Before It's Too Late

Chapter 12

🎵Far beyond my reach

Is the future you promised🎶

🎶Now, what I never even had

I have every reason to miss🎵

AVERY WAS AT A loss for words. Her mind floated. Everything around her seemed to pause. She couldn't hear anything except her heart's fast and loud thud. She pressed her hands to her cheeks, trying to feel anything. Since the moment David had driven away, her whole body had stiffened. With tears running down her cheeks, she kept questioning herself.

What had she done wrong? What had she not done?

David's words kept playing back in her ears. "There is nothing wrong with you, babe. It wasn't you. It was me." How she wished the problem was just her. Maybe the pain wouldn't be as intense as it was now. But, though her heart wanted so much to wallow in self-pity, her mind insisted on the other. She needed to act. She needed to think smart.

She wiped her tears. She raised her chin; her hands tightened into fists. After placing her things inside her bag, she rose from her seat. With a determined mind, she strode in the penthouse's direction. Once inside, she took her luggage and moved into David's room. Her eyes caught the frame with their engagement picture. She was fighting back her tears. She had to be strong. She decided she needed to make a choice.

She didn't need Plan B. What she needed was a perfect plan.

Without hesitation, she dialed David's office phone number and sat on the edge of the bed. She needed more information. All the receipts she could get, she would take.

"Attorney David Thomas' office, how can I help you?"

"Hi! Avery Jackson, a paralegal from the main office. May I speak to Attorney Thomas, please?"

"Good afternoon, Miss Jackson. I'm sorry, but Attorney Thomas is out of the office for the day because of personal reasons. He will be back tomorrow. Is there anything I can assist you with?"

"It's fine. I'll call back tomorrow. Thank you."

As she hung up the phone, she'd confirmed one thing: David was not in the office the whole day. Her instincts were right the entire time. If David can play his game, he is up to the biggest surprise of his life. She typed another message.

Ave: What time will you finish work? I have a surprise for you at the penthouse.

David: I'm out of the office, babe. With a client right now. I'll call you once I'm back.

A jolt of anger caused prickly sensations throughout her body. Her muscles tensed. "Screw you, David!" Each corner of the penthouse heard her pain and felt her wrath. Immediately, she opened her office laptop and logged into the lawyer's master schedule. Since she was one of the senior paralegal secretaries in the main office, she had access to the schedule master list. David's itinerary for the day was marked as Emergency Leave for Personal Reasons. After taking a screenshot, she reviewed the list of clients handled by his office. Unfortunately, the list didn't show any female clients. 

She rubbed her temples. Remembering David's message telling her that he was out with a client made her laugh bitterly. Who was he kidding? She pressed the videos tab on her phone and played the one she had taken in the cafe. Her hands started shaking. David walked to a parked car and helped a pregnant woman exit the driver's seat. They hugged and kissed on the lips. For a moment, David rubbed the woman's belly. Afterward, he assisted the woman in the front passenger's seat. She would never forget his face after reading her message. David looked around and took a deep breath. And just like nothing. He got into the driver's seat and drove away. The suffocating pain awakened her.

Avery thought about how cruel life's mysterious ways were. It took her almost six months to get over David's cheating. Over twenty-four hours to prepare for the surprise trip. Then, when she let go of her doubts and trusted him again, a less than five-minute scene shattered everything. She twisted the engagement ring on her finger with tears in her eyes. Why was this happening to her?

Slowly, she leaned her whole body on the bed. She tried to relax, but her body shook, wilted, and she crouched into a pillow beside her. 

"What did I do to deserve this?" she whispered.

If she followed Shelly's words, she already had all the receipts. What should she do now? Trying to analyze the situation, she couldn't help but compare, which was more painful. Was it the first or this time around? No betrayal is less painful, she told herself. The hurt that she felt before and now broke her the same way. What pained her more was knowing that the same man had broken her trust. The same man betrayed her again.

How could she face him without telling him she knew everything? 

Lying in bed, she looked up at the ceiling with her hands crossed over her chest. She started thinking about what went wrong between her and David. It would be a puzzle if he meant that what caused him to cheat was on him and had nothing to do with her. She thought they were off to start fresh the night they confronted the issue. But, what about the care and romantic gestures he showered her with over the past months? Had it all been a lie?

So many questions were popping into her mind. Unable to think of an answer, she decided she must have been the devil in her previous life, to be betrayed not only once but twice by the same man, the man she loved and trusted. The life she envisioned with David as her husband dimmed. The future they promised each other seemed to fall further away. 

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. She sniffled quietly. She can't help but contemplate if her love for David could endure the second time. Was their relationship worth the saving? She needed her best friend. Shelly's voice was what she wanted to hear right now. Before she could dial Shelly's number, her phone started ringing. She felt a congested pain in her chest, seeing it was David calling her. She immediately moved from the bed and started pacing in the room. The ringing sound got louder and nearer as the doorknob moved from outside.

Before any plan could come to mind, she found herself face-to-face with David. Both stared at each other unable to find words to say. 

To say that David looked shocked would not do it justice. His face was as white as Casper's as his mouth opened. All his body froze except his chest, racing, heaving high and low. He struggled to control his loud breathing, the only sound in the room. 

"Babe... what are you doing here?"

***