Chapter 4 Caught in the act

Ava turned the handle and pushed open the door, expecting to see her husband, Mason, working on his laptop or perhaps taking a nap. Instead, she was met with a scene that made her heart sink.

Mason was on the bed, entangled in a passionate embrace with a woman she had never seen before. The room was dimly lit, with only a faint glow from the bedside lamp illuminating the betrayal unfolding before her eyes.

For a moment, she stood frozen, her mind struggling to process the reality of the situation. The sound of their laughter and whispers seemed to echo through the room, amplifying the pain and shock that gripped her heart. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, all the air knocked out of her.

"Mason hasn't laughed like this with me all this while," she thought to herself.

Even though Ava was forced into the marriage, she still felt hurt.

Mason's eyes met hers, and for an instant, they locked gazes. The woman beside him seemed oblivious to the intrusion, too caught up in the moment to notice the stranger standing in the doorway. But Mason knew. He knew he had been caught but didn't care less and the look on his face showed that.

The woman finally noticed her standing there, and her eyes widened in surprise. She scrambled to get out of bed, pulling the sheet around her, but the damage was done. The image of Mason's infidelity was seared into her mind, and she knew she would never be able to erase it.

Without spending any more time there, she turned and walked away, leaving the scene of betrayal behind. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she made her way out of the apartment, the weight of her discovery settling heavy on her shoulders.

She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she couldn't stay there. The pain and anger were too much to bear. She walked for hours, trying to process what she had seen. How could he do this to her? Had she been blind to the signs? And who was this woman?

As the sun began to set, she found herself at a nearby park. She sat on a bench, watching as families and couples strolled by, laughing and enjoying each other's company. She felt like an outsider, a spectator looking in on a world that seemed to have moved on without her.

The tears she had been holding back finally broke free, streaming down her face as she sobbed uncontrollably. She was forced into marriage yet she gave Mason her loyalty, her trust, and her love. And this was how he repaid her?

As the night wore on, she knew she had to make a decision. She could confront Mason, try to work through the pain and betrayal, or she could walk away. The thought of staying in the relationship seemed impossible, but the thought of leaving was just as daunting since it was already viral that they were married.

She eventually made her way back to the apartment, her heart heavy with emotion. Mason was sitting on the couch. He looked up at her, and for a moment, they just stared at each other.

"At least you could say I'm sorry" Ava finally burst out as she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"I'm sorry," he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper.

"That's what you want right", he said.

"Is this man really serious?"Ava asked herself.

"You cheated on me and you're trying to

Play the victim Mason?" Ava asked.

She didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to scream at him, to hurt him the way he had hurt her. But another part of her just wanted to cry, to mourn the loss of the relationship she thought he had entered.

"Who is she?" she asked finally, her voice shaking with emotion.

Mason didn't even hesitate a bit."Just someone I met at work," he said finally. "It didn't mean anything."

She laughed, a bitter sound. "It didn't mean anything? You're cheating on me, and it didn't mean anything?"

"Well it's just sex nothing else, She comes over to satisfy me, she knows what to do. I can't tell an immature person to do that to me" Mason replied.

"You really don't have regard for me, insulting me in my presence, I would have ran away than ever settle with you". Ava said in tears.

"The choice is yours, you could still run away if you want but if you get caught and killed thay wouldn't be my price to pay" Mason replied.

The conversation went on for hours, with neither of them able to say anything that would make the situation right. In the end, it was clear that their relationship which was just beginning was already at the bridge of being over. The trust had been broken, and she didn't know if it could ever be repaired.

As she turned her backand left the apartment, she knew she had a long road ahead of her. She would have to forgive since it was already official and she can't end it easily with a mafia boss. But for now, she just had to take it one step at a time.

Without spending any more time there, she turned and walked away, leaving the scene of betrayal behind. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she made her way out of the room and to hers, the weight of her discovery settling heavy on her shoulders.

Pain, betrayal were all she could feel until she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is there?" Ava responded quickly.

"It's Ethan," he replied.

"One minute," she said as she quickly wiped away the tears from her eyes.

Ethan? What is he doing here? Did Mason send him to check up on me? I hope this room isn't messy enough.

"Gosh why am I questioning myself for him, I can't happen to feel something for him right, I can't be stuck in between two brothers," Ava thought as she opened the door and Ethan walked in.