I Loved Her Eleven Years, She Lied Eight

I stumble across a man's official relationship announcement on my social media following my sudden breakup with Tiana Sharp, my ex-girlfriend. I notice the man's wedding photo in the announcement video, where he smiles broadly with his arm around Tiana. He even includes a caption—"Class dismissed. Marriage in session. Eight years in the making." I am immediately dumbfounded. I see the comment sections are packed with well-wishes for the couple, with familiar profile pictures popping up one after another. Tiana even comments, "You were worth the wait." I scroll further and spot a comment from Calvin Guest, my best friend. "It's finally official! I've been rooting for this couple since forever!" As I read the comments, my hands tremble uncontrollably. It turns out that while Tiana and I have been together for 11 years, she's also been dating the person she's been teaching for eight years. Calvin and my other close friends know, yet they help her keep me in the dark. I keep rereading the comments, a suffocating tightness clenching my chest. I return to the post and leave a comment. "It turns out you two had a thing going for eight years during my 11-year relationship." Chapter 1 Zayne's POV Just then, I suddenly received a phone call. Calvin Guest—my best friend—was the first to reach out to me. "Y-You've found out, Zayne?" I remained silent. After a brief pause, Calvin continued, his tone softening. "Do you think you can delete that comment of yours? Wade is… pretty sensitive, so it'll definitely upset him if he comes across it, Zayne…" It turned out that the man Tiana Sharp, my ex-girlfriend, had married was called Wade Lively. I lingered at the elevator doors as a chilly breeze rushed in, sending a shiver down my spine. Just last night, Calvin sat with me on the street corner, sharing beers and tearing into Tiana for being an awful partner. Yet here he was today, immediately standing up for Wade, the shameless other man in the relationship. I tightened my grip around my phone, my knuckles paling from the pressure. "When did you find out about them, Calvin?" Calvin briefly fell silent from the other end of the line before saying, "There's no point in bringing that up now. You've already broken up with Tiana, so just let it go and move on with your lives. I'm only doing this because I care about you, Zayne." I couldn't believe that he actually said he did that because he cared about me. Did lying to me and playing me for a fool actually count as caring? I was just about to speak up when a cheerful male voice interrupted from the other end of the line. "Hurry up and join us, Calvin! We're just waiting for you—" Calvin abruptly ended the call, and everything I wanted to say got caught in my throat. A few seconds later, Tiana messaged me. "Please don't go after Wade for this. He has no idea about any of this, Zayne." I blinked back tears after reading the message, as it was the first time Tiana had contacted me since she ended things with me. Our 11th anniversary was three days ago. I booked the restaurant half a month in advance and waited by the window all night. In the end, Tiana never showed up. The next day, I suddenly received a message from her saying she wanted to break it off with me. Tiana cut off all contact and blocked me from then on, disappearing from the face of the earth. I had searched everywhere for her like a madman. I had even messaged her a few minutes ago, humbly begging her to give us another chance. I gripped my phone tightly. I tilted my head back and blinked to keep the tears from falling. I then played the announcement video on my phone again. Wade's voice rang out from the video, sounding clear and cheerful. "Here's to the beginning of our romance!" He flashed a peace sign at the camera, with Tiana in her graduation gown in the background. In that instant, memories flooded back. That year, right after Tiana graduated, I traveled nearly 1,900 miles alone to Haverleigh University to find her. I excitedly pulled out the engagement ring I had prepared for so long and asked, "Will you marry me, Tiana?" Tiana, however, lowered her head and nestled into my arms, her expression sad. "I want to pursue my master's degree, so please give me three more years. I swear I'll marry you once those three years are up, Zayne." In the end, those three years became five. Tiana went from getting her master's to pursuing her PhD, moving all the way from Haverleigh to Bellevue. I followed her wherever she went, changing jobs countless times along the way. Tiana always asked me to wait a little longer whenever I brought up marriage—from waiting until she graduated to