Harsh Reality
1272 Words
Chapter 3
Harsh Reality
(Maya’s POV)
I didn’t want to go home yet.
The weather was amazing today, the sun was warm, and a soft breeze from the ocean was the cool breeze I needed. I stepped out of the boutique, the anniversary gift finally secure.
David’s watch—limited edition, platinum, hand-stitched leather band—was nestled inside a velvet box with ribbon. It was perfect. Elegant. Like us.
At least, that’s what I told myself.
Instead of heading straight to the car, I turned the corner and walked toward my favorite restaurant. A little place tucked along the main avenue—bright windows, white linen, and quiet service. I’d come here often with David. Before things got so loud and full. David had brought me here for one of our first dates.
The hostess greeted me with a smile and led me to my usual corner table without asking. I slid into the booth and placed the gift beside me on the seat.
I ordered without needing the menu. Truffle soup and an arugula salad. Something light.
As I stared out the window, I couldn’t stop my mind from wandering.
Axel.
It was ridiculous. He was barely more than a stranger—barely more than a kid—and yet, I couldn’t shake the image of him sitting in that exam room.
That line— “Only when I’m in the presence of a beautiful woman.”
He was really bold, but I guess it came with being a college athlete. They were full of ego and had no inhibitions.
I shifted in my seat, crossing my legs and forcing myself to focus on the tabletop instead, when something across the street caught my eye.
At first, I didn’t react. Just another pair of diners seated at a table in the window of a French bistro across the way.
But then I looked again.
And my heart stopped.
David.
I blinked. No, it couldn’t be.
But it was.
The cut of his blazer. His profile. That hand gesture he always made when he was trying to charm someone.
He was leaning forward, smiling. His hand reached across the table.
To the woman sitting opposite him.
And then he kissed her.
Not quick. Not polite.
A slow, deep kiss. Familiar. Intimate.
I sat frozen.
My body numbed while my chest began to burn. I had to be imagining this. My David wouldn’t do this to me. He loved me beyond words. Nothing in our relationship seemed off. We were perfect…
I shook my head. I needed to think with a clear head. There had to be a reason for this. Some sort of explanation.
I shook my head. Maybe this wasn’t David, my eyes weren’t seeing it correctly. Maybe there was a man who looked like my husband. My husband that loved me more than I could have ever imagined another person loving me.
I fumbled for my phone and hit Call with shaking fingers.
Across the street, I watched him reach into his pocket, pull out his phone, and answer.
“Hey, babe,” he said cheerfully. “Still at work. What’s up?”
I swallowed. My voice came out steady—too steady. “Just checking in. I’m heading home.”
“Perfect timing. I’ll finish up soon and meet you there.”
“Oh…Ok-Okay,” I said softly.
“I love you, babe.” He said as I watched him take the other woman’s hand and wink at her.
I couldn’t respond to those words. They were a lie.
So, I hung up the call, as a tear slipped out.
I watched my husband. He was acting like nothing was wrong. Like he wasn’t sitting across from another woman, cheating on me, and desecrating our vows.
I couldn’t control it any longer, and the tears ushered out. The pain in my chest grew, and I felt a piece of me die. David, my husband, was cheating on me. My mind refused to grasp the severity of the situation. It made no sense. David was the most amazing and attentive husband. He was there whenever I had needed him… until a few months ago. But he was busy at work, wasn’t he?
I shook my head and wiped away the never-ending waterworks.
I was the i***t. I should have known my husband had stepped out on our marriage. I was his wife—I should have known better. David was a cheat, but I was stupid enough not to notice until it was right in front of my face.
My heart was broken, and I felt as if I would faint from the pain.
He smiled again and said something to her. Then he reached into his coat and pulled out a small velvet box.
No.
He opened it.
A necklace.
I watched in disbelief as he walked around the table, reached behind her neck, and clasped it in place.
I couldn’t breathe.
The woman tilted her head as he brushed her hair aside. She was laughing, still turned away from me.
I lifted my phone again and began taking photos. Blurry. Shaky. But I couldn’t stop.
Please turn around, I begged silently. Just let me see your face.
But she didn’t.
Instead, she stood, adjusted her sleek black coat, and reached for a wide-brimmed hat on the chair. She placed it on her head, slipped on oversized sunglasses, and leaned in to kiss David’s cheek.
Still no face.
Still no answers.
She walked out, stepping into a black car that disappeared seconds later into traffic.
And I just… sat there. Numb.
My heart had turned to glass, and I could feel it fracturing inside me—thin, silent cracks splintering into something I couldn’t fix.
The gift beside me felt like a joke now. What was I going to do—give it to him while the scent of her perfume was still on his collar?
For one reckless second, I wanted to storm across the street. March into that restaurant. Throw the gift at him. Demand to know how long. Demand to know why.
What was lacking in me. Why had He betrayed me.
But I didn’t.
Because I knew if I did, I’d break in front of him.
And I couldn’t bear the thought of him watching me fall apart. The thought of falling apart for a man I had given up so much for made me feel nauseous. I had wanted to have his baby. I had committed myself to him. I had given up my family for that man.
So, I stood. Quietly and calmly.
I picked up the bag, walked out of the restaurant, and kept walking until I didn’t know where I was anymore.
My feet carried me through streets I didn’t register. My breath stayed shallow, my chest hollow.
That was when I saw it.
A boutique storefront wrapped in ribbon and balloons. A bright sign over the door: GRAND OPENING – FREE GIFT WITH ENTRY!
A girl in a bright yellow dress held out a plush toy, smiling wide.
“Would you like one?” she asked.
I stared at the little bear in her hands. It was soft. Silly. Nothing like the elegant world I lived in.
“Yes,” I said, my voice barely audible.
She handed it to me, and I had this vision of ripping it apart, but I took it and I kept walking.
The watch gift bag hung from one hand. The bear in the other.
I didn’t look back.
David would get an anniversary surprise from me, just not the one I thought.
- Writer
