Falling Apart

CHAPTER 2

"I love you." He said. "I will always be by your side and will never let you down." He said.

Smack! Smack! Smack! I aggressively hit the steering wheel in frustration with my hand.

"Fuck you Michael!" I screamed on top of my lungs.

How could I have been so foolish to not realize his deception, to have truly trusted him. I was so stupid. I gritted my teeth as I gripped the steering wheel, raking my other hand through my hair.

I angrily wiped away the tears that were beginning to form at the edges of my eyes. "Stop shedding tears for that deceitful snake Kate. After so many fucking years! I am done allowing him to manipulate me that way!!"

I inhaled. "You can do this, Kaitlyn'," I encouraged myself. "It's time to move forward and begin living for yourself."

I breathed deeply to calm myself and began driving towards the restaurant where I would meet my friend Emma for dinner.

She had been a significant source of support during the last couple of months, allowing me to release all my frustrations and anger when I felt overwhelmed by Michael's betrayal.

I got to the restaurant and walked in after I have parked my car, seeing Emma already seated at our usual spot with a glass of wine ready for me. I embraced her tightly in a large hug.

"I really needed to see a familiar face tonight," I expressed as I sat down opposite to her. Earlier, Michael and his chic tried to come at me again at my apartment."

"What the hell did they do?" Emma inquired with a worried expression.

I began to describe Melissa's foolish effort to provide me with a sanitized explanation for why she had been involved in an affair with my partner right in front of me. Emma shook her head in disgust while I ranted.

She said fiercely after I finished. "I just want to grab both of them by the hair and smash their thick skulls together. The sheer boldness of that witch showing up at your house like that is absolutely stunning."

"I know right?" I strongly agreed. "Am I just supposed to listen to her explanations and then say, 'It's alright, everything is fine now'? Just like that!"

Emma vigorously agreed and promptly shifted the conversation, recognizing my need for a break from revisiting the drama.

The wine and talking out my frustrations helped me relax gradually in the following hours.

Emma always had a way of bringing a smile to my face and helping me escape my worries, even if just temporarily.

We had been inseparable since our first year in college, supporting each other through countless highs and lows.

While embracing her outside the restaurant to say goodbye, I reflected on how lost I would have been without a consoling friend like her to rely on following Michael's inexcusable behavior. The idea of having a snake like Melissa in my life made me shiver.

The following days went by quickly, as I concentrated on taking each day as it came and avoiding falling back into the hopeless state I had been in for a while.

I immersed myself in my work with a fresh resolve, seizing every chance to tackle additional projects and duties to stay busy and prevent my mind from straying.

Weeks after the Melissa incident, I was busy reorganizing a supply cabinet at work when my cell phone began to ring. I thought about ignoring the call and letting it go to voicemail, but when I saw it was my cousin Danielle, I answered.

"Hello there, how are you doing, young lady?" I mentioned, placing the phone between my shoulder and ear to continue working.

"Oh my gosh Kaitlyn, I am shocked you kept it a secret from me!" Danielle exclaimed suddenly. "I recently came across Michael shared pictures from his honeymoon with that lady on I*******m!"

A rush of emotions; anger, hurt, and sadness made me feel like I couldn't breathe. It felt as if I had been making good progress, but then I was forcefully pushed back by two steps.

"Is anyone there? Kaitlyn, are you there?" Danielle's tiny voice came through again.

"I-I'm here, yeah," I choked out, struggling to keep it together at work.

"How are you managing? "Danielle expressed sympathy. 'That sounds terrible for you, God.'"

"I'm...I'm okay," I dishonestly claimed, feeling far from okay as thoughts of Michael and Melissa enjoying themselves on a beach invaded my thoughts. "I need to leave now. I will catch up with you later.

I didn't wait for her reply before ending the call and hastily putting my phone in my pocket with trembling hands.

The cabinet I had been organizing was completely messed up, with its contents scattered across the floor due to my rushed actions.

I retreated from the supply room, feeling the need to create some space between me and the recent events.

I quickly scanned the room until I saw the bathroom on the other side of the hallway. I headed straight for it, throwing open the door and securing myself in the biggest stall.

It felt as if a floodgate had been opened within me. Any progress I believed I had made in getting over this was completely crushed by an overwhelming wave of unavoidable pain and sadness.

Furiously, I wiped away the warm tears running down my cheeks, forcefully removing them as they rolled.

"Stop the fucking tears Kaitlyn!" I shouted at myself with clenched teeth. I would not allow Michael to continue having this influence on me. I had to have more strength than what I currently possess.

"Take deep breaths. In and out exit gradually. Rediscover your sense of balance," I told myself.

After the tears gradually decreased, I retrieved my phone once more, my fingers shaking. I had to see it for myself. Summoning my courage, I opened Michael's I*******m profile and clicked on the recently posted photo album titled "Paradise."

As I scrolled through, I could feel happiness and joy radiating from each frame. Michael and Melissa were relaxing together on a perfect beach, their bodies closely intertwined.

Another picture shows them enjoying a champagne toast, their faces filled with sheer happiness.

An increasing number of agonizing pictures showing their apparent joy as newlyweds displayed for all to see.

The last image was the one that truly pierced my heart.

The scene depicted Michael lying without a shirt on a beach towel with Melissa in a bikini sitting on top of him, engaged in a passionate kiss and fully immersed in each other.

Underneath, the caption stated "Living the life of my dreams with my dream girl. The man who is the most joyful in the world.

I let out a harsh, choked sound involuntarily as a new wave of anguish washed over me.

This was an excessive, excessively cruel cosmic prank being played on me by the universe.

Melissa would definitely not hesitate to show off her prize in public, completely disregarding the pain and embarrassment it would bring me. I was merely an unintentional casualty in her self-centered quest to ultimately win over the man I had loved deeply.

I couldn't keep myself composed any longer following that. I had harsh, convulsing sobs as I curled up on the dirty tiled floor, pulling my knees into my chest. As I buried my face, the phone fell from my hand and made a loud noise when it hit the ground, while I allowed myself to be consumed by gut-wrenching tears.

That's the way my colleague and friend Sarah found me roughly fifteen minutes later as she walked into the bathroom, quickly worried by the noises of my anguish. I sensed her touch on my shoulder as she softly attempted to console me.

"Kaitlyn what's wrong?"

I struggled to raise my head, realizing I must have appeared completely insane at that moment - disheveled hair, smeared mascara on my puffy face, curled up helplessly on the bathroom floor.

"He..." - "He..." I attempted to escape while struggling to catch my breath. “Michael posted photos from his honeymoon.”

Sarah's face showed a flicker of comprehension. She was aware of the entire scandalous tale.

"Oh Kate..." she whispered empathetically, embracing me in a comforting hug. I felt like I had finally found relief from drowning as I melted into her embrace.

Sarah showed great kindness at that moment. She comforted me, easing my cries with gentle hair strokes and comforting words. After I regained enough balance to stand, she dampened paper towels and assisted me in cleaning my puffy, tear-streaked face.

"Have you been looking after yourself during this time?" she inquired after I had somewhat regained my composure.

I laughed without humor, recognizing that the dark circles under my eyes revealed the true tale. I don't think so.

"I'm giving it my best shot, I promise."

Sarah gazed at me with intense sadness, as if she could perceive the profound extent of the suffering I had been consumed by.