waiting until her career had settled down. Ultimately, all the waiting resulted in nothing more than a breakup message. I saw all the heart emojis in the comment section. I also noticed the pinned comment from Tiana's best friend. "You finally bagged him, Tiana! Congratulations!" She was the very best friend I sought out yesterday. She actually assured me when I asked her about Tiana's whereabouts, saying, "Tiana has just been exhausted lately with graduation. You know what she's like, right? She's always like this when her mood hits. She'll be fine in a couple of days, so please bear with her a little, Zayne." The announcement video then transitioned to the next scene against a beach backdrop. "It's our fifth time visiting Summeridge together, and it's still as breathtaking as ever." Wade and Tiana walked hand in hand, splashing through the waves as the camera shook wildly and their laughter filled the air. Tiana and I had never gone on a trip together. She was constantly tied up with something—research projects, paper deadlines, or academic conferences. Whenever she stood me up, she would wrap her arms around me, looking apologetic. "I swear we'll go on a trip together next time, Zayne." She always said we would go next time, but when the time came, things ended up exactly the same. They enjoyed a candlelit dinner by the beach, with Tiana peeling the shrimp for him and setting them on his plate one by one. Wade bragged in front of the camera, saying, "Tiana treats me so well! I've been with her for eight years, and I've never had to peel a single shrimp myself!" I glanced down at my hands. My fingernails were always kept short. Tiana loved eating shrimp but found peeling them bothersome, so I was always peeling them and putting them on her plate while the discarded shells piled high on my plate. By the time I got to eat, there was barely anything left, and the food had long since gone cold. In the video, Tiana reached out and wiped the sauce from the corner of Wade's mouth. "You should hurry up and eat them; they won't taste as good once they turn cold, Wade." It turned out Tiana did know that food didn't taste good when it got cold, and that she was actually capable of being this considerate. It was just that the recipient of her care wasn't me. Chapter 2 Just then, my phone buzzed with another notification. Wade had shared another post on his social media. The video showed the club's private room, dimly lit and intimate. Calvin was the first to jump up and start egging them on. "Bottoms up! Bottoms up!" A bunch of their friends started banging on the tables, and before long, everyone in the private room erupted into synchronized chants. Tiana blushed and stepped in close, hooking her arm through Wade's. She gazed up at him, her eyes bright and her cheeks flushed. They then raised their glasses and drank. Those around held up their phones to record the scene. Some hollered and clapped, with Calvin's voice the loudest of all. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" Tiana blushed furiously, rose onto her tiptoes, and quickly kissed the corner of Wade's lips. Wade wrapped his hand around the back of Tiana's head as the cheers grew louder. He smiled as he leaned down to deepen the kiss. Tiana had a faint blush on her face, the alcohol softening her expression completely. I had never seen this side of Tiana. She had always refused to drink, and she couldn't stand it when anyone around her drank either. She said her father became violent when he was drunk and that alcohol was the most disgusting thing in the world. Once, I was pressured into having a drink at a work function, so I had no choice but to take a small sip. I even bought mouthwash from the convenience store downstairs and rinsed my mouth five times over before heading home. I waited outside the entrance in the cold for more than half an hour, letting the smell air out before I took out my keys and unlocked the door. Tiana still caught the smell of alcohol, though. She furrowed her brow and asked, "Have you been drinking?" I answered meekly, saying I had only taken a tiny sip. Tiana rose to her feet, walked to the entrance, and pulled open the front door. "I've told you over and over that I can't stand the smell of alcohol. You smell so strongly of it right now that I feel like vomiting, Zayne." I tried to explain myself, but Tiana suddenly grabbed me, dragged me to the door, and shoved me out. I spent the whole night sitting in the stairwell. In the freezing cold, with temperatures at 18 degrees Fahrenheit, my tears froze on my face as I cried. I never touched alcohol again after that day. I thought she would never make an exception