Page 1 of Golden Atonement

PART ONE

The Aftermath

The Butterfly Effect-Every decision has a consequence,

and for every consequence, there is an action.

April 17, 2023

Remi

Startled from my sleep, I jolted awake at the sound of buzzing in the air. In my sleepy state, I stretched out my arm, hoping to sense his warmth, but instead, I found a cold, empty bed.

Confused, I struggled to sit upright.

The darkness engulfed me, its weight pressing against me like a suffocating blanket, while a bitter cold seeped into my bones.

My gut instantly clenched, a warning sign that something was seriously off.

Thoughts spun like a cyclone in my mind. A feeling of unease settled in my gut, twisting my stomach into knots.

Exhausted, I ran my hands down my face, as time stared back at me, mocking my lack of sleep. I fixated my gaze on the pitch-black void. A chilling sense of unease washed over me, leaving me to wonder what on earth Max could be up to at three o’clock in the morning.

The buzzing sound grew louder. I instinctively glanced at my phone. The screen suddenly illuminated with an unfamiliar number. Picking it up, I connected the call to hear a gruff male voice utter the unsettling words, “He’s cheating on you.”

Almost immediately, a collection of pictures arrived, blowing up my phone. With each photo I flipped through, I attempted toprocess and understand the visuals that were unfolding before my eyes.

They made little sense.

I didn’t understand.

Was I dreaming? Was this a nightmare? It had to be, because as I sifted through all the pictures, the truth of what I was seeing hit me, and a single tear traced a path down my face.

I couldn’t look away.

It was impossible.

I needed to see them all.

Every horrible reality.

I needed to be sure.

From the depths of my being, a menacing, unsettling force emerged, causing my stomach to twist with unease and casting a dark shadow over my emotions. It felt as though a mysterious shroud had been lifted, uncovering a previously unknown darkness. The intensity of its fury was so strong that I could almost reach out and touch it.

Furious as its thirst for revenge coursed through my veins.

Ever since he made the decision to allow those fucking sluts back into the clubhouse, his behavior and demeanor had noticeably shifted. The more he drank, the more I found him drawn to the clubhouse, often losing track of time. Foulness emanated from him, like a noxious odor filling the room. He rarely made an appearance at home, becoming more and more elusive. The thought of hearing him say ‘it’s club business’yet again, filled me with such anger and frustration that I could almost envision myself smashing my fist into his face.

I wasn’t fucking stupid.

I had spent enough time at the club to distinguish between club matters and everything else. And this shit going on with him had nothing to do with the fucking club.

Motherfucker was hiding something from me.

Something he knew I wouldn’t like.

Now I knew the truth.

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