32

Two

Talia sat at the bar, devastated and heartbroken. She gripped the glass of alcohol tightly, her emotions threatening to spiral out of control. The betrayal by Marco, her husband, with her own stepsister, Malia, was too much to bear. With trembling hands, she dialed her best friend Lisa, her voice thick with anguish.

Within minutes, Lisa arrived, rushing to Talia's side, and tried to pull the glass from her hand. "Talia, stop this! Drinking yourself to oblivion won’t make the pain go away. You have to think of Marco. He’s not worth it. In time, you’ll heal."

But Talia's emotions were a storm she couldn’t contain. Her tear-streaked face turned to Lisa, and her voice cracked. "Five years, Lisa! Five years I loved him, believed every lie he told me, while he hooked up with my own stepsister. How did I not see it? How was I so blind?" Her hand shot up, calling for another glass of alcohol.

Lisa grabbed her arm firmly. "No more, Talia. You need to stop."

Before she could argue further,