Page 89 of Unfaithful

"I was too afraid you'd find out. Too afraid I'd lose you. And my overconfidence—my arrogance—made me believe I could pull this off."

We were quiet for a moment, deep in our thoughts, as we watched the fish swim, sending ripples across the pond. I watched the water shift, just like time had shifted everything between us.

We sat on the same bench where I once held her hand and promised her forever. Promised I'd never hurt her. That she'd be the only one in my heart.

She still was.

But I broke everything else.

I held her hand tighter, afraid to let go. She didn't pull away, but she didn't hold on either. The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncertain, like the ripples in the water, fading into nothing.

"I betrayed you in the worst way, Sara." I lifted her hand, pressing my lips to it. "I'm sorry. So sorry." My voice wavered, heavy with regret. "What I did... there's no excuse. I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but every day, every minute, I wish you'd somehow give me another chance."

"Do you know the first thing that came to my mind when I saw you parked in front of that house, unlocking the door with your own keys?" she asked, pulling her hand away from mine. "Then I heard her call you 'honey,' and the reality hit me... the fact that she was pregnant..."

She paused, taking a shaky breath, looking away from me.

"It felt like I was the lie... and she was the truth."

"No, Sara..." I shook my head, desperation thick in my voice. "You're the truth. You're the one. You've always been the one."

She gave me a bittersweet smile, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "It didn't look like that, did it? No matter how much you tried to explain it away. You and her, and the baby she's carrying... you looked like family."

"No... God, I'm so sorry, Sara," I said, my voice breaking as I reached for her again, though she pulled her hand away. "Idon't know what to say except that you're the only one I love. You're my real family. Please, believe that."

When she didn't respond, I took a deep breath and confessed. "Elena... she's not mine."

Her head snapped toward me, confusion flickering across her face.

"Elsa tampered with the results they sent me," I continued, my voice heavy with regret. "The real father came forward and brought the truth to light. So, I investigated it. Steve and my lawyer helped me. And we found out the truth."

Sara still looked stunned, her eyes locked on mine, searching for more explanations.

"Everything was a lie," I said, trying to keep the anger in check. "A man named Leo is the real father. I'm helping him now to get full custody. Elsa's been neglecting her own child, and if she's left in charge of Elena... she could do really horrible damage."

She looked at me for a moment, then said quietly, "You really love her, don't you? Baby Elena."

I nodded, my throat tightening as I met her gaze. "I do. Even though she's not mine by blood, I've cared for her, worried about her... and I can't just walk away knowing she's not safe. But Sara, that doesn't change how I feel about you. You're still the one I love, the one I want to build a future with."

"Elena's not yours..." she trailed off, her voice quiet yet edged with something sharp. Her gaze flickered to mine. "And now you're here."

For a moment, I just stared at her, my chest tightening, before I shook my head. "I know how it must have looked—like I chose Elena over you. But, Sara, the thought of you raisingElsa's child... I couldn't do that to you. That's why I agreed to the divorce. But I never wanted it. I've been desperate to have you back, to fix this. I'll do anything to make things right, to make you happy again. To show you I will not hurt you like that ever again."

My voice cracked as I spoke, the heaviness of all I'd lost, and all I still longed to reclaim, bearing down on me. I looked into her eyes, silently begging for a chance, for forgiveness, for the hope of beginning again.

She let out a deep sigh, her eyes drifting to the pond for a moment before she turned back to me. "Why her?" she asked, her voice quiet. "Why Elsa?" Her gaze locked onto mine, searching for an answer I wasn't sure I could fully give.

Because there was no explanation—none that made sense, anyway—except the ugly, unfiltered truth.

"She fed the darkest, most broken parts of me," I confessed, my voice hollow. "Someone I didn't give a fuck about. Someone whose pain didn't matter, whose pride wasn't even a thought in my mind."

I looked away for a moment, unable to meet her eyes. Shame burned through me, tangled with self-loathing. I clenched my fists, hating the man I had been.

"That's the only explanation."

She sat in silence, lost in a place I couldn't reach. I watched, waiting, the ache in my chest growing unbearable. I needed to speak, to offer something. To ask her what she needed, what she wanted. Even if it destroyed me.

"I love you, Sara. I want to see you happy," I murmured, my voice weak, barely more than a breath. The reality crashed over me like a wave, cold and unforgiving.

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