MOMMY ISSUES | Tamber

10- Shattered Trust

Tara enters cautiously, her steps hesitant and her appearance still slightly disheveled from her night out. The weight of her actions hangs heavily on her shoulders as she approaches the living room where Amber sits, staring blankly at the TV, lost in her thoughts.

As Tara draws closer, Amber slowly turns to look at her, her expression unreadable, a mix of hurt and anger simmering beneath the surface.

"Tara," Amber says, her voice flat and devoid of its usual warmth. "You cheated on me."

Tara freezes, her heart pounding in her chest. The accusation hangs in the air, cutting through the silence like a knife. She opens her mouth to protest, to deny the allegations, but the words catch in her throat, suffocated by the weight of her guilt.

Amber's lips curl in a bitter semblance of a smile as she pushes herself to her feet, her eyes fixed on Tara with a mix of disappointment and anger.

"No, Amber, I swear I didn't..." Tara stammers, her voice filled with panic and desperation.

Amber's voice rises, laced with raw emotion. "Don't fucking lie to me! I know, okay? Sam saw you leaving with some random slut at the club."

Tara's eyes widen, shock mingling with her guilt. She never intended for her actions to be witnessed by anyone, let alone Sam, a mutual friend who had inadvertently become the messenger of her betrayal. She feels the weight of her mistake pressing down on her, the consequences unraveling before her eyes.

Amber's face flushes with rage, her features contorted with pain and betrayal. Every muscle in her body is taut with the raw emotion that consumes her.

"Can't believe I actually thought you were making progress!" Amber's voice trembles with a mixture of anger and hurt. "That you gave a shit about us."

Tara's heart shatters at the realization of the damage she has caused. She reaches out desperately, her voice filled with a plea.

"Baby, please, you have to let me explain," Tara implores, her eyes brimming with tears.

Before Tara can react, Amber's anger boils over, and she lunges forward, her hand connecting with a brutal slap across Tara's face. The force of the blow sends Tara's head whipping to the side, her cheek immediately flaring scarlet with pain.

Tara cradles her stinging cheek, her eyes wide with shock and hurt, tears welling up but determined not to let them spill. She tries to find her voice amidst the chaos.

"Amber, please..." Tara begins, her voice trembling.

But Amber cuts her off, her voice dripping with rage and disbelief. "NO! You don't get to explain shit, you selfish asshole! Not after this despicable betrayal!"

Amber paces back and forth like a caged animal, her fists clenched in frustration. The weight of Tara's actions, the deception and the pain it has caused, is etched across her face.

"I have bent over backwards for your wrecked ass," Amber's voice trembles with a mix of anger and anguish. "I took every piece of shit thing you put me through because I loved you! I fought for us!"

She whirls on Tara again, eyes blazing with undisguised hatred through her tears. "AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME?!" She screams, Overcome, she shoves Tara hard, following up with a rain of blows against her shoulders, ribs, anywhere she can reach as Tara cowers, shielding her face. "YOU'RE A LYING, FUCKED-UP WHORE! I NEVER SHOULD'VE WASTED MY TIME WITH TRASH LIKE YOU!"

Tara, tears streaming down her face, pleads with Amber through her wailing cries.

"Amber, stop it! I'm sorry!"

Finally, Amber's vicious onslaught comes to an abrupt halt. She staggers back, her chest heaving, her anger giving way to a profound exhaustion. Her voice, when she speaks again, is devoid of emotion, the pain evident in every word.

"We're done, Tara. Finished," Amber's voice is hollow, the weight of the betrayal crushing her spirit. "I can't keep doing this anymore with someone who can't even commit to their own fucking redemption."

Tara's heart shatters as she watches Amber recoil from her touch, the pain etched across both their faces. She reaches out, her hand trembling, but Amber's words cut through the air like a knife.

"Don't. Just...don't touch me," Amber's voice is laced with anguish and betrayal. "Not after you let some random slut's hands all over you."

Tara's sob escapes her throat, her body trembling uncontrollably as she realizes the magnitude of what she has lost. The love that once bound them now lies shattered on the floor, irreparably broken.

"We had something real," Amber's voice wavers, her eyes filled with sorrow. "And you destroyed it. You destroyed us."

With those final words hanging in the air, Amber turns away without a backward glance. The sound of the door slamming shut reverberates through the room, sealing their separation with a sickening finality.

Tara remains on her knees, broken and shattered, as the weight of her actions settles upon her. The room is filled with a heavy silence, a haunting reminder of the love that once thrived within its walls but now lies in ruins.

Tara curls on the floor, clutching her ribs as heart-wrenching SOBS wrack her body. The anguish is all-consuming, an ember of shame and self-loathing smoldering in her gut.

Her tortured gaze lands on the knife block nearby.

Almost in a trance, she staggers upright and retrieves one of the long, deadly sharp blades. She rolls up her sleeve with her shaking free hand.

Slowly, deliberately, she presses the razor-edge against the tender inside of her wrist. "I'm sorry.." She whispers to herself as she sobs and sniffs. She takes a steadying breath...and..