when it came to alcohol, but now, she was drinking with Wade, looking happier than ever. I used the location tag under the video to find the club where they were gathering. Throughout the cab ride, I kept thinking about what I would do when I arrived. Should I confront them, get into an argument, or make a scene? Should I do something as dramatic as picking up a glass and throwing a drink in someone's face, like in a soap opera? It suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea who I would even splash the drink on. Tiana? Wade? Calvin? Or should I just confront their friends who had been spamming Wade's comment section, wishing for a lifetime of happiness together? I got dropped off outside the venue, on the edge of downtown. I spotted them through the floor-to-ceiling window, gathering around a cake and raising their glasses in celebration. Tiana leaned against Wade's shoulder, smiling, while Calvin clapped and egged them on from the side. I walked into the club, walked up to the private room, and stood outside the door, my hand resting on the handle. I couldn't bring myself to open it. I was the one who had been betrayed, and I should have had every right to barge in and flip the whole table over, but I still couldn't bring myself to do it. Just then, the door opened from the inside, and Tiana appeared before me. I hadn't even had a chance to speak before she grabbed me and hurried me down the hallway, stopping only when we were hidden behind the wall around the corner. "What are you doing here?" She smelled strongly of alcohol. She glanced toward the private room, making sure no one had noticed us, and continued, "Go home first. I'll explain everything about Wade to you later, Zayne." I asked hoarsely, "Do you want to explain how you cheated on me, Tiana?" Tiana frowned, looking as though she were tolerating an unreasonable child. "I understand this isn't easy for you to take in, but we've already broken up. You should just let go of the past. We both need to move forward with our lives, Zayne." I smiled wryly and asked, "You registered your marriage just three days after we broke up, huh?" Tiana went silent for a second, her throat working as she swallowed. "Wade is completely in the dark about this. You can take it out on me if you're upset. I'm begging you, Zayne—please don't tell Wade about this." Tiana's eyes glistened with tears as she said that. She gently rested her hand over her abdomen and said, "I'm already pregnant with his baby, Zayne…" Chapter 3 "W-What did you just say?" I stammered, struggling to speak. Tiana turned her face away, not daring to look at me. "I just found out three days ago, and based on the timing, it's Wade's. I'm begging you, Zayne—please don't let him know about our past." I finally understood everything. No wonder she had been so eager to end things with me. She wanted to build a family with another man. I leaned against the wall, the cold tiles pressing against my back. I felt as if someone had drained every last bit of strength from me. I instinctively looked toward her stomach—there had once been a child of mine inside her, too. I found a positive pregnancy test in the bathroom three years ago. I took it to her, my hands trembling so badly I could barely hold on to it. "A-Are you pregnant, Tiana?" Tiana fixed her gaze on the research papers on the table, never once looking up. "I'm not planning to have this baby. I haven't graduated yet, so I don't have the time and energy to raise a baby right now, Zayne." It was the first time I had ever gotten down on my knees to beg her. I told her I could work an extra job and take care of her and our baby, but she just furrowed her brow and shook her head, saying, "It's really not the right time. Let's wait until I've graduated before having a baby, alright, Zayne?" I was told to wait again. I had told her countless times in the past, "Let's get married and have a baby together—I just want a family of our own, Tiana." I was capable of taking care of her and providing for our family, but every single time I brought it up, she would tell me to wait a little longer—wait until graduation, wait until she got a promotion, wait until she found a good job, and wait until her career was firmly established. I ended up waiting for 11 years. I was 33 now, and all my friends had become fathers. In the end, my waiting only brought the news that Tiana was marrying Wade and carrying his baby. That thought made me sick to my stomach. I bent over and retched, but nothing came out. It felt as though the resentment I had carried for 11 years was stuck in my throat, choking me until I could barely breathe. Tiana reached out to support