Ditching Me for His 'Soulmate'? His Loss. Next Stop: My New Life novel Chapter 70

Chapter 2

My eyes widened in disbelief as the truth sank in. For the past two weeks, it had been Silas who gently held her to sleep every night, not me. The realization hit me like a cold wave, leaving me stunned and breathless.

Before I could utter a single word, Silas began angrily tossing my belongings out of the bedroom with an impatient flick of his wrist. The air was thick with tension, the room suddenly feeling smaller, more suffocating.

As I bent down to gather the scattered items, a picture frame suddenly flew off the dresser and struck me squarely on the forehead. The glass shattered loudly on the floor, shards sparkling like tiny stars before settling amid the chaos. My hands shook as I picked up the broken frame, heart pounding.

Inside the frame was a photo of Silas holding me close, both of us smiling with pure happiness. But now, as tears slipped from my eyes and fell onto his face in the picture, the image blurred, the sweetness fading away like a distant memory.

Noticing the pain etched across my face, Silas frowned deeply and tried to explain himself, his voice tight with frustration. “Nothing has happened between Rebecca and me. Until our divorce is final, I won’t betray you.”

His gaze was hard, but there was a hint of desperation beneath it. “If you don’t trust me, you can sleep with Rebecca tonight,” he challenged, stepping over the shattered glass and storming out of the room.

Rebecca hesitated for a moment, then cautiously approached and took my hand in hers. “Charlotte, please… stay with me tonight. There’s so much I need to tell you.” Her voice was soft, almost pleading.

Reluctantly, I followed her into the master bedroom, my heart heavy with confusion and doubt. How had Silas, the man who once cherished me above all else, become such a stranger? Was this all just sympathy for Rebecca, or had his feelings truly shifted?

Right before me, Rebecca slowly slid off her nightgown, her movements hesitant yet deliberate, then slipped quietly beneath the covers. Her skin, exposed and pale under the dim light, bore the marks of cruel whip lashes and burns. The sight stirred a painful image in my mind—of the horrific abuse so often described in the news. Women stripped naked, thrown to the ground, violated and used as mere playthings, then leashed like animals for the amusement of others before being discarded like trash in sweatshops.

My heart clenched painfully at the thought, a storm of emotions swirling inside me—fear, sorrow, anger, and something darker I couldn’t name.

Slowly, I sat on the edge of the bed, then lay down beside Rebecca, feeling the weight of the moment pressing down on me.

Her voice was eerily calm when she finally spoke. “Charlotte, you know, I’ve always envied you. Born into wealth, growing up to do what you love, married to a man who’s handsome, brilliant, and worships the ground you walk on.”

She let out a short, bitter laugh. “Do you know what happened the first time I met Silas? I was just handing him a glass of water. My hand barely touched his, and he recoiled as if I had the plague. The disgust in his eyes was so clear.”

“How could he be so good to you, give all his love to only one person?”

From that day forward, she said, she had made up her mind: she would have Silas, no matter the cost—even if it shattered her into a million pieces.

Seeing the horror spread across my face, Rebecca let out a chilling giggle. “Charlotte, do you think I aimed too high? That I’m not as pretty as you, not as talented?”

Her eyes burned into mine, each word dripping with icy venom. “But these scars,” she said, lifting her arms to show the marks, “they’re my weapon. And Silas has already fallen for me—fallen in love with how weak and pitiful I am. Charlotte, you’ve already lost. And it was a spectacular loss.”

She giggled again, the sound sending a shiver down my spine.

Her tear-filled eyes locked onto Silas’s, filled with tragic resignation.

“Thank you, Silas,” she said softly. “You’re the only man who’s ever touched my heart. Meeting you in this lifetime was enough for me.”

With those words, she swung a leg over the windowsill, ready to fall.

Silas’s face went pale as death. He dropped to his knees with a heavy thud.

“I swear it!” he shouted, his voice raw with emotion. “For the rest of my life, I, Silas Duncan, will love Rebecca Brown! I will always stand by your side! If I break this vow, may lightning strike me down!”

Rebecca covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably, and collapsed into Silas’s arms.

“Duncan, I don’t want you to die! Even if you don’t love me, I will love you without regrets!”

Silas pulled her close, his lips pressing deeply against hers.

“Silly girl,” he murmured, “I will love you forever.”