CHAPTER TWELVE - BROKEN MEN, BROKEN BOYS

Emma's hands trembled as she stirred her latte, the clink of metal against ceramic punctuating the tense silence. Kate sat across from her, blue eyes - so like Marcus's - filled with sympathy. "Thanks for meeting me," Kate said softly. "I know this can't be easy." Emma managed a weak smile. "Honestly, I'm not sure why I came. But your text... What did you mean about Victoria?" Kate took a deep breath. "Emma, there's something you should know. Victoria... she cheated on Marcus when they were together." Emma's eyes widened. "What? But he never said anything..." "Because he doesn't know," Kate explained. "It happened right before they broke up. I found out through a mutual friend, but I never told Marcus. I thought it would just hurt him more." Emma leaned back, processing this new information. "I don't understand. Why are you telling me this now?" Kate reached across the table, squeezing Emma's hand. "Because you deserve to know the whole truth. What Marcus did was inexcusable, bu