He Chose my Cousin, I Chose Revenge

posed to be u

taken months of negotiations, countless revisions, and a final pitch that stretched every ounce of ener

used to stretch across his face when I accomplished something big. He always said no one could close a deal like I did, no one could tu

time in a long while, I felt proud. I felt

we did. After Roman lost his parents at a young age, my family took him in and treated him like one of their own. He was at every celebration, every milestone

Roman into the company as a board member, not because he earned it, but because he was my husb

the passenger seat and a smile on m

e driveway, a strange u

d warmly, and everything appeared untouched. Yet the silence pressed against the windows, heavy and

st the concrete, and the bouquet of flowers I bought him rested

Roman never left t

t faster, thudding ha

ent of food coming from the kitchen, and no sign of his shoes by the entryway. I calle

p the stairs slowly, each step ma

, unmistakably feminine. A sharp knot twisted in my stomach. I couldn't tell whe

pound in my ears, s

ve it, I had already started to un

rtially open. I reached out and

oment everythi

in bed wi

d together on the sheets I had chose

t in front of me. I stood there, motion

of them

lves. They just stared at me, lounging across the bed as though I h

are shoulders. She didn't reach for the covers out of shame. S

looked at me with the same expression he wore when watching th

onds, I forgot

?" I asked, my voi

at didn't surprise me. "We've been meaning to tel

ped the sheet around herself, moving without any urgency. It was the Egyp

she added, like my early return w

is eyes. "You've been so busy. The

"So this is how you deal with

You've always acted like the world revolved around you. Your company,

y he stopped looking at me. I noticed when he began st

bout contracts and expansion all day. You would come h

betray me with my own blood?" I d

m like Roman was lucky to be with you, but you were the luck

parents took you in when no one else would.

plied coldly. "They loved me m

my chest, like a blow I hadn't braced for.

st did. Maybe it's what we all needed." I laughed bitterly, the sound scraping my throat.

company. I trusted you, and now you both st

." My hand twitched at my side, the tempt

let them see how much they had cracked me. I looked at the two o

omething familiar when everything else is gone.

t time in years, I felt entirely alone. I sat in my car, my hands trembling, my thoughts scattered. Everything I

rove away without looking back. But just before I turned

was still on. Their shadows

dow, her arms wrapped around Roman's waist,

d waved at me. As if she had won. That

oing to cry. I was going to bury them