Bella Pov
I stood in the doorway and stared at the bed. The bed I shared with my husband. But right now Damian was on top of Karen and they were moving together like I did not exist.
Karen's red nails dug into Damian's back. She moaned his name loud and clear. Damian moved faster and grabbed Karen's hips tight.
My legs went weak. I grabbed the doorframe to keep from falling. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would break through my chest.
This could not be real. This could not be happening.
But it was happening. Right in front of me, in my house, in my bed.
"Yes Damian right there" Karen moaned louder.
Damian groaned and pulled Karen closer to him.
I felt hot tears fill my eyes. I tried to breathe but my throat felt closed. I tried to say something but no words came out. My whole body shook and I needed to leave before they saw me.
I stepped back from the door. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped my purse. I turned and walked down the hallway as fast as I could without running. I did not want them to hear me. I did not want them to know I was there.
I made it to the front door and yanked it open. The cold air hit my face but I barely felt it, i ran to my car and fumbled with my keys until I finally got the door unlocked.
I threw myself into the driver's seat and slammed the door shut. Then the tears came, hard and fast. I could not stop them even if I wanted to.
"No no no" I whispered to myself.
I put the keys in the ignition with shaking hands. The car started and I backed out of the driveway too fast. I did not care. I just needed to get away from that house, away from that bedroom. Away from the image burned into my brain.
I drove down the street without any idea where I was going. Tears blurred my vision but I kept driving. I turned left then right then left again, nothing looked familiar but it did not matter.
After about ten minutes I screamed long and loud until my throat hurt.
Then I went quiet.
The pain in my chest felt like someone had stabbed me with a knife and twisted it. Every breath hurt, every heartbeat hurt. Everything hurt.
I thought about all the nights Damian said he was working late. All the times he said he had meetings. All the excuses I believed because I trusted him. I trusted him with everything.
"I am so stupid" I said to the empty car.
My phone started ringing. I glanced at the screen, Damian. I rejected the call and kept driving.
He called again. I rejected it again.
On the third call I turned my phone on silent and threw it onto the passenger seat.
I drove until I found a dark street corner. I put the car in park and turned off the engine. I looked down at my left hand. My wedding ring caught the streetlight and sparkled. It used to make me happy, now it just made me sick.
I pulled it off and held it in my palm. Two years of marriage, two years of thinking I had found my person. All of it meant nothing now.
"How could you do this to me" I whispered.
My phone lit up on the passenger seat. Message after message from Damian. I did not read them.
I put my head against the steering wheel and cried until I had no more tears left. My chest hurt from sobbing, my throat was raw. My eyes burned.
Finally I sat up and wiped my face with my sleeve. I looked at myself in the rearview mirror. My eyes were red and swollen. Mascara ran down my cheeks.
I picked up my phone and scrolled through Damian's messages without reading them. Fifteen missed calls. Twenty three text messages.
I opened my maps app and searched for hotels nearby. A cheap motel about five miles away came up first. I started the car and followed the directions.
The parking lot was half empty. The neon sign flickered on and off. I grabbed my purse and got out of the car, the wedding ring was still in my hand. I put it in my pocket.
I walked into the lobby. An older man sat behind the desk watching a small TV. The screen showed some old movie I did not recognize.
"I need a room" I said.
"How many nights" he asked without looking up.
"Just one for now"
"Cash or card"
"Card"
He finally looked at me. His eyes went to my face and I knew I looked terrible. My eyes were puffy. My cheeks were stained with tears, but he did not say anything. He just took my card and ran it through the machine, the machine beeped twice.
"Room twelve. Second floor" He handed me a key. "Checkout is at eleven"
"Thank you" I said quietly.
I took the key and walked back outside. I found the stairs and climbed them slowly. My legs felt like they weighed a thousand pounds. Each step took effort, i found room twelve and unlocked the door.
The room was small and smelled like old carpet and cleaning spray. The bed looked hard. The TV was ancient. The walls were painted a dull beige but it was not my house and that was all that mattered right now.
I locked the door behind me and dropped my purse on the floor. I sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the wall.
I laughed but there was no humor in it. Just pain.