NADINE
I staggered, gripping the handle tightly to keep myself upright. My legs shook, my head reeled, and I blinked rapidly to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
"No," I croaked, my heart slamming hard against my ribs. "This can't be."
I took a step backward on legs that felt like jelly, shut the door, stepped out, and opened it again, but it was the same.
My best friend and fiancé, fucking without a care in the world.
"Julian!" I cried out, my voice raised above the music.
Julian stilled against Maria, his head turning to me slowly. I expected to see shame, remorse, maybe him pushing Maria away as soon as he noticed me. Instead, he grunted and glowered at me.
"Get the fuck out of the room," he snarled.
My stomach twisted, and bile rose at the back of my throat. I stared at him in disbelief as he continued what he was doing, as if I wasn't even there.
My ears roared, anger bubbling inside me as I watched them. For three minutes that felt like an eternity, he took his fucking sweet time.
Finally, he pulled out of her. I flushed, averting my gaze as he sat on the bed, legs spread. My body trembled, and my fingers curled at my sides.
"How could you?" I whispered, my voice shaking. "How could you do this to me?!"
"Julian," Maria purred.
I looked at my supposed best friend. She leaned towards him, her blonde hair spilling over his shoulders, arms wrapped around his midsection, trailing down his length that was already hard again. Then she looked at me, blue eyes glinting with mischief.
"What are you doing here?" Julian asked.
"What am I doing here?" I let out a bitter scoff. "I live here, Julian. I fucking live here. I should be asking you, what are you doing on our bed with my best friend!"
"What does it look like?" he said without a hint of shame. "She's doing exactly what you refused to do with me."
"What I refuse to do?" I cried out.
Was he being serious right now?
"We are one month from our wedding, Julian. One fucking month. How far is that, that you can't even hold yourself?" I screamed at him. "Then you decided to cheat, and you went for Maria?!"
"Why not?" He shrugged slightly. "She's pretty."
"Aww, thank you, baby," Maria cooed, showering him with kisses, turning my stomach.
This had to be a nightmare. I could barely believe I was hearing this. No, it couldn't be—my sweet, handsome Julian.
He loathed cheaters and often told me those who cheated on their partners were scum.
He had principles he abided by. For five years we've been together, I had never seen him break any one of them. Why now?
Why Maria?
I sniffed hard, pushing back the tears that threatened to spill down my cheeks as I watched Julian and Maria start to make out in front of me.
"What happened to not going after your friend's man?" I asked in a steady voice despite the rage boiling in my veins.
The anger that wanted to burst out of me, begging to be unleashed on the two people I thought were the most important to me in my world.
"Julian wants me," Maria said smugly, and the bastard nodded in response. "How could I say no?"
"How could you say no?" I snapped. "You are the worst friend I've ever come across, and I want you to get out of my house right now." I stepped away from the door, pointing to it.
"Your house?" Maria snorted, turning to Julian. She spoke in a derisive tone, "As far as I can tell, he paid the rent, and you have no right to send me out of here."
"He paid the rent?" I let out a dry laugh.
Everything in this damned apartment was mine. I got everything with my hard-earned money. I fucking worked my butt off just because I wanted to prove myself, and here I was, the number one person who had ruined my morning, doing the same right now. Unashamedly, a lying piece of shit.
I pulled off my jacket, tossing it on the bean bag, and marching over to the bed. I gripped Maria's arms that were wrapped around Julian's body like a snake, ignoring her shrieks and dragging her off Julian, and straight to the door, not caring that she was naked and protesting the entire way.
She tried to fight back, but I was stronger, adrenaline furling me. I shoved her out and slammed the door in her face, bolting the lock.
"You stupid bitch, open this door, or I'll break it down!" she screeched, pounding repeatedly on the wood.
I ignored her screaming, turning to Julian. The pain of his betrayal washed over me once more. I shoved my fingers through my hair, swallowing hard.
"Why?" I whispered, blinking to clear my blurred vision. "I tried to be the woman for you. I thought you loved me…"
I sucked in a deep breath, letting it out slowly as I pushed forward. "I don't care
about your reason, but why does it have to be my best friend? How long have you been sneaking behind my back?"
Julian didn't even look at me. He just grabbed his phone, thumbing out a text, then let out a laugh, totally ignoring me.
Something inside me snapped.
Had I always been this blind? Did love make me miss how selfish, how completely indifferent he was? Maybe it was his looks—the tousled auburn hair, the stupidly perfect jawline, the eyes, and the smile that always got him whatever he wanted. Plenty of women wanted him, and I'd actually thought I was lucky.
Now, I knew I was stupid.
He said something, but my rage drowned it out. I didn't even care. I snatched his phone and hurled it at the wall. It hit with a satisfying crack, screen shattering on impact.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he growled at me.
"I should be asking you that!" I fired back. "You stole my promotion, fucked my best friend on our bed, and now you're acting as if nothing is wrong?"
I let out an incredulous laugh. "I should have known those praises months ago, and staying up late at night while I tell you everything about my work was for you to steal it as yours!"
"Oh, give me a break, Nadine!" he snarled, closing the distance between us, his eyes burning into mine. "Did you think they were going to give you that promotion? You must be delusional to think a fucking woman will be chosen as detective sergeant first before me."
My throat tightened. The anger inside me swirled into something else—grief, humiliation, a fresh wave of hate.
"It's a man's world, baby. You had no chance, and you should be grateful, because after all, I'm supposed to be the breadwinner of the family. It'd look ridiculous for my wife to outrank me, you know." He smirked, his hand reaching for me.
I jerked away, hissing through my teeth. "Don't fucking touch me."
Julian's face darkened. "That is my problem with you, Nadine. You won't let me touch you. You won't let me come close to you, and you complain I am fucking your friend? No man would have to endure the temptation for that long!"
God. He was still trying to defend his action.
"Well, good thing I am not asking you to endure it anymore!" I tore off the platinum ring I had worn for the past two years on my middle finger and chucked it in his face. "This is a free will for you to do every one of your heart's desires because we are done, Julian Sanders!"
I turned away from him, my heart heavy. I opened the door, stepping out, ignoring his call for me.