me, but her hand froze halfway. Just then, the door to the private room at the end of the hallway opened, and Wade's voice drifted out. "Who on earth are you talking to, Tiana? The cake has started to melt—" Wade stood at the doorway of the private room, arms crossed as he sized me up. Calvin nudged past him, his smile vanishing the moment our eyes met. Wade's gaze shifted among the three of us. He realized something was off, and his smile gradually faltered. He turned his attention to me, his eyes taking on a guarded edge. "Do you guys know each other? Who is he?" Calvin spoke up before I could even say anything. "He's my cousin!" He turned to me with a smile, as if reminding me to go along with it. "Isn't that right?" I stared at Calvin, then shifted my eyes to Tiana. She kept her eyes lowered, her lashes trembling slightly. She offered no objection, as if she was waiting for me to just go along with it. Wade's guard dropped as he nodded. "Oh, I see! Why don't you come in and join us, then?" He walked over, caught my arm, and dragged me into the private room. He warmly invited me to take a seat, and as he bent over, his collar opened slightly. I instantly spotted the amulet hanging around his neck and recognized it—it was from Candlemere Chapel. I was out of sorts for a while when Tiana aborted our baby three years ago. I often woke up in the middle of the night, thinking I could hear the baby crying. I had heard that the amulets from Candlemere Chapel were really effective. I knew that our baby was gone but thought getting one would at least give me something to remember them by. I had asked Tiana if we could go together and pray for our unborn baby, but she merely reprimanded me. "I don't believe all that superstitious garbage, so don't go wasting your time on this nonsense, Zayne." Wade came back with beer and noticed me staring. He reached over and pulled the amulet out from inside his shirt collar. "I got really sick two years ago, so Tiana got this for me from Candlemere Chapel." He sounded slightly proud as he continued, "She climbed all 3,000 steps up to the shrine on her knees, bowing and prostrating herself the whole way. She scraped her knees so badly that there are still visible scars on them. It drove me crazy seeing her like that." Tiana snuggled against him. "It was all worth it for you." In that instant, my heart sank to rock bottom. Tiana dumped me out of nowhere three days ago and then vanished off the face of the earth. She blocked my number and wouldn't answer any of my messages. I searched everywhere for her like a madman. I had even poured my heart out to Calvin in tears. He reassured me back then, saying, "You shouldn't let your imagination run wild. You know what kind of woman Tiana is, right? She's probably just busy. You'll only annoy her if you keep pushing her, Zayne." I truly believed I had exhausted her patience. I didn't eat or drink for those three days, locking myself in my room. I replayed every single word, every text message, and every photo I had shared with her. I wanted to know which day, which sentence, or which incident had suddenly made her sick of me. Only now did I realize that while I was losing my mind trying to salvage things and win her back, Tiana was cozied up in Wade's arms, planning their future together. Chapter 4 I couldn't hold it in any longer. I bolted from the private room and into the restroom, leaning heavily over the sink and dry-heaving violently. I had nothing in my stomach, leaving just sour bile backing up into my throat. Suddenly, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. Wade leaned against the restroom doorframe with his arms folded, no longer looking as friendly as before. "You're Tiana's ex, right?" I was stunned. "You knew about our relationship?" Wade walked over and stood beside me, watching me in the mirror's reflection. "I'm not an idiot, alright? You were together with Tiana for 11 years. How could I possibly not notice that?" He took in my wretched state, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Tiana told me you're a pretty good guy, gentle and accommodating, except… you're not exactly someone she can bring to the table. A housekeeper could handle those domestic tasks, after all. "She needs a partner who can match her standing—someone like me." He looked up and met my eyes in the mirror. "How does it feel to spend 11 years catering to her every beck and call, only to get kicked to the curb in the end?" I lost my temper and snapped, "You're the one who got involved with someone else's girlfriend! How can you be so shameless?" Wade smirked dismissively, his eyes brimming with contempt. "You don't get to decide