When Alexander returned home that evening, he felt drained
and frustrated. The weight of his encounter with Pamela had left him
emotionally exhausted. As he stepped inside, he noticed the familiar silence of
the apartment, which now felt more suffocating than comforting.
He walked into the living room, intending to gather his
thoughts, when he overheard Victoria talking animatedly on the phone in the
adjacent room. Curiosity piqued, he paused, straining to hear her words.
"I can't wait until the wedding," she said, her voice bright
with excitement. "Once we're married, I'll find a way to deal with the
pregnancy. He can't find out that I've been faking it!"
His heart dropped. **Faking it?** He thought to himself, a
wave of disbelief crashing over him. All this time, she had never been
pregnant; she had manipulated him into believing her lies so he would feel
trapped and obligated to marry her.
Fueled by a surge of anger, he burst into the room, his
voice booming. "What the hell are you talking about, Victoria? You've been
lying to me about the pregnancy!"
Victoria froze, her expression shifting from excitement to
confusion. "Alexander, I—"
"Don't even try to explain!" he shouted, his fury barely
contained. "You've been playing me this whole time!"
"I can explain! Please just let me—" she began, but he cut
her off, stepping closer, fists clenched at his sides.
"Explain what? How you manipulated me into marrying you? I
can't believe I ever trusted you!" His voice was laced with rage, and for a
moment, he felt the urge to lash out. But he fought to control his anger,
knowing that violence wouldn't solve anything.
"Alexander, please," she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.
"I thought if I told you I was pregnant, you'd want to stay with me!"
"You thought wrong!" he shouted back, his heart racing. "I'm
done with this charade. Get out of my house. The marriage is over!"
Victoria's face crumpled as she realized the gravity of the
situation. "You can't mean that. I love you!"
"You love what you can control!" he retorted, his voice
cold. "You've been manipulating me since the beginning. I won't be a part of
your lies anymore."
As she broke down in tears, Alexander felt a mix of anger
and sadness. He had never wanted it to end like this, but he knew he had to
stand firm. He turned away from her, grabbing her things from the closet and
dragging them to the front door.
"Alexander, please don't do this!" she cried, reaching for
him, but he ignored her, throwing her belongings onto the porch.
"Get out, Victoria!" he shouted, his voice echoing in the
quiet street.
Heartbroken and humiliated, Victoria stumbled out of the
house, her tears streaming down her face as she gathered her things. "You'll
regret this!" she yelled, desperation in her tone.
"Regret what?" he shot back, his anger boiling over. "Regret
trusting a liar?"
As she disappeared into the night, he closed the door,
leaning against it for support. The silence that followed felt both liberating
and suffocating. He had freed himself from a toxic relationship, but the
emptiness in his heart remained.
With his mind racing, he thought of Pamela. The hope he had
felt earlier now mingled with uncertainty. He needed to find a way to make
things right with her, but first, he had to confront the mess he had just
escaped.