In His Brother's Arms

Aria’s POV Justin and I have been best friends for years, since high school, he was my first crush and only male friend. We were a group of three friends– Justin, Helena, and I– and they were, and still are my best buds.  After high school, looking for colleges to get into, Justin told me how much he had loved me and couldn't do without me. He said he would not stand staying away from me in the name of schooling, so he asked me to marry him. I was nineteen, he was twenty. It wasn't a problem as both of us are coming from prestigious families. I chose a three-year program as we lived together, and then we got married when I was twenty-one, our wedding was the talk of the town for months. After the wedding, I moved into the D'Cruz family house and it's been awesome. His parents love me.  Our wedding anniversary was two months ago making it three years and two months being married to my first love. Perfect life right?  So why am I supposed to think he does not love me? The party ended by 11 pm, and D'Cruz was not one to joke with his sleep, especially at his old age.  I stayed awake, giving directions and orders on how to clear the hall, and ensured everything was set in place before I left the head of the housekeepers in charge. I showered and slipped into my long black silk nightwear. Justin was passed out on the bed like a toddler. I sat on the bed, next to him, admiring his facial features. He looked like he fell from a party with the gods, he's just so majestic. I pulled the duvet over him and kissed his forehead. It's not a new thing that everyone wanted to get to the D'Cruz family. Aaron is still unmarried, and the number of women drooling over him is always alarming. Sometimes, literal security has to drag them away from the company's building. And Justin? Even as he's already married, no one, scratch that, no woman has boundaries whatsoever. He still gets gifts from anonymous people, some daring women add their full names and addresses. So seeing that tonight was not too hurtful, it was hurting, but I knew it'd happen. That he'd get taken advantage of. There's no way on earth that he did that on his own. As I stood to walk to the other side of the bed, his phone pinged. I froze immediately. Curiosity held me by my neck.  I know I shouldn't even think of checking his phone, but what if Aaron was right? He had always told me that Justin doesn't respect me and that I'd get hurt if I keep entertaining him. I trust Justin, he loves me. I gained control of my frozen feet and started walking, but then, it pinged again. Okay... I was just going to check his call log. I took his phone, gently placed his thumb on the fingerprint scanner and it unlocked.  I touched the phone icon, and kept seeing calls from a contact saved as a full stop, like "." Then "full stop' messaged him again on WhatsApp; "I told you that tonight wasn't a good time." I tapped the message, but it required a fingerprint again. I did the same and unlocked the chat. My heart could not comprehend everything I had just read, my brain understood, but my heart refused to.  "Baby I just got home, have you dealt with the bitch?"  "I know you're mine already but can we be more careful?"  "I told you that tonight wasn't a good time" As I was still processing these messages, another came in: "Hurry up with the divorce, I can't wait to do that every night with you."  Divorce? What is she talking about?  Curiosity got a hold of me again, I searched "divorce" in their chat and a bunch of messages popped up.  Justin: "It's our third anniversary today, and we're closer to being together forever. I've started talking with my divorce attorney." Justin: "The papers are ready now my love, I just have to cause a scene to warrant divorce." Summer (.): "Can't wait for the divorce already. Seeing her with you makes my heart ache. " My hands began trembling, and I didn't realize when the phone fell from my hands. My vision became blurry as I rushed out of the room. As I was running down the stairs, I ran into Cathy, a worker at the D'Cruz family.  "Sorry ma'am..." Cathy was still talking but I continued running till I got to the general study. I slid down the door in the darkness, hands covering my face as tears rushed down uncontrollably. Flashbacks of Justin nibbling on Summer's breasts kept replaying in my head, the chats I just read. Does that mean he never loved me? Aaron was right all these years? I wish I had listened. How can he do this to me? Why? He should not have lied to me all these years. I felt my heart shattering into tiny pieces.  "Aria. Open the door." That was Aaron's voice. I couldn't imagine the pity on his face when he discovered that I know the truth now. How did he even know that I was here?