The next day, I drove home after work. Anya came with me after school, and I picked up Phoebe from her sitter's house. When we stepped through the door, Winnie was sitting on the couch. She wore a serious expression, conveying urgency, and instantly my blood ran cold.
"Anya, go up to your room for a minute, alright?" I commanded.
She nodded, and skipped up the stairs.
"Is Sarah okay?" I asked.
"She's more than alright. I didn't mean to worry you, but I wanted to make you aware of where she is right now. She's with Gilbert."
"Oh." I let out a sigh of relief.
"No. She's with Gilbert. She's hooking up with him."
"Excuse me?"
"I'll give you some space to process." She said, standing up. "You deserve better." And with that, she left.
I sat in shock for a few minutes. I knew Winifred didn't really respect her sisters, but she would've had no reason to lie about this.
I went up to my room, feeling heartbroken. I didn't know how I could go on feeling like this. I went back and forth between seeing red and feeling blue. I knew I wasn't good enough for her, and she went and proved it by sleeping with Gilbert.
I heard the front door open. I began to sob harder.
"Y/N, my love?" She called.
Hearing her call me that made me weep. How dare she act like everything was okay?
The door creaked, and I heard her footsteps on the floor. She put her hand on my back, and I pulled away from her touch. She sat down, upset and concerned.
"What's wrong baby?" She asked.
"Are you kidding me? Winnie told me everything."
"What do you mean?"
"She told me you were at Gilbert's." I said.
"I was?" She agreed, confused, but confirming my anxieties.
"So you're not even going to deny it?" I sobbed, feeling more hurt than anything.
"Deny what? I was picking something up." She asked.
"Winnie said you were sleeping with him, are you saying that she lied?"
"Well I'm saying that that's not the truth. I love you, and I would never hurt you like that. Did Winnie seriously say that? I can't believe her." She said, anger seeping into her voice.
"Who am I supposed to believe?" I whispered. "I love you and I want to believe you, but why would Winifred lie?"
"I don't know, but I'm about to find out. Do you have a... recording device I could borrow?" She asked.
"Take my phone. I really hope you're telling the truth. I love you either way, I just don't want it to be true. I don't want to get hurt."