who's the other man here." He suddenly slammed his head against the sink after saying that, let out a scream, and fell backward. I didn't even have time to process what was happening before someone forcefully shoved me away. I slammed heavily against the wall, the shockwave rattling me to my core. Tina kneeled to check Wade's injury before looking up at me, her eyes brimming with disappointment. "What the hell is wrong with you? How can you hurt someone who can't even defend himself? When did you become so ruthless, Zayne?" "I-I didn't do it…" I stammered, my back throbbing so hard it had gone numb. But Tiana was too busy tending to Wade to spare me a glance. Wade rested his head in her lap and glanced sideways at me, flashing a smug, taunting grin. In that instant, my last bit of restraint snapped, and I could no longer suppress my rage. I lunged at Wade, but just before I could even touch him, I was suddenly struck on the back of the head. I staggered as I turned around, Calvin's familiar face appearing right before me. Through my blurred consciousness, I saw Tiana and Calvin shielding Wade, walking away without a single glance back. … I woke up to find myself in a hospital bed, with Calvin standing beside me, looking deeply apologetic. "I'm really sorry… I didn't mean to hurt you. You were so worked up just now. If I hadn't stopped you, Wade would have gotten hurt, Zayne…" It was always about Wade. I laughed bitterly and said, "You're supposed to be my best friend, Calvin…" Calvin sighed and explained, "Wade is genuinely an amazing person. He's genuine, down-to-earth, outgoing, and generous. He's like a burst of sunshine that makes everyone feel at ease. He also graduated with a master's degree from a prestigious university. "He and Tiana are truly equals, whereas you—" "What's wrong with me?" I glared at Calvin, my head throbbing with a dull ache. "Do you think I'm not good enough to be your friend or date Tiana just because I'm not highly educated? You'd better not forget I worked myself to the bone to support you and Tiana all these years, Calvin! "I was the one leaving early and getting home late, busting my ass to make money! How dare you turn around and look down on me now! Where the hell is your conscience, Calvin?" Calvin was struck dumb. He dropped his gaze, hastily made up an excuse, and hurried out of the hospital ward. I could hear a few nurses talking in hushed tones out in the hallway since Calvin left the hospital ward door slightly ajar. "Isn't that the homewrecker?" "I heard he beat the woman's husband badly enough to land him in the hospital! How outrageous!" "Ugh! Why are we even helping someone like him at our hospital?" I was confused, so I picked up the phone beside my hospital bed and unlocked it. I realized that someone had uploaded a video of my confrontation with Wade at the gathering earlier—and it had gone viral. In the comments, Calvin left a comment apologizing on my behalf as my best friend, saying I hadn't been in a good state of mind. He even tagged my social media account at the end. I was instantly bombarded with hateful direct messages. "How desperate do you have to be to become the other man? Is a woman really that essential to your existence? How can you go after a married woman? How shameless!" "He's gone too far! He actually went to beat up the woman's husband! Go dox this bastard!" I suddenly felt my phone vibrating. Calvin had called to explain himself. "I really had no choice, Zayne. Wade is about to land a national project, and Tiana is about to be offered a permanent teaching position at the university. Neither of them can afford a scandal right now. You'll have to bear the consequences for now." Tiana sent me a message as well. "I've seen the video, Zayne. Those online users are just running their mouths to let off steam, so please bear with it for now and don't say anything else—making a bigger scene will only make things worse for everyone." How ludicrous. Tiana and Calvin actually want to keep Wade—the actual homewrecker—hidden in the shadows while forcing me—the victim—to take the fall and carry the blame. Every last shred of hope I had for them vanished completely. I smiled wryly as I took screenshots of all my chat logs with Tiana. I also exported the audio recording of the phone call I just had with Calvin. Then I gathered all the proof from our years together, put together photos, and matched them against a clear timeline. Once I did that, I turned on my camera and looked straight into it. "Hello, I'm Zayne Lupton, the one everyone's been attacking online and calling a homewrecker. There are some things I need to set straight about the whole situation."