Chapter 2
VANESSA
Istared at my best friend, unable to believe what she was telling me. I’d driven straight to their house when she’d called me, and now I was stunned into silence.
I was sitting in their lounge, beautifully decorated by Lila in cream and gold, every surface shining and the smell of roses in the air.
Lila loved roses, and every time I came over, she had a different fragrance, all rose related.
The sunlight spilled in from the front window; a beautiful window seat that overlooked their driveway and the road beyond bathed in the glow.
I’d always envied her life but also loved that she had it. She deserved it.
She didn’t fucking deserve this, though.
My stupid ass brother had cheated on her with some hoe named Cami, and I wanted to rip his spine out for being so stupid.
He had the most beautiful, loving, and loyal woman as his wife, a woman who’d had her own childhood ripped apart by infidelity.
When he’d married Lila, she’d become something she’d always felt like she was—my sister.
And he’d just broken her heart like it meant nothing.
Instead, I reached out and pulled Lila into my arms, rage burning through my chest. Of all the stupid things my brother had done in his life, this had to be the worst.
“I’ll kill him,” I muttered, stroking her silky black hair as she sobbed. “I’m so sorry, Lila. I don’t even know what to say.”
She said nothing in return, and I closed my eyes, trying to imagine how she was feeling.
They’d been married for what, over twenty years?
As far as I knew, he’d never been unfaithful to her before.
Victor usually worshipped the ground Lila walked on.
He was the best husband, always doting on her, spending all his free time with her—well, that was clearly bullshit, wasn’t it?
Just another fucking act. Why can’t men be faithful?
My cheeks flamed. I wanted to drive to wherever he was and kick his ass, but my best friend needed me more than he did. However, I grabbed my phone and sent a text to Enzo, his lifelong best friend.
Vanessa: Victor has fucked someone else. Go see him before I do. Tell him I’m going to kill him.
Enzo replied instantly.
Enzo: What the fuck? Is Lila okay?
I loved this about Enzo, how he would ask how Lila was before anything else.
He was one of the few men I had time for, not just because he was easy on the eye, but because he gave a shit.
I left the phone on the coffee table, turning to rub Lila’s back, waiting for her sobs to subside before asking her anything.
She’d told me about the video. Who was this fucking hoe, and why was my brother throwing away his entire marriage over her? My stomach churned.
Is he in love with her?
Oh god.
Is he leaving Lila for this bitch?
“The things he said to her…” Lila said between hiccups. Her eyes were swollen, her hands trembling as she pushed her hair out of her way. “He said that shit to me, Ness.”
I stayed quiet, because
A) I didn’t want to know what my brother said when he was fucking someone,
and
B) I would probably leave her house and go and kill him if I did.
“Like… like he was really into her, you know? She looked so pretty. And I’m just…” Lila waved a hand at herself before staring down at her bitten fingernails, and I reached down and grabbed her hand in mine.
“Hey, this isn’t about you. Okay? Look at me.”
Lila lifted her head and my heart broke into a thousand pieces at the pain in her eyes.
How could he do this to her?
“This is about my prick of a brother. This has nothing to do with you. You’re stunning, Lila. You know this. Come on.”
“Not that stunning, apparently,” Lila replied, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. Her skin was blotchy and red, so I jumped up and headed to the downstairs bathroom to grab her some tissue. On the way, I passed the wedding canvas they had on the wall.
Victor gazed lovingly at my best friend on their wedding day; the one woman I’d warned him off. I’d told him if he ever hurt her, I’d end him. And now, here we were, twenty years later.
My anger issues were tough at the best of times, but right now, I wanted to peel Victor’s skin off. I grabbed some tissue and headed back to Lila, my teeth grinding.
“Like, how long has he been…” Lila paused and tilted her head like she was searching for the right word. “Seeing her?”
God.
We were in our forties, and we were speaking about my brother seeing some slut behind her back like we were teenagers.
“I should’ve known. But there were no signs, you know?” Lila shook her head as my phone chimed.
I grabbed it. It was Enzo.
Enzo: He’s in a motel; he’s not in a good way. He wants to speak to her.
I scoffed and responded.
Vanessa: He can get fucked. I hope he’s suffering. Lila is a wreck. What the fuck was he thinking? Who is this fucking woman?
I watched the three dots appear as Enzo typed, and I wondered if he’d known about this bitch. But his reply earlier seemed like he didn’t… Oh, my god, if he did, he’d be on my shit list too.
Enzo: I don’t know. Haven’t asked. Just told him he’s fucking crazy to do this to a woman like Lila.
So, he didn't know.
“Are you texting Victor?” Lila’s voice broke my concentration, and I put the phone down, shaking my head.
“No, babe. Enzo.”
Lila smiled. “He’s a good guy. He’ll make sure Victor is okay.”
How, and why did she give a damn how my brother was? Shit, I was two years younger than him, related by blood, and I still didn’t care. Anything wrong with Victor was self-inflicted as far as I was concerned.
“Do you need anything? I can go and kick his ass if you like?” I tried to smile, but my cheeks felt frozen. Guilt gnawed at me—he was my brother, not some random guy. I loved the bones of him, but this woman was my ride-or-die. If she wanted me to help bury this bitch’s body, I was down.
“I want to know who she is,” Lila whispered. “And I want a divorce.”
A divorce.
I felt like I’d been kicked in the stomach, but I was proud of her for saying that. Lila deserved so much more than this, and I would do everything I could to help her get through it.
Starting with finding out who this bitch was.