Trouble in Paradise by Three Way

Nicholas laughed suddenly after hearing what I said. His eyes were red, and his voice held a tinge of despair.

"Yes, I'm filthy. I let another woman climb on top of me. I wish I could tear off this skin of mine. But Ariana, if you truly don't love me anymore, why would you care if I'm filthy or not?

"If you really cared, you would've dragged Claudia off me by her hair. I was drunk, but were you? If you cared, why didn't you stop her? Instead, you waited until after everything had happened to say that I'm filthy." Nicholas's dark eyes began to glisten with tears. He let out a bitter laugh before looking up at me again.

"Ariana, if you truly cared, why didn't you tell me sooner that Claudia had inappropriate feelings for me? If you had made me realize earlier, would we have..." Would we have ended up like this?

If he had known earlier, we wouldn't have divorced. There would be no Pete, no Tabitha Shelman. It would've been our daughter, Tabitha Hawk.

For a moment, I thought I had just heard the funniest joke of the year. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't bring myself to laugh. I stared blankly at Nicholas, trying to make sense of each word he said. Drag Claudia by the hair? He didn't know Claudia had inappropriate feelings for him?

I understood every word. But somehow, I couldn't grasp what he meant when he put them all together.

This was Claudia-someone he once claimed he couldn't live without. She was his sacred, untouchable first love, the one he constantly restrained himself from with his rosary beads.

did it all become my fault

no turning back. If he wanted to blame me, I

for another three years. If that wasn't enough, then 30 years. Once we both grew old, maybe we would no longer have the energy

talk another day.

saying right now." I glanced down at my wrinkled

had been holding

go... Let

top of Nicholas was no longer the

It wasn't her presence or absence that

unlock the car door, but Nicholas grabbed my wrist. "You still

I cut him off before he

does it matter if I care?