Chapter 1: The Betrayal

"How could you throw away everything we've had these last three years?"

Ben was shocked he'd managed to get that sentence out. He'd been unable to speak for the last 30 minutes since he'd found his girlfriend, Kelly, in bed with another man. The look of horror that mirrored on each of their faces was something Ben would never forget. He'd turned on his heel and rushed back down to the front hallway, dropping the flowers he'd purchased on his way home from work for their anniversary at the bottom of the stairs. As he'd reached for the doorknob, he couldn't quite get himself to actually turn it. Instead, he'd gone to the kitchen, grabbed himself a beer from the fridge, and sat at the table. He'd heard Kelly and her guest scrambling upstairs to dress themselves. The footsteps of the stranger hurriedly stomped down the stairs before hastily exiting through the front. Kelly's more hesitant footsteps had come down the stairs a few minutes after, pausing at the bottom of the stairs to pick up the slightly trampled bouquet. She'd entered the kitchen and slowly placed the roses on the kitchen counter. Then the tears had started falling. The apologies started soon after, along with the excuses.

"I'm so sorry."

"It was a one-time thing."

"I've never done anything like this before."

"Please forgive me."

Ben sat there and listened to it all. To him, time felt like it was moving in slow motion. His brain was trying to run with all of this information but couldn't quite cross the finish line. After exhausting her excuses, Kelly had fallen silent and hung her head in shame. Finally, after a quarter of an hour had passed, Ben had caught her eye and asked how she could betray him like this.

"And on today of all days, Kel. Did you forget that it was our anniversary? Or did you simply not care?"

Kelly broke down and started the apologies all over again. Ben couldn't take listening to this again and got up to leave.

Kelly grabbed his arm and begged him to stay. "Please, Ben, don't go. This will never happen again. I'll do anything to make it up to you. I love you, and never want us to be apart."

Ben looked down at her and couldn't help but feel love. He sighed, "I need time to think about things. I won't leave, but I need space. I'll sleep on the pullout couch in the living room. Please don't talk to me until I'm ready to lay some things out."