I Chose Dignity When She Chose Her Affair

The lashing didn't stop. Every word out of Sophie's mouth cut into me like a knife.

"Soph…" I called her name, but she was too busy fussing over Dylan even to turn around.

She checked him over, looking for injuries, completely ignoring me.

Dylan, on the other hand, looked right at me. His gaze was full of smugness, as if he were daring me to do something about it.

I couldn't take it. I grabbed Sophie and pulled her into my arms.

"Sophie, how could you do this to me?"

The way my voice broke must have gotten through to her, because she stopped yelling. She rubbed my back gently. "Miles, just listen to me. Go home first, okay?"

I held on tighter, like the second I let go, she'd be gone for good.

"Come home with me… Please." I was practically begging, but it didn't reach her.

She pushed me away like it was nothing. "Just calm down and stop making a scene, okay? I've still got things to deal with. I'll come home when I'm done."

Behind her, Dylan's expression grew even bolder. The more he gloated, the more determined I was not to let him win. I gritted my teeth, grabbed Sophie's arm, and started pulling her toward the hospital entrance.

If the baby was gone, Sophie wouldn't leave me.

She fought against my grip, trying to wrench free. "What are you doing, Miles? Let go of me! Let go!"

A sharp crack rang out.

Her palm connected with my face. Sophie had slapped me.

"Have you lost your mind?" she snapped.

Her eyes blazed with fury, but the second she saw the red mark spreading across my cheek, she froze.

She'd never once raised her voice at me before, and now she'd hit me in the face over another man.

I froze too. The sting spread fast, hot and sharp, radiating from my skin all the way down into my chest until everything burned.

Tears slid down my face before I even realized it.

Sophie didn't know what to say. She didn't try to explain. She just took my hand and walked me away, leaving Dylan standing there behind us.

She came home with me after all.

But the Miles who loved her was already gone. The Miles who would have done anything for her had died right there outside that hospital, killed by the crack of her hand across his face.

Back at the apartment, she found a cold towel and pressed it gently to my cheek. Her face was pinched with worry, her eyes glistening with tears she hadn't let fall yet.

She knew exactly what she was doing. She knew that the moment she cried, I'd cave and forgive everything.

I just watched her, this woman I once believed I'd spend the rest of my life with.

Neither of us said a word.

She sniffled quietly, then got up and went to the kitchen to cook for me. She always did that whenever I was upset.

I could still remember the very first time she cooked for me. She'd gotten flour all over her face and looked like a stray kitten, crouching in front of me and holding out a plate of pasta.

"Don't be mad anymore, okay? I messed up, I know. But look, I made you dinner."

Her eyes had been so bright, looking up at me with that helpless little pout. In that moment, I swore I would never let anything in this world hurt her.

The memory pulled a faint smile to my lips before I could stop it. But when I looked back toward the kitchen, my vision had already blurred with tears.

Was the Sophie who loved me still in there somewhere?

It didn't matter either way. We could never go back to what we were.

I knew with all my heart that there was no future left for Sophie and me.