He Can Cry a River and I Still Won't Budge

That night, I waited for him in the living room, all night long.

I called him repeatedly, hoping to remind him he had a wife, praying he’d regain his composure in his chaotic pursuit of Kya and that he wouldn’t doom our marriage.

But the call wasn’t answered until the early morning.

“Hello? Are you looking for Sydney? He’s exhausted from last night and still hasn’t woken up,” said a woman’s voice on the other end.

I covered my mouth as tears streamed down my face.

“Need me to wake him for you?” she asked, her voice tauntingly sweet.

Seeing ‘My Husband’ on the screen felt like a blade stabbing deep into my chest. The pain was excruciating, suffocating.

I was the victim, yet I felt like a rat scurrying through the streets, desperate to end the call and find somewhere to cry in solitude.

“Oh, your call kept ringing, so I answered it,” she added.

The sound of fabric rustling followed.

Then Sydney’s familiar voice came through, trembling, “Florence, it’s not like what you think. Kya and I didn’t do anything. I’ll explain everything at home.” 

The usually composed man now sounded panicked.

Shortly after, my phone buzzed with notifications. My long-dormant class group chat was unusually active.

Everyone was tagging me: [@Florence, check this out!]

My heart sank as I scrolled through the messages. A photo popped up and it felt like a slap in the face. In the picture, a woman, half-naked, leaned against a man’s shoulder, her lips curled in a blissful smile. Though the man’s face wasn’t visible, I knew it was Sydney. I couldn’t possibly mistake the wedding ring on his finger—it was ours. The design was unique, custom-made by a friend of mine who’s a jewelry designer.

The group chat exploded in an instant.

[@Florence, isn’t that Sydney?]

[You should just step aside and let them be happy. Forced love never lasts. Look how in love they are.]

[Why didn’t you stop him? Two old flames reunited after five years. Of course, something happened last night.]

[Ugh, this is disgusting. Poor Florence.]

Though most comments tried to bring me down, a few were still on my side:

[Don’t jump to conclusions. They’re the model couple of our circle. Sydney even broke his leg for Florence once. He’d never cheat on her.]

[Exactly. Five years and still so in love. They travel abroad every month. Stop spreading rumors.]

***

These people thrived on gossip, eager to see my misery.

I typed back carefully, trying to sound lighthearted.

[Florence: Want me to wake up and have him join a video call to clarify?]

The group fell silent.

I exhaled deeply, trying to steady my nerves.

Then, Rod sent a reply with sly emoji. [Your husband just text me.]

He posted a screenshot of their chat.

[Sydney: Delete it. If those photos get out, it’ll ruin Kya’s reputation.]

[Rod: Are you dumb? I posted them here for your wife to see.]

[Rod: Who do think she’ll believe? You or me?]

Sydney’s arrogance was evident, confident he had me completely under his control.

The chat exploded again.

Rod added, [Pay up, losers.]

[I told you Sydney still has feelings for Kya. He won’t just sit back and let it slide.]

[Give them the chance and those two will definitely roll in the hay.]

[In the face of true love, Florence doesn’t stand a chance!]

[Rob: Stop stalling. I want my money.]

Then, the group was filled with transaction records.

Sydney had turned me into a joke within the circle. Anger and shame wrapped tightly around me.

In just one night, Sydney had betrayed me twice.