
My Fiancé Called Her “Bro” Until I Exposed Their Affair
Chapter 3
The text comes through at 12:47 AM. Unknown number. Single line: *She's there now.*
I stare at my phone for three seconds. Then I get dressed.
Jeans. Black sweater. Sneakers. I pull my hair back and grab my keys. The drive to Damon's brownstone takes eleven minutes. No traffic. The city's quieter at this hour. Just taxis and delivery trucks and people who work nights.
I park two blocks away. Walk the rest. The brownstone is dark except for one window on the second floor. Bedroom. I have a key. Damon gave it to me four months ago, back when he was still pretending.
I unlock the front door. Step inside. Close it silently behind me.
The living room smells like expensive cologne and someone else's perfume. There's a pair of Jordans by the couch. Women's size seven. Cargo pants draped over the armchair. Black bomber jacket on the floor.
I walk toward the stairs. My steps don't make sound. Old training. I learned how to move through a room without disturbing air.
The bedroom door is half-open. I stop at the threshold.
Violeta's in his bed. Sheets tangled around her waist. She's wearing my robe. Silk. Cream-colored. Monogrammed on the left chest: *H.E.* in small, elegant script. My mother gave it to me last Christmas.
Damon's beside her. Asleep. One arm thrown across her stomach. His hair's a mess. There are clothes everywhere. Her sports bra on the floor. His shirt hanging off the bedside lamp. Underwear near the door.
I pull out my phone. Turn off the flash. Start taking pictures.
The first one catches Violeta's face, half-buried in the pillow, my robe clearly visible. The second catches Damon's hand on her hip. The third is a wide shot: the whole bed, the scattered clothes, the monogram clear and sharp in the frame.
I take six photos total. Then I open the 'Manhattan Trust Fund Kids' group chat.
I attach all six images. Type the caption: *My fiancé's 'bro' looking real comfortable in my nightwear. Thoughts?*
I hit send.
Damon's phone buzzes on the nightstand. Then buzzes again. And again. Violeta stirs. Her eyes open. She sees me standing in the doorway.
She screams.
Damon jolts awake, flailing, grabbing for the sheets. His phone is lighting up like a strobe. Buzz after buzz after buzz. He sees me. His face goes white.
"Halle—"
I don't say anything. I turn and walk back down the hall.
Behind me, Violeta's shouting. "What the hell? What did you do?" Damon's scrambling for his phone. I hear him swear. Loud. Panicked.
I stop in the living room. There's a decorative wall near the fireplace. Sports equipment mounted like art. Baseball bat. Tennis racket. Golf club. All expensive. None of them ever used.
I take the bat off the wall.
Damon appears at the top of the stairs, sheet wrapped around his waist, phone in his hand. "Halle, wait—"
I walk to his whiskey display. Floor-to-ceiling shelves. Glass bottles with handwritten labels. Some of them older than I am. He told me once the collection cost fifteen thousand dollars. He can't tell bourbon from scotch, but he likes how it looks.
I lift the bat.
"Don't," Damon says. He's halfway down the stairs now. "Halle, don't—"
I swing. The first bottle explodes. Glass and liquid spray across the hardwood. The smell of alcohol fills the room.
I swing again. Another bottle. Then another. I'm not angry. My hands are steady. I'm just making a point.
Damon's at the bottom of the stairs now, frozen. Violeta's behind him, clutching my robe closed, her face a mess of smeared eyeliner and panic.
I destroy the entire top shelf. Bottle by bottle. The sound of breaking glass is rhythmic. Almost calming.
When I'm done, I set the bat down carefully on the couch. I look at Damon. Make eye contact. Hold it.
Then I turn and walk to the front door.
"Halle!" Damon's voice cracks. "You can't just—"
I open the door. Step outside. Close it behind me.
My phone is already exploding. The group chat has seventy-three new messages. I don't open it. I walk back to my car. Get in. Drive home.
The city blurs past the windows. My hands are steady on the wheel. My heartbeat is calm.
When I get back to my apartment, I finally open the group chat.
Marcus Webb posted a GIF of a bomb exploding. Someone else posted a crying-laughing emoji seventeen times in a row. There are screenshots already circulating. Someone's made a close-up of the monogram on the robe.
*IS THAT HER ROBE*
*Violeta's wearing Halle's robe I'm DEAD*
*The monogram 💀💀💀*
*Damon you are DONE*
I scroll through without reacting. Then I set my phone down. Pour myself a glass of water. Stand on my balcony.
The city's still awake. Lights everywhere. People everywhere. None of them know what just happened.
But they will.
I go to bed at 2 AM. I sleep perfectly.