Chapter 2

Throughout my whole recovery, I could only helplessly watch as Isabelle and Matthew commuted to and from work together every day.

Every morning, she would sweetly make breakfast for him, then go to his room to wake him up.

In the evenings, they'd pick up Ryan from school and then hit a restaurant for dinner, just the three of them.

And me? I was stuck at home, alone with my caregiver.

It felt like there was a boulder sitting on my chest.

But I had no idea how to even bring it up.

Days crawled by with that suffocating tension hanging over me. Then, Isabelle blew off my rehab appointment yet again just to go to Ryan's parent-teacher meeting.

That was when I finally snapped.

"Honestly, anyone who didn't know better would think Ryan was your son," I sneered, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

I was gasping for air, my stomach twisting in pain with every breath.

"Just what the hell are you two doing?" I shouted, my voice shaking with rage.

"What the hell do you want?" I added.

That day, I lost it and slammed my fist down on the table, tears stinging my eyes and blurring my vision.

Matthew kept his head down, silent, and left with Ryan for a hotel.

Isabelle spent the whole night alone on the balcony, drinking nonstop.

The next day, she found a place for Matthew and Ryan to stay.

I thought this whole farce was finally over.

But Isabelle started working later and later, and she grew colder towards me with each passing day.

I waited until nightfall, and when I couldn't hold back any longer, I drove straight to Matthew's apartment.

Truth. That was all I came for.

When I pushed the door open, Isabelle was sitting on the kitchen counter, bare from the waist down, her voice trembling with long, broken sobs.

Matthew was holding her close, his lips buried in her hair, their bodies locked together.

I just stood there for a full minute before those two, lost in their own world, finally noticed me.

Matthew let out a startled cry and scrambled to grab his clothes from the floor.

Isabelle locked eyes with me, her brows furrowed in distress.

The axe had finally fallen.

My face went ghostly pale, and I doubled over, throwing up right there.

I was wrong. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut.

I'd let the guy, who was screwing my wife, move in with us, all because I thought our friendship was unbreakable.

I totally had this coming.

I had someone go to the office to smash up Matthew's cubicle and even swap out his nameplate for one that read, "Homewrecker."

He came knocking on my door with Ryan in tow, looking absolutely desperate.

"Edward, please, I have a son to feed. I can't lose this job," Matthew begged, his voice cracking with panic.

Oh, was that so?

Had he ever thought about how I felt when he was hooking up with my wife?

Seeing I wouldn't budge, Matthew gave up pleading. His eyes were just empty, full of pain and hopelessness.

He stepped out onto the balcony and said he'd pay me back with his life.

Then he jumped, but a tree caught him on the way down. He survived.

Isabelle thought she'd lost him forever, but when she realized he was still alive, she clung to him and cried until she was a mess of tears.

That night, Isabelle quietly placed the divorce papers in front of me.

"Don't blame Matt. It was all me," she said, her voice trembling.

She was willing to walk away with nothing, just to be with him.

I felt completely numb inside.

Isabelle kept her eyes down, her gaze shadowed and tired.

But why?

Why did I have to lose everything when I'd never done anything to deserve this?

I ripped the divorce papers to pieces, my hands trembling as I glared at her.

"When we got married, you swore you'd love me forever," I said, my voice shaking.

"You broke your word. You don't get to decide when this ends," I added.

I was broken, but I wasn't about to let her walk away. If I had to hurt, then she was going to hurt right along with me.

Then Ryan just vanished for three whole days and nights.

Isabelle and Matthew turned the city upside down looking for him, but he was nowhere to be found.

Rumors started flying that I was behind it.

That I took him to get back at Matthew.

Isabelle clenched her fists so hard that her nails broke her skin, leaving bloody marks on her palms.

She fixed me with a cold, bitterly disappointed stare.

"Matt is your best friend. Even if we screwed up, what does any of this have to do with Ryan?" she snapped, her voice shaking.

"Are you even fit to be a father? Are you even human anymore?" she added, every word cutting deep.

"This is your last chance. If you don't come clean, I'm heading to the hospital right now to end this pregnancy!" she threatened, her voice trembling with fury.

Isabelle rested her hand on her barely showing belly, her eyes bottomless and cold as winter.