Alex stayed behind in Canada for two more days after Maya abruptly left, unsure how to salvage the mess he’d created. The spacious hotel room that once felt inviting now felt suffocating without her presence. He stared at his phone repeatedly, hoping for a text from Maya, but none came.
Sarah, too, had chosen silence, avoiding Maya entirely. She knew her former friend’s fiery resolve would make any attempt at reconciliation futile. Instead, Sarah focused her attention on Alex.
“We can’t change what happened,” Sarah said over the phone during one of their late-night conversations. “Maya will never forgive either of us. So why even bother? Let’s move forward—just you and me.”
Alex sighed heavily, rubbing his temple as he leaned against the hotel balcony railing. “It’s not that simple, Sarah. I hurt her. I lied to her. And now… I don’t even know if I can live with myself.”
Sarah’s tone sharpened. “You knew what you were doing when we started this, Alex. You can’t act like the victim now. If Maya doesn’t want to talk to you, that’s her choice. But we have a choice too. We could still have something meaningful together.”
Her words hung in the air, but Alex said nothing. Deep down, he wasn’t sure if he wanted to move forward with Sarah or if he was clinging to the hope that somehow, he could fix what he’d broken with Maya.
---
Meanwhile, back in Los Angeles, Maya was slowly trying to regain some semblance of normalcy. The weight of the betrayal still pressed on her, but she was determined not to let it consume her entirely.
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At her workplace, whispers were already circulating, thanks to Leah. The two women had crossed paths the previous evening at a late-night grocery store. Leah was stunned to see Maya.
“Maya?” Leah had called out, her voice laced with curiosity. “What are you doing here? Weren’t you supposed to be in Canada?”
Maya hesitated for a moment before responding curtly, “The trip was cut short.”
Leah didn’t push further, but her instincts told her there was more to the story. By the next morning, she couldn’t resist sharing the juicy details she had pieced together.
“I ran into Maya last night,” Leah told a group of coworkers during their coffee break. “She’s back from Canada. And you know why? Turns out Alex and Sarah were having an affair behind her back.”
The small group of employees gasped collectively. One of them, a young intern named Charlotte, leaned in closer. “No way. Alex and Sarah? But Sarah and Maya were so close!”
Leah nodded dramatically. “Exactly. I don’t know all the details, but it’s clear Maya found out and left the trip early. She looked completely drained when I saw her.”
“Poor Maya,” Charlotte murmured. “She doesn’t deserve that.”
“None of us do,” Leah said, feigning sympathy. “But I can’t help wondering how Maya will handle seeing Sarah again. You know how stubborn she is. This could get ugly.”
The conversation spread like wildfire throughout the office. By lunchtime, nearly everyone knew about the scandal, and Maya’s sudden return had become the topic of the day.
---
Maya, oblivious to the gossip circulating about her, spent the day avoiding emails and phone calls. She had told her boss she needed more time before returning to work, and thankfully, Isabelle had been understanding.
But deep down, Maya knew she couldn’t avoid reality forever. Alex and Sarah’s betrayal had been a crushing blow, but what hurt even more was the thought of facing her coworkers and seeing their pitying gazes.
By evening, Maya sat in her living room, staring at her phone. A part of her wanted to reach out to Sarah and demand answers, while another part wanted to forget the two of them entirely. Her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions—rage, heartbreak, and, surprisingly, a lingering sense of love for Alex despite everything.
As she sat there, Maya made a silent vow to herself: she wouldn’t let this define her. She had been hurt, yes, but she was stronger than this. Tomorrow, she would start to figure out what came next. Whether it was facing Leah’s gossip, moving on from Alex, or rebuilding her trust in people, she would take it one step at a time.
Because while Alex and Sarah had shattered her trust, they hadn’t shattered her spirit.
To be continued....