18: Bitter Truth

Ethan nursed his drink, the music fading into the background as he struggled to comprehend the chaos in his mind. The dim lights of the bar seemed to mock him, a harsh reminder of his shattered dreams.

How could this have happened to him when he thought he had his whole life together when he thought he figured everything and things would surely work the way he wanted?

He thought back to Sasha, the girl he'd known his whole life. He'd fallen deeply in love with her the moment he laid eyes on her. He'd done everything in his power to make her happy, even marrying Avery when Sasha asked him to. But now, she was discarding him like yesterday's trash, all for Nathaniel.

A man who doesn’t care about her, a man who doesn’t know where it all started from and they want him to just give up? On something he had worshiped and hoped for his whole life.

The absurdity of it all hit Ethan like a ton of bricks, and he burst into laughter. The sound echoed through the bar, drawing curious glances from