CHAPTER FIVE
Sara
"Follow that car!" I told the taxi driver.
He hesitated for a split second, his eyes widening in the rearview mirror. Then he shrugged and slammed his foot on the gas. The tires screeched as we lurched forward.
"Which car?" he asked, swerving sharply to the left as he picked up speed.
"The black BMW SUV," I said, my eyes locked on it up ahead.
Cole was driving so fast that the taxi driver was having trouble keeping up. When he almost gave up, I told him I would give him an extra fifty bucks. Finally, the asshole grinned and happily picked up speed.
Up ahead, the traffic light turned red, forcing Cole to stop. We were only three cars behind him. My heart pounded as I kept my eyes locked on his car, barely aware of anything else around me.
"Sara," I heard Archie's voice rumbling beside me. "Can you please tell me what the fuck is going on?"
"I'm following Cole's car," I said, my eyes still fixed on it.
"I can see that," he replied, impatience creeping into his tone. "But why?"
My head snapped to him, and I glared. "Why are you following me?"
"Reflex," he said simply. "You looked frantic, and I was worried."
Cole's car moved again, and I practically jumped in my seat. "Hurry, sir!"
The driver sped up, and I had a feeling he'd done this before—probably for someone like me, a wife chasing after her husband to see if he was cheating.
"This is so fucking crazy, Peaches," Archie said with a sigh.
"Shut up and let me concentrate," I snapped.
"Okay," Archie mumbled.
Cole turned left, and if we didn't hurry, we'd be stuck at the traffic light before it turned red.
I ignored Archie and instead urged the driver to speed up. My thumbnail was between my teeth, my knees bouncing anxiously as we followed Cole's car. Archie stayed quiet, but every time I jolted in my seat or snapped at the driver when he nearly lost sight of Cole, his hand shot out instinctively as if to stop me from crashing into the backrest. I was too agitated to notice.
"Hurry, hurry, hurry!" I yelled at the driver as the light changed.
He cursed under his breath but punched the gas, just managing to get us through the intersection in time. My heart was racing like crazy.
The driver skillfully followed Cole's car, and at this point, I was convinced he was no stranger to this kind of chase. Minutes passed, and the knot in my stomach only tightened.
We weren't even in the city anymore.
We were in the suburbs.
"Where are we?" Archie finally broke the silence, glancing out the window.
"I don't know," I muttered.
"This looks like some kind of exclusive residential complex," he pointed out.
"Yeah..."
The taxi driver, who had been mostly quiet until now, spoke up. "This is a fresh development. Opened about two years ago. They haven't sold all the houses yet, and a few remain empty. Many newlyweds move in here."
His words sent a chill through me. My stomach twisted painfully, and my legs felt weak. Without thinking, I reached for Archie's hand and squeezed it tightly.
And then, like a punch to the gut, another realization hit me—sharp, undeniable, and breath-stealing. I was certain now. This complex was one of Cole's projects.
Because I saw the big sign on the left: Sterling Heights.
It was undeniably Cole's. It bore his last name, after all.
My blood ran cold.
This was it.
There was no mistake.
It was as clear as day.
"I think... this is where Elsa lives," I whispered, my voice shaky. "She told me once that she just bought a house from one of Cole's projects."
All my fears had just become reality.
"Elsa?" Archie sounded confused.
I nodded, choking on my breath. I was hyperventilating.
"Sara..." Archie's voice cut through my thoughts. "Take a deep breath."
"He bought her a house, didn't he, Archie?" I whispered, only then realizing I was still gripping his hand.
I glanced out at the rows of two-story houses. Luxurious, every single one of them. There was no way Elsa could afford a place like this on her salary.
"How convenient," I muttered, my voice tight as blinding rage gnawed at my chest. My eyes burned, and I had to blink furiously to chase the tears away. "Buying from his own project. He probably bought it for next to nothing."
"That's the car," the driver said as he pulled over to the side, pointing at Cole's black SUV.
