The Scar That Freed My Soul

vorce papers, I had to press a bla

l, even though he had just watched his mistress p

in didn't call an ambulance for me; he

ar and a broken soul, leaving

the game "Never Have I Ever" b

ignoring his now-wife Brea, and whisper

I was the home-wrecker, and tried

me, I wasn'

bor, Derek, and closed the do

my phone: "Tech Mogul Calvin Bishop Stab

ar on my neck an

t knock; she kic

pte

y Wol

ot literally, of course. But the man who shattered

rom the ceiling, reflecting the soft glow of amber lights. It was Maya' s bachelorette party, a night that

loud over the music. Calvin Bishop. The tech mogul, the public' s darling, the man who once

t, jagged scar at the base of my neck, hidden beneath the

ked onto mine. A slow smile, that familiar, arrogant curve, spread acro

ne. Tonight, it just felt like a cold draft. "You look... different." He paused, his g

vin." My voice was steady, betraying none of the turmoil chu

of genuine warmth. "Some t

. I saw Kaliyah, my best friend, narrow her eyes at h

r hands, pulling a stack of cards from her purse. "Alright,

e began, innocent enough, detailing wild college antics and questiona

g slightly, "been betrayed by someone I loved, onl

silent. Every eye, it seemed, w

ath catching in his throat. His face,

she's talking about. The thought w

rfect life. The life he built on the ashes of mine. He was the CEO, the philanthropist, the man with the picture-perfect wife w

ya. "I have," I said, my voice clear and

he crowd. Maya stammered, "Oh, Audr

. Started as an affair, ended with a wedding. Quite the fairytale, really." My gaze flickered to Calvi

darting between Calvin and me. Kaliyah, however,

ing. "You never told me it was that bad. You

I replied, my voice steady

rious gaze to Calvin. "What happened was you wal

rfume. Brea Holloway' s pale legs wrapped around Calvin, on our bed. The sight of their bodies, tangled and grotesque, had

wanted her off him, off our bed. She' d stumbled back, her eyes wide with fear, and then she pushed me. Hard. I felt my feet slip on the polished wooden fl

en a gush of warmt

ury, screaming at me. "Look what you' ve done, Audrey! You' re just a jealous, unstable mess! You' re not ex

fficult pregnancy." He' d promised to end it, to fix everything. But his words were empty, drowned out by the th

e away, he didn't ride wi

, I had looked at him, his face etched with a performative guilt that didn't reach

The lounge, the party, Calvin' s stunned face. Ka

liyah muttered, shaking her head. "G

clear in his eyes now, a desperate, plead

my voice flat, holding

ds me, his hand reac

ll settling over me. "It's an

ry always makes me thirsty." I needed to escape his gaze, his presenc