Chapter 8
The house felt quiet, the air thick with tension. Bianca stood on the stairs, her body rigid as Erick’s hoarse voice pierced the silence. “Bianca…”
She could feel the heat of his gaze on her, but it didn’t matter. Her heart was already a stone in her chest, cold and unfeeling. Slowly, she turned to face him, her tear- filled eyes meeting his. She let the tears fall, just enough to make her seem vulnerable, to make her seem like she was still in love with him–like she still cared.
“Erick,” Bianca began, her voice trembling with a mixture of anger and sadness. “I truly hate you, but I also truly love you. I…” Her words trailed off, leaving just enough room for him to fill in the gaps, to believe for a moment that he might still be able to win her back.
A flicker of joy, too quick to hide, shot across Erick’s face. His shoulders relaxed.
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the weight of his guilt momentarily lifting as he saw the glimmer of hope in Bianca’s eyes. He took a step forward, his hands. reaching for her and in one swift motion, he enveloped her in his arms.
“Bianca, I won’t do it again,” he said desperately, his voice cracking. “Forgive me this once and we’ll live our lives properly from now on. I swear I’ll change. We’ll start over. I’ll make things right.”
Bianca’s heart hardened at the words. Cheating wasn’t something you just apologized for and moved past. It wasn’t a mistake–it was a choice. Her mind
screamed at her to push him away, to make him see the truth, but she simply stood there, allowing him to hold her, hiding the bitterness behind her eyes.
‘Cheating is either something you do or you don’t. Erick, do you even hear yourself?‘ Bianca thought to herself, her mind a whirlwind of disgust and resentment. She glanced briefly out the window, seeking
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refuge in the outside world, anything to escape the claustrophobia of this moment.
But just as she thought she might break free, the door slammed open and Sabrina appeared in the doorway, her face
contorted with anguish. Sabrina’s eyes locked onto Bianca with a mixture of guilt and defiance, but it was clear she had no intention of backing down.
Sabrina didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. Dropping to her knees, she sobbed pitifully, her tears flowing freely as she begged for Erick’s attention. “Please, sis,” she cried, her voice breaking with false humility. “I love Erick. You can still be Mrs. West. I won’t fight you for it. Just let me be with him. Please…”
Her plea hung in the air like a thick fog. Bianca’s chest tightened and for a split second, she thought she might suffocate from the absurdity of it all. How was it possible that this woman, the one who had betrayed her most, could kneel before her
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and act as though she were the victim?
Tears streamed down Sabrina’s face and her voice cracked with desperation. Despite the tears, a cold smirk tugged at the corners of Bianca’s lips. She stood tall, her posture unwavering, as she watched Sabrina’s pathetic performance. It was almost comical, how Sabrina thought she could beg for forgiveness when everything had already been laid bare.
Bianca’s voice, when it came, was laced with disdain. “You’re okay with being a secret mistress for the rest of your life?” she asked, her words cold and sharp, cutting through Sabrina’s pretense.
Sabrina’s expression faltered for a fraction. of a second before she quickly forced a smile. “You will always be Mrs. West, sis,” she replied, her tone strained but trying to sound convincing.
Bianca didn’t flinch. She looked at Sabrina as though she were a stranger. But then her gaze shifted to Erick and she asked, “What
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Chammer 3
about you? Do you love Sabrina?”
The question hung in the air like a storm cloud waiting to break. Erick’s eyes darted between the two women, panic flashing across his face. He loved Bianca–that much was true–but he had also fallen for Sabrina. In the midst of his confusion, his hesitation spoke volumes.
“I love you the most.” he finally said, his voice a weak attempt at reassuring her. But the words were hollow and even he could. hear the uncertainty in them. His heart was divided and the shame of it clung to him like a shadow.
Bianca’s lips curled into a bitter smile, her eyes narrowing. She could see through his feigned sincerity and it only made her loathe him more. His evasiveness was all she needed to hear.
With a final glance at both of them, she turned on her heel and left the room. Her silence, however, was misconstrued by Erick and Sabrina as a sign of concession.
Chapter B
Erick’s face softened, a relieved smile tugging at his lips as he basked in the belief that he had narrowly escaped disaster.
He thought to himself how lucky he was compared to his friends. He had a wife who loved him so much, a wife who, even after discovering his betrayal, couldn’t bring herself to leave him. It was a twisted sense of triumph, one born from his conviction. that Bianca’s love would always be his safety net.
Bianca, however, understood the grim reality all too well. Forgiveness, she knew, wouldn’t bring about any kind of remorse. It would only breed more hurt, more humiliation and more betrayal.
After their dirty secret had been exposed, Erick’s feelings for Sabrina became. painfully clear. No longer did he hide behind the excuse of work. He openly spent time with her, often calling Bianca from her place. “Bianca, be good. Don’t wait up for me tonight,” he’d say casually.
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Eventually, the calls stopped altogether.
Erick’s actions became more brazen and he began to push Bianca’s boundaries further, testing her resolve time and time again. She knew that if she gave in now, it would make things even worse. She couldn’t seem weak in his eyes, so she made a show of resistance, of anger. But deep down, every argument, every fight, only fed into Erick’s belief that he could do whatever he wanted
without consequence.
One weekend, when Erick didn’t come home yet again, he made yet another excuse. “Bianca, Sabrina has a cold and no one’s there to take care of her. I’ll stay with her tonight.”
Bianca’s response was nothing but silence, a silence that spoke volumes. After hanging up, she didn’t waste a second. Without another word, she began to quietly gather all the funds she had managed to save over the years. She had made up her mind. The day she would leave was fast approaching.
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***
As the hours stretched into the quiet of the night. Bianca was left alone with her thoughts. The phone rang suddenly, its sharp tone slicing through the silence. Bianca glanced at the screen and saw Elisa’s name.
“Bianca,” Elisa’s voice was urgent, but Bianca could hear the concern beneath it. “I have two things to tell you.”
Bianca’s heart skipped a beat. “What is it?”
“It turns out Sabrina’s not simply interested in Erick,” Elisa explained. “She’s here for revenge against the Wests. I haven’t found out what they did to her, though.”
Bianca’s blood ran cold. She had known Sabrina was dangerous, but this? This was something else entirely.
“Should I tell Erick about this?” Elisa asked, her voice cautious.
In the past, Bianca would have
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Chapter S
immediately answered with an emphatic
“Yes.” She would have wanted to protect
Erick from Sabrina. But now, she shook her head.
“No need,” Bianca said, her voice steady. “Erick has chosen Sabrina himself and he should bear the consequences.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line and then Elisa let out a relieved sigh. “Not telling him is the right move. Losing you for a scheming woman? He’d deserve it.”
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