Bound by Deception Novel – Vanessa’s POV: I was forced to come home. As a financial advisor, things weren’t easy, but I loved my job. Lately, I’d been staying overtime because of the promotion I’d been working on getting. I was one of the five candidates that were being considered. But today, I came home early because I got the promotion. I couldn’t believe it. All I want to do right now is to relax and celebrate with my husband. Excited to tell him the good news, I eagerly drove home. Pulling into the driveway, a smile spread on my face as I realized my husband was home. We’d lived in this house for over two years, moving in as newlyweds. Though it’s been six years since we’ve known each other, five years since we started dating, and two years since we’ve been happily married, the sight of him never failed to make me happy.
There was an unfamiliar vehicle parked behind my husband’s car. That’s odd. I got out of the car and walked up the driveway to the door, a strange feeling passing over me. Something was off. Since my vacation a few months ago, we hadn’t seen much of each other due to our hectic work schedules. It had made me feel like we were growing apart. I hoped that the trip that I planned for our third anniversary would bring us back together. I hadn’t seen much of him. The tax season was nearing. Being an accountant, that put a lot on his plate. It didn’t help that I started working overtime as well. I carefully got my keys from my purse to unlock the front door. To my surprise, it was already opened. Narrowing my eyes, I cautiously walked inside.
Something was really going on now. As I looked around, everything seemed normal, but it didn’t feel like it. I heard faint noises coming from the kitchen, which I figured was Matthew. I felt slightly relieved, but the closer I got towards the kitchen, the more I tried to ignore the feeling of dread anchored in my chest. Something still wasn’t right. I cautiously walked into the kitchen with my keys stick in hand. Seeing what was happening in front of me, I nearly gasped in alarm. My husband was bending some woman over our kitchen counter. My eyes widened in surprise. I slowly backed away in disbelief, almost tripping over my own two feet. How could he? There he was in their kitchen of the house that we’d lived in together having intercourse with another woman.
My heart broke, seeing him intimate with someone else, something he was supposed to be doing with only me. I didn’t know what to do, never expecting anything like this to happen. I was too disgusted to do anything other back away further. I thought that we were happy. I thought that we loved each other. I trusted him. And yet here he was cheating right in front of my eyes. It was all a lie. I needed to get out of here. I rushed out of there with tears running down my face. The hurt, the pain, disbelief, anger, and sadness I had felt were overwhelming. It was too much-all of it. My chest felt like it was going to explode; it was hard to breathe. Stay calm. I repeated over and over. I let out a deep grasp once air came into my lungs.
Taking a moment to recover, I tried to regulate my breathing. Once I was good, I slowly got into my car. Starting up my engine, I slowly backed out, only crying when I reached the end of the road. – Vanessa’s POV: Driving away from my hom-, old home, I was engulfed in a wave of emotions. Some I couldn’t even describe. I was floating in a pool of emotions, each one threatening to drown me in their dangerous depths. Hot tears poured down my cheeks. I had no words; numbing shock ran down my body. What do I do now? Countless thoughts ran through my mind; they all involved me hastily filing for divorce. My emotions were on high alert, racking through my mind with an earth-shattering force. For the first time in my life, I was truly lost. The initial shock was shifting into quickly shifting into sadness, it was so painful, and I didn’t know how to make it stop. Why is it that people hurt the ones that love them the most? Pulling over, I screamed as loud as I could, cried in frustration, and hit the steering wheel as hard as I could in my fit of anger.
It wouldn’t stop- Images of them on the counter, the constant moaning and gasps of pleasure they both made. It was torture. Why me? Was all I could find myself thinking with my hands raked deep in my hair. Was I a bad wife? I couldn’t help but think back to our wedding day. I promise never hurt you. I promise never let you shed a sorrowful tear. I love you so much that it hurts. Those vows kept replaying in my mind in a continuous loop. Some promise that was. Every word that he’s said to me now was meaningless. He wasn’t the person I thought he was, and I didn’t want to be with who he was now. I refused to go back. I had to leave him, not because I didn’t love him. He was the love of my life, and I valued every day that I spent with him. I loved him with all my heart, and he loved me the same. I saw the love he had for me every day. I saw it when we smooched each other goodbye in the mornings, I saw it when I sat on his lap as he listened to how my day went.
But I loved myself more. Enough to leave when things were falling apart. Sometimes love wasn’t enough. You could love someone with all that you had, and they could love you too but not with the same passion and fierceness as you love them. After all, if they loved you, they wouldn’t hurt you. That’s why sometimes when you love something so much, you have to let it go, and that’s what I was doing. It just meant that I had to put him aside and move forward, even if it’s without him. It was for the better. He broke our love and everything it was built on. He was having a sexual affair with someone else, I couldn’t put up with that, and I wouldn’t. I didn’t see how anyone else could either. – Vanessa POV: I wiped away my tears as I quickly started my car. The tears wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t stop thinking about it as I maneuvered down the settling streets.