The car sat parked on the street in front of a sleek, modern white farmhouse. The black door stood in stark contrast to the bright facade, flanked by expansive windows with matching black frames. A short, manicured pathway led to the entrance, bordered by neatly trimmed hedges. The house was flawless—too pristine, too picture-perfect, like something out of a magazine. Too beautiful to house the betrayal rotting within.
"That son of a bitch," I muttered under my breath, my hands clenched into fists as I watched Cole step out of his car and walk toward the house. Then he unlocked the door.
He had his own fucking keys.
A fresh wave of rage blinded me. Without thinking, I shoved the taxi door open and marched toward him. The taxi had parked far enough that Cole hadn't seen me yet.
And then I froze.
Elsa stepped out of the door, smiling up at him. Cole looked tense, his posture rigid.
Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss.
I was suddenly breathless.
Did I really see that? Was my mind playing tricks on me?
"Peaches, honey," Archie's voice was suddenly at my ear. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, steadying me just as my knees threatened to give out. "You need to breathe."
"Archie," I croaked, my hands trembling as they moved to my throat. "That's Cole, isn't it? That's really him."
"I wish I could say it wasn't." His exhale was shaky.
"Oh my God, Archie..." My whole body shook as hot tears streamed down my cheeks. My sanity felt like it was slipping, unraveling thread by thread. My thoughts were a chaotic mess, tangled between rage, fear, and heartbreak. It was too much. It was suffocating. I couldn't think. I couldn't breathe.
Cole was cheating on me.
With Elsa.
And she was pregnant.
Fucking pregnant.
Pregnant!
"Stay cool, Sara. You're stronger than you think. You can get through this. I'm right here with you."
I nodded. The movement felt involuntary as if some other force had taken control of my body.
Then I lost it.
I broke down right there on the sidewalk, watching my husband walk into a house he shared with another woman.
A silent, gut-wrenching sob wracked through me as I bent forward, clutching my stomach. It felt like a knife was slicing me apart from the inside, twisting cruelly, mercilessly.
But no sound came out.
The agony was suffocating, so overwhelming that it stole my voice completely.
It hurt. It hurt more than anything ever had.
"Sara," Archie's voice reached me, distant and faint, like he was calling from miles away. "Tell me what to do."
God, it hurt so much.
I shut my eyes tightly, desperate for the pain to fade, to soften into something bearable. But it refused. Instead, it swelled, constricting around me like an unrelenting vice.
"Be strong, Sara."
Archie's voice seeped into my ears—distant, faint—but powerful enough to shake me from the depths of my grief.
I straightened my posture and wiped the tears from my face, a sudden surge of determination taking hold. I wouldn't let him do this to me. I wouldn't bend. I wouldn't break. And I sure as hell wouldn't shatter.
I took a deep breath and let out a slow, steady exhale, ignoring the tears that refused to stop falling. My gaze locked onto the house. The door was closed now.
"Archie," I said. My voice was steadier than I felt.
"Yes, Peaches?"
"You stay here," I told him, my jaw tightening. "I'm going to deal with him."
"Like hell I'm staying here!" he exclaimed, but I was already marching toward the house.
"Sara, slow down!" he yelled after me, but I didn't stop until I stood in front of the door, their voices murmuring from inside. My heart pounded, my fists clenching at my sides.
Then I banged on the door—hard. There was probably a doorbell somewhere, but my fists were itching to hit something.
I was running on adrenaline and fury now. I didn't allow myself to hesitate.
"Honey, can you get that?" I heard Elsa's voice faintly from the inside.
I heard footsteps approaching and held my breath.
A few tense seconds passed before the door finally swung open.
Cole stood there, frozen. The color drained from his face as if he'd seen a ghost, his breath coming out in short, panicked exhales.
"Sara," he rasped.
As if on cue, Elsa emerged from the back of the house, calling, "Who is it, honey?"
She stood across the room, her eyes wide as she stared at me, her baby bump unmistakable. The oversized T-shirt she wore barely covered her legs. The color drained from her face, just as it had from his.
I let out a bitter, shaking breath.
That was it. The ultimate confirmation. There was nothing left for Cole to say, nothing to explain.
