Page 11 of The Anniversary Betrayal
Ashley’s breath came short, shaky. She pressed the phone back down, face-first, as though burying the words could undo them. When Kingston walked in a moment later, carrying a basket of unfolded towels, she pasted on a smile so fragile it hurt her cheeks.
“You okay?” he asked, brow furrowing.
Ashley forced a nod. “Yeah. Just tired.”
But inside, her world had shifted.
That night, while Kingston slept soundly beside her, Ashley lay awake staring at the ceiling. Her mind replayed every moment of the past few weeks, the anniversary dinner, his sharp tone when she asked about Rebecca, the nights he hadn’t come home until dawn.
It all made sense now. The betrayal wasn’t just in the words on his phone. It was in the way he turned away from her touch. In the way he kissed her goodnight without looking into her eyes. In the way his smile felt borrowed, not real. Ashley pressed a hand against her mouth, muffling the sob that threatened to escape. She thought about Olivia’s laugh, about Ethan’s small hand gripping hers when they crossed the street. She thought about the family dinners, the bedtime stories, the little moments that had made their life feel whole and she wondered how long she could protect her children from the truth.
The next day, Ashley’s suspicions only deepened. She was making her way down the corridor of the hospital where Kingston work. She thought of having lunch with him, when two nurses near the supply room caught her attention. Their voices were low, hushed, but the tone carried enough intrigue to draw her ear.
“Did you hear about Dr. Kingston?” one nurse murmured.
Ashley froze, her grip tightening around the charts.
The other nurse chuckled knowingly. “Oh, I’ve heard plenty. People say he’s been spending a lot of time with Dr. Rebecca. Late nights, closed-door consults, and God knows what else. They’re practically glued at the hip.”
The first nurse gasped. “Seriously? He’s married, isn’t he?”
“Exactly,” the second said, lowering her voice even more. “But when has that ever stopped anyone in this place?Everyone’s talking about it. Some say it’s professional. Others…” She trailed off with a shrug.
Ashley’s throat went dry, her heart slamming against her ribs. For a moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe as she struggled to steady herself.
Kingston and Rebecca.
It felt like the ground was slipping beneath her feet. She forced herself to walk away before they noticed her standing there, but the echo of their whispers clung to her skin like a shadow she couldn’t shake.
That evening, Kingston came home later than usual. Ashley watched him set down his keys, his shoulders sagging with practiced exhaustion. He leaned in to kiss her cheek, and she caught the faintest trace of perfume, warm, floral, unfamiliar.
Rebecca.
The name thundered in her skull. She didn’t flinch, didn’t confront him. Not yet. Instead, she smiled softly, masking the storm beneath her ribs.
“Long day?” she asked.
“The longest,” he replied, eyes weary.
Ashley nodded, her chest tight. She wanted to scream. She wanted to demand the truth but the words caught, tangled in her throat because once she asked, once he admitted it, their world would shatter and tonight, she wasn’t ready for the pieces.
Chapter Ten
Ashley hadn’t wanted to believe the whispers. She’d told herself it was gossip, just noise in the sterile hallways of the hospital but deep down, the seed of doubt had already taken root. Every late night, every distracted smile, every moment Kingston’s eyes slid away when she asked about his day and it all pieced together into a picture she hadn’t wanted to see. The confirmation came not through rumor, but through cruel, undeniable truth.
That evening, Kingston had left his phone on the nightstand while he showered. Ashley hadn’t meant to look again as she hated snooping but the device lit up with a message, Rebecca’s name bold on the screen. Her hand trembled as she reached for it, fighting herself every inch of the way, but something stronger than her will pushed her to swipe.
Her breath caught.
“Last night felt like old times. I can’t stop thinking about you.”
Ashley’s knees buckled. She sat down on the edge of the bed, phone clutched in her hand, her chest so tight it felt like her ribs might crack. The world tilted and swam, like she’d been thrown underwater with no way to surface. By the time Kingston stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung aroundhis waist, steam rolling out behind him, Ashley was waiting. His smile faltered the instant he saw her face.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, voice careful, guarded.
She held up the phone. Her voice broke as she whispered, “This.”
His eyes darted to the screen, then back to her. For the first time in their marriage, he didn’t rush to explain, didn’t reach for her. He just froze, caught, cornered and guilty.
