CHAPTER SEVEN – HOMEBOUND

Later that evening, as they sat in their favorite bar, Mara felt some of the tension from the past few days start to melt away. The soft lighting, gentle background music, and Jenna's comforting presence were exactly what she needed. "So," Jenna said, sipping her martini, "spill. How are things with Andy? Any better?" Mara sighed, twirling the olive in her glass. "I don't know, Jenna. He's still so busy with work. We barely see each other these days." Just then, Mara's phone buzzed with a text. Her heart leapt when she saw it was from Andy, but the content made her frown. "We need to talk. Can you come over tonight?" Jenna, noticing Mara's expression, raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay?" Mara showed her the text, a knot forming in her stomach. "What do you think that means?" Jenna's frown deepened. "I don't know, Mara. But given how he's been acting lately... it doesn't sound good." Before Mara could respond, another text came through: "Actually, something came up at work. Can we raincheck? Sorry." Mara felt a mix of relief and disappointment wash over her. She showed Jenna the new message. Jenna's eyes narrowed. "Mara, don't you think this is getting a bit suspicious? He's always canceling, always too busy..." "It's just work pressure," Mara defended, though she couldn't quite keep the doubt from her voice. "You know how demanding his job is." Jenna looked unconvinced but didn't push further. "If you say so. Just... be careful, okay? I don't want to see you get hurt." As they finished their drinks, Mara couldn't shake the nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. Despite her words to Jenna, doubt was starting to creep in. The next day, as Mara left work, she made a spontaneous decision. She would surprise Andy with his favorite takeout. Maybe some quality time together was just what they needed to reconnect. She stopped by Andy's favorite Chinese restaurant, carefully selecting all his preferred dishes. The familiar scents of garlic and ginger filled her car as she drove to his apartment, a mix of anticipation and nervousness fluttering in her stomach. As she approached Andy's door, Mara took a deep breath, smoothing down her hair. She raised her hand to knock, then hesitated. Andy had given her a key months ago. Should she use it? After a moment's deliberation, she decided to let herself in. After all, she wanted this to be a surprise. Quietly, she turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open. The apartment was dimly lit, soft music playing from somewhere inside. Mara smiled, thinking Andy must have just gotten home from work. "Andy?" she called out softly, setting the takeout bags on the kitchen counter. "I brought dinner!" There was no response, but Mara could hear muffled sounds coming from the bedroom. Thinking Andy might be on a work call, she approached quietly, not wanting to disturb him. As she neared the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar, the sounds became clearer. Mara's heart began to race as she realized what she was hearing. Surely, it couldn't be... With trembling hands, she pushed the door open. The sight that greeted her would be forever seared into her memory. Andy, her fiancé, the man she had planned to spend her life with, was in bed with another woman. Their naked bodies were intertwined, so lost in their passion that they didn't even notice Mara's presence. For a moment, Mara stood frozen, unable to process what she was seeing. Then, as if from a great distance, she heard herself speak. "Andy?" Her voice, barely above a whisper, seemed to break the spell. Andy's head snapped up, his eyes widening in shock and guilt as they met Mara's. "Mara!" he exclaimed, hastily pulling away from the woman and grabbing for the sheets. "What... what are you doing here?" The woman, who Mara now recognized as Andy's coworker, Sarah, let out a small squeak of surprise, attempting to cover herself. Mara felt as if the ground had dropped out from beneath her feet. "What am I doing here?" she repeated, her voice rising. "I'm your fiancée, Andy! I wanted to surprise you with dinner. I guess I'm the one who got the surprise." Andy scrambled out of bed, hastily pulling on his pants. "Mara, I can explain-" "Explain?" Mara cut him off, anger now battling with her shock and hurt. "Explain what, exactly? How you ended up in bed with another woman? How you've been lying to me for... how long has this been going on?" Andy's face hardened, his initial guilt giving way to defensiveness. "You want the truth, Mara? Fine. This has been going on for months. And you know why? Because I felt suffocated!" Mara recoiled as if she'd been slapped. "Suffocated? What are you talking about?" "You're always there, Mara," Andy spat, his words becoming cruel. "Always checking up on me, always wanting to know where I am, who I'm with. It's too much! I needed space, I needed freedom!" Tears were now streaming down Mara's face, but she stood her ground. "So instead of talking to me about it, you decided to cheat? To betray everything we built together?" Andy laughed bitterly. "Built together? Mara, you've been so caught up in your perfect wedding plans that you haven't even noticed how unhappy I've been. This wedding, this whole relationship, it's all about what you want!" Each word felt like a dagger to Mara's heart. "That's not true," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I love you, Andy. Everything I've done has been for us, for our future." "Well, maybe I don't want that future anymore," Andy said coldly. "Maybe I'm not ready to settle down and play house." Mara felt as if she was suffocating. The room seemed to be closing in on her. "So what are you saying? That everything between us has been a lie?" Andy's face softened slightly, a flicker of regret passing through his eyes. "Not everything. I did love you, Mara. Part of me still does. But this... us... it's not working anymore." Mara shook her head, unable to process what she was hearing. "I don't understand. Just yesterday, you were texting me that you loved me. How can you stand there and say it's not working?" "Because it's easier to keep saying what you want to hear than to face the truth," Andy admitted, his voice low. "I'm sorry, Mara. I never meant for you to find out like this. But maybe it's for the best. A clean break."