I couldn’t stop thinking about how much time I wasted being with him. The constant energy I wasted from loving him that I loved him just down the drain. He threw away everything that we were. He cheated as if all the history that we have together meant nothing. Pondering over it now, I would say that it was. As I drove around aimlessly while in thought, a wave of fatigue and hunger rumbled throughout my body. I just couldn’t eat right now. I knew it wasn’t good to starve myself, but I wasn’t sure I could stomach anything. Driving down the familiar roads, I tried to stop myself from thinking about it. I eventually turned onto the familiar street. Parking my car beside my best friend’s Jeep, I tried to mentally prepare myself for what I was about to tell her. Getting out of the car, I walked up the concrete driveway with my purse in hand. I rang the doorbell, patiently waiting for her to answer. My heart skipped in trepidation as I heard Tamera’s footsteps approach.
Tamera’s POV: I instantly opened the door as soon as I saw that it was Vanessa through the peephole. Excited but confused, I opened the door. She usually called before coming over. Opening the door, I expected to be greeted with a bear hug like usual. But I was welcomed with tears pooling into Vanessa’s eyes. Hot anger instantly flowed through my body at the sight of Vanessa crying; I wanted to hurt whoever it was who made her cry. However, my main focus shifted back to Vanessa when she let out a painful sob. Although I was angry, Vanessa needed me, so I calmed down. Gently pulled Vanessa into the house, I grabbing the purse that was tightly grasped in her hands. After placing it on the glass table near us, I rushed over to her and gathered her into my arms as she put her head on my shoulders. I whispered words of comfort as she cried her heart out.
I was confused. What happened? Why was she crying? – Tamera’s POV: Vanessa was my best friend; we grew up together. She’s been there for me when I was at rock bottom, and she helped me get myself together. She was my rock. She was like a sister to me, and to see her like this was heartbreaking. Pulling back, I asked her ,”Vanessa, what happened?” The tears glistening in her eyes sent a hurt to see. I didn’t like to see her cry. The dullness in her usually bright eyes hurt to see. “What’s wrong, Nessa?” I asked gently. She took a deep breath before saying, “I got the promotion, and my boss told to leave early. I went home to celebrate with Matt,” she paused, taking a moment to gather herself. “When I got home, I noticed this unfamiliar car in the driveway, which was odd. I went into the house thinking that something was wrong, and I found Matthew in our kitchen having s-” Her words struggled to come out until she burst into tears at the end.
Once I pieced it together, I could barely think straight. Seeing Vanessa trying not to cry got me upset all over again. I was infuriated. “Come on, Vanessa. Let’s go teach your no-good cheating husband a lesson.” I spat while going to grab my keys. I was ready to kick his a-ss. I was pissed. How could he do this? Vanessa was head over heels in love with him, and he was an idiot for cheating on her. “Tam, you shouldn’t. I don’t want you to get involved. It’s my problem, and you already have enough on your plate.” She whispered, her voice hoarse from crying. “Nessa, you’re my best friend, you are my problem.” She grabbed my wrist, making me at her. “Please don’t. I’m done with him.” The conviction in her eyes telling me that she was serious. “Fine. But you’re starting with me in the meantime.” I said, leaving no room for her to protest.
“Obviously.” She said playfully, rolling her eyes. “Vanessa. Do you think you need to get tested?” I asked seriously. “No,” She shook her head. “We were always careful.” Her words caused me to sigh in relief. I would turn into Lara Croft on his a-ss if he gave her anything. “Good, did you eat?” “I don’t think anything I will stay down.” “You need to eat, Vanessa. I’ll order us something.” “I’m going to shower.” She said, heading up the flight of stairs. I grabbed my phone and quickly dialed Rusty’s. I ordered our usual and left to pick it up. Rusty’s was our favorite soul food restaurant. By the time I got back, Vanessa was out of the shower wearing one of the cotton pajama sets that she always left. “You got Rusty’s?” Vanessa asked in excitement, getting the plates from the cabinet. Grabbing the plates, I put heaping amounts of food on each plate. “I can’t eat al-” She tried to protest before I offered, “Eat as much as you can before you start to feel sick.”
I was worried about her, she seemed so broken, and I wasn’t sure if I could help her. She nodded and ate half of it before pushing it away. I couldn’t let her starve herself like this. “I’m done.” “But you haven’t eaten dessert,” I said, trying to get her to eat. “There’s dessert?” She asked, causing me to nod in response. I went over to my fridge and took out the banana pudding I made. I grabbed two spoons before heading over to the table, where we dug into the sweet treat. I had about two spoonfuls before I let Vanessa eat the rest.
She didn’t even notice I stopped eating. It was like she was in another world as she stared at the wall, mindlessly shoving food into her mouth. “Tam?” “Yeah?” “Do you think that this is partially my fault?” Desperate tears were building up in her eyes. Cupping her face, I said, “Listen to me, don’t you ever think that this is your fault. You’re not responsible for the choice he made; he decided to cheat.” Looking deep into my eyes, she nodded, agreeing with me. I hated that she blamed herself. I hated Matthew for putting her in this position in the first place.