Explosive Betrayal: When Love Couldn't Save Us

When Quinn lifted her head, her eyes were filled with disappointment. "I'm not threatening you, Harry. I'm informing you."

Harry turned away indifferently and coldly said, "Do what you want."

Quinn and I stared at the two men before us in disbelief. They weren't like this when we fell in love and got married.

Though stern and rarely smiling, my husband, Chuck, was always considerate. In private, he would even clumsily try to braid my hair.

Meanwhile, Quinn's husband, Harry, was a gentle and patient man. He was always willing to yield to her strong-willed nature.

When we got married, people praised us for finding the perfect partners.

But why had they changed so much in just one short year? Or had they been like this all along, and we just didn't see it?

I couldn't wrap my head around it.

As the pain from the bomb became unbearable, I screamed and clutched Quinn's hand. We huddled together like two helpless, wounded creatures, trying to comfort each other.

In the last moment before I blacked out, I saw Chuck carefully holding Melinda, carrying her out the door while murmuring comforting words to her.

A thought flickered in my mind as consciousness slipped away. It seemed like everything started to fall apart the moment Melinda returned from abroad.

…

I could vaguely hear Melinda's voice over the phone, sweet yet tinged with a hint of triumph. "Chuck, is Scarlett throwing a tantrum again? It's all my fault. It's because I was so scared that I had you to myself.

"Scarlett must be upset because of that. She didn't really mean it when she asked for a divorce. Go and comfort her. My foot is fine now."

Chuck's voice softened slightly. "Don’t say such childish words. A sprained ankle needs proper care, or it'll leave lasting problems. Don't worry about Scarlett. She's just acting out."

After he finished speaking, he casually hung up the phone.

I stared blankly at the phone, listening to the beeping sound. After holding myself together for so long, I could no longer stop my chest from tightening. Tears began to roll down my cheeks.

Just as my call ended, Quinn's phone rang.

Harry's impatient voice came through. "Quinn, when are you and Scarlett going to stop with this farce? This whole situation started because of Chuck's and my work.

"Since Melinda got caught up in it, why is it a problem if we take better care of her? You're two grown women throwing a fit over a young lady. How childish can you be?"

Quinn closed her eyes in frustration, trying to remain calm, but she couldn't help reminding him, "Harry, are you and Chuck even human? Melinda only twisted her ankle, but Scarlett and I ended up in the ICU because of the explosion.

"It's bad enough you two are fawning over Melinda. How dare you blame us now? Have you ever considered that we just got married?"

Harry scoffed. "You two are alive, aren't you? Listening to you, one would think you were dead. When we got married, Chuck and I warned you that our jobs were dangerous. Being with us meant taking on risks.

"Do you remember what you said back then? You said you weren't afraid, that you'd support our work. Now, what's changed? Is it just because of Melinda? Why are you two acting crazy otherwise?

"And pregnancy? I didn't even know you were pregnant! Quinn, if I remember correctly, you took the pill every time we did it. You said you were afraid having kids would affect your career."