Shattered by the Alpha Stronger Than Ever novel Chapter 93

Chapter78

“I would have kept quiet if you’d told me about the pregnancy, I might’ve tried to understand,” I argued. “But truth has a way of surfacing, Taylor. You can blame me all you want, but you were the one who cheated on her, not me.” I blinked back tears, my heart

aching for Ava.

am responsible for cheating on Karissa, but you manipulated the situation” I accused, “but cheating on Ava that’s on you, I didn’t set up a scheming party to get you to cheat on her,” I exclaimed pointedly.

“Also, I hope finding peace in your ridiculous vendetta. I’m sure Ava would be proud of the person you’ve become,” I said with subtle sarcasm. “But, Taylor, I refuse to follow in your footsteps, I wouldn’t walk down the path of hell just to feel a little warmer.” I asserted as I turned around and left throwing the silver bracelet I brought with ine that we purchase together as a symbol of our friendship.

1 collapsed into my car, overwhelmed by a overflow of emotions. Memories of Ava, Taylor, and me flooded my mind – we were once inseparable, the best of friends. But then Taylor’s infidelity shattered our bond. Ava had sensed something was amiss and asked me forcibly if Taylor was hiding something. I confided in her, and just hours later, my world crumbled. The news of her tragic death in a collision with a truck still felt like a nightmare. I’d shared the truth, never imagining it would be our last conversation.

I couldn’t shake the thought: if only I’d known Ava was pregnant, would I have kept Taylor’s secret? Perhaps then he wouldn’t have spiralled into darkness. But my greatest regret ran deeper. Cheating on Karissa had unleashed hellish pain, shattering the selfless love she’d given me. I’d destroyed our relationshi. I wasn’t just a cheater, but a murderer of love.

I dragged myself home, deeply draining exhaustion weighing me down. Tears still clouded my vision as I trudged through the front door. The familiar living room space now felt suffocating, heated by the memory of my explosive argument with Karissa.

I shuffled to the wall adorned with cherished memories, my gaze drawn to the graduation photo. Ava’s radiant smile and outstretched arms, embracing Taylor and me, seemed to pierce my soul. Was I truly the one who extinguished their joy? The hefty guilt bore down on me- had my actions killed two innocent lives? A lone tear escaped as I closed my eyes, seeking Ava’s forgiveness in silent prayer.

As I opened my eyes, my gaze drifted to the group photo from our ski resort trip in Montana. The laughter, the messy chaos and stupid jokes, and the healing happiness shining on our faces now seemed like a distant dream

My thoughts wandered back to the carefree days when our group formed. After leaving the military, Dexter enrolled in college, and we quickly became friends despite our age difference. Through him, I met Byron, Roman, Nyla, and Ophelia – his special forces unit companions who became like family to him, and subsequently, to me. Then, on a fateful hiking trip, we met Karissa, Xaviera, and Chelsea, weaving them into our circle.

Memories of that trip resurfaced, and I couldn’t help but smile. Byron, the stoic and reserved one, had initially resisted the idea, but Ophelia’s victory in thei spar had sealed lus fate.

“You lost, you go,” she’d teased, and Byron reluctantly joined the adventurè after losing to her.

My gaze lingered on the remaining photos, featuring my dad and Margaret, along with her children. Maggi, my much older sister, had always been a source of tension. Our 15–year age gap made our relationship strained, and her attempts to control me had driven us further apart. My parents” siding with her occasionally had only widened the rift. Yet, despite our differences, I respected her and cherished my nephew and nieces, and they held a special place in my heart.

The realization hit me – Thadn’t seen them since my dad’s funeral, where I could only spend a few hours with them. Maggi’s move to another state, along with her husband, had already limited our interactions.

My thoughts turned to my dad, my guiding light, whose wisdom I’d often underestimated. Now, in this loneliness, I realized his advice had consistently woven the best results – whether in minor mistakes or life–altering decisions, he’d been prophetically right. His Insightful about Karissa echoed in my mind she was the one for me, my perfect match, my soulmate. It wasn’t tate or coincidence; it was genuine, unwavering love. And I’d tarnished it with my infidelity.

My gaze lingered on the vacant space between the small picture frames, a stinging reminder of what was missing and why. A larger frame, once destined to hold our wedding portrait one that was made for the picture of our vowing ceremony on the wedding altar- now stood empty, just like my life.