I FOUND A NOTE IN HIS GLOVEBOX ADDRESSED TO SOMEONE ELSE
I yanked open the glove compartment looking for his insurance card, and the folded paper fell into my lap, the edges soft and creased like it had been opened a hundred times. My fingers trembled as I unfolded it, the faint scent of lavender hitting me like a punch.
“Dear Emily,” it started, and my stomach dropped. I read the words in his handwriting, words about late-night drives and stolen kisses, about how he couldn’t wait to see her again. The car engine was still running, the hum deafening in my ears.
“What the hell is this?” I shouted, shoving the note in his face when he walked back to the car. He froze, his eyes darting from the paper to me. “You think I wouldn’t find out?”
“It’s not what you think,” he stammered, but the way he wouldn’t meet my eyes said everything. The leather seat felt cold against my back as I stared at him, my breath coming in sharp gasps.
And that’s when I saw HER, standing on the sidewalk, staring right at us.
👇 *Full story continued in the comments…*The blood roared in my ears, drowning out the city sounds. Emily. The name echoed in the silence between us, a silent accusation hanging in the air. She looked just as shocked as I felt, her hand flying to her mouth. He followed my gaze, his face contorting into a mask of guilt and… something else. Panic?
He lunged towards the passenger door, but I slammed it shut before he could escape. The metallic thud seemed to amplify the already unbearable tension. “Who is she?” I demanded, my voice barely a whisper.
He ran a hand through his hair, looking utterly defeated. “Please, let me explain.”
“Explain?” I scoffed, the word laced with bitter disbelief. “You expect me to believe anything that comes out of your mouth right now? After… this?” I waved the note, the paper now crumpled in my fist.
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing nervously. “It’s… complicated.”
“Complicated?” I repeated, a hysterical laugh bubbling up. “You’re cheating on me! That’s not complicated. It’s a betrayal!”
He closed his eyes, and I could almost see him trying to formulate a response, a defense, anything to salvage this imploding situation. But the words wouldn’t come.
Suddenly, a voice cut through the air. It was Emily. “I… I didn’t know,” she stammered, her voice barely audible. She stepped closer to the car, her gaze fixed on him. “I thought… he said…” Her voice trailed off, and I knew, with a sickening certainty, that she’d been lied to as well.
He finally opened his eyes, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of honesty in them. He looked at both of us, at the devastation etched on our faces, and then his gaze hardened. He made a decision.
“Get out,” he said, his voice devoid of emotion. “Both of you.”
My jaw dropped. Get out? After all this?
Emily, however, reacted instantly. She turned and walked away, disappearing into the crowded sidewalk. She didn’t look back.
He turned to me, his face now a cold, hard mask. “Go.”
The humiliation, the betrayal, the utter shock of it all overwhelmed me. I needed to escape. I needed to get away from the smell of his car, the memory of his lies, the crushing weight of this moment.
I got out of the car, my legs shaky. I didn’t look back either. I walked away, the city lights blurring in my tear-filled eyes. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I had to go. Because the only thing worse than finding the note was staying. And as I walked away, I finally, truly felt free. The lavender scent of the note, the stolen kisses, the late night drives, the promises he’d made, they all faded away with every step I took. It was over. And somehow, amidst the wreckage, a sliver of hope began to bloom. I’d survived. And now, finally, I could start living.