Page 7 of Black Lace

“Sorry for what?” I frown at him, and my breathing rate increases to match my pounding heart.

“I had sex with someone else last night.”

He says it quietly, but he might as well have shouted it at me because the words are so loud in my head. I feel cold and completely numb, memories of wasting precious moments searching the club for him with Jasmine before we left for the hospital.

“Was that where you were when I couldn’t find you?” I say in a deadened voice that I don’t recognize as my own.

He nods back but doesn’t say anything. I feel sick. I don’t even know what to do with this information.

“So, while I was dealing with my grandfather’s heart attack, you had your dick in some other woman?”

He doesn’t get a chance to respond before I run to the nearest bathroom. I make it there just in time to empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet. There’s not much in there because I’ve barely eaten since yesterday, and it’s not long before I’m dry retching.

Benjamin.MyBenjamin.

He slept with someone else. It feels like my heart is shattering in my chest. Memories of the last decadespent together play through my mind, all colored by the knowledge that he cheated on me last night.

I wash my face and rinse my mouth before returning to the living room. Ben is still sitting where I left him.

“Who did you sleep with?” I ask.

Ben shakes his head. “No.”

“I’m sorry, what do you mean, ‘no?’” I grind out, my jaw tensing as I do.

“I can’t tell you…” he trails off, looking tortured.

Anger courses through my body as I look at the traitorous man in front of me. The fact that he doesn’t want to give up the name of the woman he cheated on me with means it’s someone we know.

“I think you fucking can. Tell me,” I demand, knowing deep down that I don’t want this answer.

Ben meets my gaze for ten seconds before looking away. “Ashley Kirkpatrick.”

If my heart wasn’t in pieces before, it is now. Ashley is someone we’ve known for years. We’re not friends, and she’s not a part of our group, but we’ve always been friendly. I didn’t think she would do something like this.

“Get. Out.”

I spit this at him, unable to put a voice to any of the millions of thoughts I have right now.

“Come on, Tiff. We can get past this, can’t we?”

I laugh bitterly. “I don’t fucking think so. Get out ofmy goddamn building before I call the police to see you out.”

I pull the diamond ring off my finger and throw it at him. It hits him and ricochets off his chest. He looks like he might say something more, but he doesn’t. He just picks the ring up off the floor where it landed and walks out of my apartment.

I stand in silence for thirty seconds before the stress of the last twenty-four hours hits me, and I burst into tears.

Two hours later, I’m lying on my sofa and crying into a tub of ice cream while I listen to a breakup playlist on Spotify. My phone pings with a message from Jasmine.

Jasmine Carter: What. The. Fuck.

She’s sent through a picture of Ben kissing Ashley, and I rush to the bathroom again, where I vomit up all of the ice cream I just ate. When I get back to my phone, I reply to her message.

Tiffany Carter: Who sent you that? He cheated on me. I called off the engagement.

My phone starts ringing, and Jasmine’s name is displayed on the screen. I reject her call and send another text.

Tiffany Carter: I can’t talk right now. Sorry.

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