"Fuck you. Both of you," I hissed, my voice laced with venom.
But the bastard had the audacity to speak. "Sara, please, let's talk. I will explain everything."
I looked up at him—at his pretty face. The face I had kissed a million times. The face I had once believed only I kissed.
Now, that same face stared back at me, wrecked with pure, raw devastation.
My rage boiled over, scorching every inch of my skin like fire.
And what I did next shocked everyone. Including myself.
I drew my arm back and slapped him. Hard.
The sharp crack echoed through the room, his head snapping to the side.
"Sara," Cole gasped, his hand flying to his reddened cheek.
I pulled my arm back again, ready to land another blow.
But Cole recovered fast. Too fast. Before I could move, his hand shot out, closing around my arm in a tight grip and locking me in his embrace.
"I'm sorry," he whispered in my ear, his voice trembling. He was crying. I could feel his tears, warm against my cheek. "I'm so, so sorry."
His entire body shook, even more than mine. Desperation clung to every word as he clutched me like a lifeline.
"I love you. Please... forgive me. I'm so fucking sorry."
My body was too weak to break free from his tight embrace, but my voice, my mind, my heart—those remained unshaken, solid as stone.
"I can't," I said. My voice was steadier than I thought it could be. "I can't, and I will not forgive you."
"Fuck, Sara," he sobbed. "I'm begging you. Forgive me. Please."
"Let me go, Cole." I pushed against him, but he was too big, too strong, too desperate to let me go. "Your fucking girlfriend is watching."
He took a deep, shaky breath. "I know I don't deserve you. Nothing I say can undo what I did. You trusted me, and I threw it away like it meant nothing when it meant everything. I don't expect you to forgive me. I don't even deserve for you to look at me. But I need you to know that I hate myself for hurting you. Every single day, I wake up wishing I could take it back. I don't want anyone else. I never did. I was just a coward. And I'll spend my whole life paying for that, but please, sweetheart, I love you. Give me another chance."
I scoffed at his words.
Empty. All fucking empty.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Elsa inch closer, shoulders trembling as she silently wept, forced to listen to Cole spill his love and regrets.
"You hear that, Elsa?" My voice was sharp as a blade, cutting through the tension. "Hear him profess his love for me? Hurts like hell, doesn't it?"
Cole's arms tightened around me, his lips pressing against my temple. He didn't even spare her a glance.
I forced myself to stand tall, trying to break free from his grip. "The only thing stopping me from slapping your disgusting face is the fact that you're pregnant." My glare burned through Elsa before shifting back to Cole. "You two deserve an eternity in hell."
Elsa sobbed harder, desperation etched across her face as she looked at Cole, silently begging him to say something—anything. But he didn't. He didn't even seem to notice she was there. A broken sob tore from her lips before she turned and fled inside the house.
"Cole," I pushed him away as hard as I could. "I can't breathe."
That seemed to work—his grip loosened just enough for me to push myself free. Without sparing him another glance, I walked over to Archie.
Cole's gaze followed me, only now seeming to register Archie's presence.
Archie shook his head, his expression hard, voice edged with anger. "Don't fucking look at me like that," he bit out. "I'm on her side."
I glanced over my shoulder and saw Cole standing there, stunned into silence.
"We'll talk someday," I said, my voice clear despite the hurricane wreaking havoc inside me. "But not now. I can't be with you. It hurts too much. And let me be clear, Cole, when that day comes, we'll talk about how to move forward. There is no going back. You and I are done."
I walked away, and Archie followed close behind. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cole move as if to follow me.
"Not now, Cole," Archie said firmly. "Let her breathe."
I kept walking—one foot in front of the other—through the haze clouding my mind until I reached the taxi, still waiting at the curb. Archie opened the door for me, slipping in right after.
The driver met my eyes through the rearview mirror, silently waiting for directions.
"Just drive," Archie said.
The driver nodded, made a U-turn, and pulled away.
And that was when I broke again. The tears came fast, unstoppable. I buried my face in my hands and let them fall.