passionate moans. Curiosity and dread pushed her to gently push the door open.
What she saw left her breathless. On the bed lay a naked woman, her legs spread apart, while Ben's head was nestled between them, his face painted with her juices as he eagerly sought to please her. "Right there, Ben. Right there," the woman moaned, her voice urging him on.
Tears streamed down Susan's face as she took in the stunning betrayal. It took every ounce of her strength to choke out his name. "Benjamin!" she finally called, her voice trembling with disbelief.
The woman's eyes shot open, and anyone could see the ecstasy reflected in them as Ben raised his head, her essence painting his face like an artful swirl of ice cream. His own eyes remained heavy with pleasure as he called out, "Susan."
Susan stood frozen in shock, struggling to comprehend the scene before her.
"If you have nothing to say, just buzz off," the other woman shot back, her voice dripping with satisfaction.
Ben rose from the bed, his demeanor nonchalant as he walked toward Susan. "Come on," he said, reaching for her hand, but she yanked it away, indignation coursing through her as she stormed out.
Once in the living room, Susan delivered a sharp slap across Ben's face, her emotions boiling over. "Have you gone mad?" he spat, surprise etched across his features.
"Cheat on me? How dare you?!" she retorted, her voice trembling with anger.
"Cheat on you? Why would I do that?" he replied, feigning innocence.
"Then what the hell did I just walk into?!" Susan yelled, frustration radiating from her.
"I was just having a little fun," he shrugged dismissively.
"Fun you couldn't have with me?" she asked incredulously, her heart racing.
"Honestly, you're just too naive, Suzy... too naive for someone like me. I love wild girls, and you're nothing like that," he said, his tone icy.
"Wake up, Suzy. No man wants a naive girl anymore," he added, dismissing her with a wave of his hand.
His words hung in the air when the other woman's voice called from the sanctuary of the bedroom.
"I have to go now. We'll talk later. If you want to wait around for me, feel free," Ben stated casually, making his way back as if she meant nothing.
Susan wiped away the kiss he had left on her cheek with disgust, standing frozen in the living room as betrayal washed over her like a cold rain. The heavy scent of alcohol and stale food mingled with the chaos inside her, a cocktail of emotions leaving her breathless. Clenching her fists, she battled the urge to dissolve into tears.
"Naive?" she muttered to herself, the word echoing like a haunting refrain. Why was she naive for wanting honesty, loyalty, love? The weight of his dismissiveness sank within her, a heavy stone lodged in her stomach.
Pacing back and forth, she raked a trembling hand through her hair, desperately trying to make sense of it all. "So this is what he meant by 'fun,'" she thought bitterly. The very allure that had drawn her to Ben, his adventurous spirit, had morphed into her greatest nightmare. Had she known that his version of excitement included another woman, she would have walked away long before.
But she couldn't afford to let the anger linger. She needed clarity. "He's not worth it," she whispered, grounding herself in the countless moments they shared, the dreams they had built, all now slowly disintegrating. With every step, she felt her heart splintering further apart, each fracture a reminder of betrayal.
Her eyes darted to the front door, still ajar, beckoning her to leave this turmoil behind. But then, soft giggles drifted from the bedroom, a sound that ignited fury within her. "How dare he…" she seethed, her chest tightening once more.
Drawing in a deep breath, she collected her thoughts. "No, I won't do this," she resolved, turning toward the door. But just as her fingers brushed the doorknob, Ben's voice pierced the tense air, deep and low, coaxing yet seductive.
"Susan! I said we need to talk!" he called from the bedroom, his tone laced with feigned urgency.
"No," she replied, steely resolve resonating in her voice. "You don't get to talk. You've said enough."
As she stepped outside, the rain lightened to a gentle drizzle, resembling the universe weeping for her loss. She walked back toward her apartment, the long-forgotten scent of fresh bread lingering only faintly in her mind, replaced by the chill of betrayal settling into her bones.
Thoughts raced within her, a whirlwind of self-doubt and disbelief. How could she have been so blind? The signs had been glaring, each one tugging at her intuition: late-night texts, his evasiveness when she asked about his plans, the way he'd flinch and change the subject whenever their future came up. With each recollection, her frustration mounted as she replayed those moments like a broken record, each memory laced with a new layer of betrayal slicing deep into her soul.
As the door of her apartment clicked shut behind her, Susan crumpled down at the threshold, her resolve shattering like glass under too much pressure. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks, each drop a testament to her heart's aching despair. This heartbreak was nothing short of a wound, inflicted by someone she adored, cherished, and trusted. For seven long years, Ben had been her anchor in a sea of loneliness, her beacon of hope amid the shadows of her orphaned past. He had brought light to her dark world, had smiled at her, made her feel cherished, and perhaps what hurt the most was that she genuinely believed his love was real.
But, as reality pulled its cruel veil away, she couldn't help but wonder if it had all been an illusion. Questioning herself, she dug deep into her memories, desperately searching for any flaw within herself, anything that would justify the betrayal. "What did I do wrong?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. And in that throbbing silence, his words echoed back at her, sharp and relentless: "You're just a naive girl, Suzy... too naive for me. I love wild girls, and you're nothing like that."
The haunting echo of his disdainful remarks echoed like a ghost in the back of her mind. "Wake up, Suzy. No man wants a naive girl any longer." The weight of his judgment crushed her spirit further. "Am I really too naive?" she questioned, her vulnerability now her most agonizing critic.
But as her tears streamed unchecked down her face, something unexpected flickered within her, a stubborn rebellion ignited from deep inside, like a small flame eager to break free from the dark. "Too naive?" she murmured bitterly, anger igniting in her chest. "Maybe I should show him what it means to truly live."
With that resolve, Susan wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, a determined expression forming. "I am more than what he thinks. I will not allow him to define me."
Susan rose to her feet, shaking off the remnants of sadness and replacing it with the desire for transformation. She could no longer be the naive girl Ben dismissed so easily. As she stood in her dimly lit apartment, she looked around at the clutter, remnants of her past life mirrored in the chaos of her surroundings.
For the first time in what felt like ages, she was compelled to embrace the wild side she had suppressed for too long. In the silence that surrounded her, she made a decision: tonight, she would break free from the chains that held her back.