The Comeback

Chapter Seventeen

Renee 

"The person that Lewis was having an affair with, was none other than Liza. As in your crazy bitch of an ex-wife Liza."

I can't help but feel like my heart is about to fall out of my chest and drop to the ground. It's like I can hear the blood pound in my ears. I clench onto Roman's shirt, as if I am hanging over a cliff and if I release I will fall into an abyss. Words want to escape my mouth but they are stuck in my throat, it's like I am choking on what Jack just said. 

"Liza?" Roman's voice comes out like a choked whisper. "As in my Liza. My ex-wife Liza." Roman says in disbelief. I don't know why but my chest seems to pound harder when he refers to Liza as his. It's like I'm overwhelmed with this sense of possession that I don't quite understand. A million questions race through my mind, along with continuous doubts that try to slip in. It's like my mind can't quite believe or even comprehend what Jack and Roman are saying. 

A heavy silence fills the air and all I can hear is my muffled tears and Roman's heaving breathing. It's like we are waiting for a pin to drop or for Jack to simply say he was joking. "I'm sorry." Jack regretfully responds. "Daddy did his enquiries and it was confirmed from both their friends that it was Liza and Lewis in those photo's that were in the press. He said that it has been going on for a couple of months and that there is plenty of photographic evidence. He's gathering everything together for evidence if Renee plans to go ahead with the divorce. There are images of them having intimate dates at restaurants, them going to hotels, they also took a trip to Amsterdam last month." Jack finished. 

It's then that the last string of hope breaks. Even though I had already seen the images, I hoped that it was all an illusion. A part of me wanted to believe that it was a moment of weakness, something that just happened once. A part of me was hoping and praying that it was a one off, that Lewis meant what he said at the home that we shared. I couldn't help but feel a part of me shattered there and then. The tears rolled down my face, not realising how deep the betrayal went. I could feel my stomach churn. I could feel the bile rise to my throat. It was then that I ripped myself from Roman and run to the toilet. 

I didn't have time to take in what I passed in the hallways, I couldn't care less if I tumbled down or bumped into anyone. At this moment, it was about self-preservation. The last bit of my self-respect, my dignity, didn't want anyone to see me like this. I slipped in the small closet bathroom, slamming the door behind me and turning the lock. Before I knew it I was hanging over the toilet and chucking up my guts. 

Months... It had been going on for months and I had no idea. I knew that Jack wouldn't lie, his father was well established in the entertainment industry. He had spies and friends everywhere, so I knew the information was reliable. I knew Jack wouldn't have told me or Roman if he wasn't certain. I can't help but collapse on the floor, with my head in my knees, my arms wrapped around my legs as my back hits the cool tile wall. 

I close my eyes and just let the sobs out. My mind replies the last few months, the times when Lewis had stood me up, how our weekly date night seemed to disappear, how he would have impromptu trips where he would be away for the night or take a trip abroad. It's then that I can't help but let out a dark chuckle in between sobs. Whenever I used to go to one of the events, I'd give him a kiss and I would always used to say "Bring something new to the party." I just didn't expect what he would be bringing would be a new fucking STD. 

Out of all the people he could cheat on me with, he choose that bitch. She was the worst type of person in the world. Lewis knew exactly what he put Roman through, it was something that I shared with Lewis when he asked me why I took Ro's kids as my nephews. He knew that they lacked maternal love, especially with their grandmother dying. He was aware of how much she cheated on Roman and used him for her own means, yet he was happy to ruin our relationship, our marriage for a walking stick of STD's. 

I wasn't the type of woman who would blame the mistress for what had happened. Liza didn't commit the adultery, that was all Lewis. He was the one who stepped out of our marriage. I can't call what he did as a mistake because he made the decision to continue with the affair. Even though I hadn't seen all the images of their relationship, the ones I did see didn't show that he was an unwilling participant. 

I just couldn't help but believe that Liza's intentions weren't pure with Lewis. She didn't just like him for who he was, I couldn't help but believe that she had some underlying reason for targeting him. I knew Lewis wouldn't see it, he would only see an attractive woman, flattering him and his ego. He had no idea that she was the devil incarnate with narcissistic tendencies. The only question I could think was who was she trying to hurt, me or Roman?