My Dad's Bestfriend

Chapter 127 Nothing's The Same

Evelyn

As the cab trailed behind his car, my surprise morphed into apprehension when it bypassed his office without halting. Suspicion intertwined with worry as God, the memory of the past incident loomed large in my mind,"I dreaded the notion of enduring such turmoil again, especially with the weight of our current struggles pressing down upon us. Tyler had spared no effort in tarnishing his image, and the mere prospect of history repeating itself threatened to shatter Jacob irreparably.

I couldn't let that happen, at all costs.

Amidst the whirlwind of my thoughts, my gaze remained fixed on his car up ahead, witnessing it come to a halt in front of a hotel. He stepped out, prompting me to urge the cab driver to pull over a few feet away, ensuring we remained unnoticed, a request he thankfully obliged.

I hastily settled the fare, striving to keep him in sight as he disappeared into the hotel.

Why would he be at a hotel?

Was he meeting someone? Damn it, this situation was spiraling out of control.

Regardless, I trailed after him, striving to maintain a low profile, noticing his unusual lack of awareness of his surroundings,"uncharacteristic for Jacob, who typically had a keen eye for his environment. Today, however, he seemed lost in his own thoughts.

What was happening to him? He seemed....drunk.

Had he drunk all the way to the hotel? God, no!

I observed him pause at the reception desk, engaging in conversation with the receptionist. Though I couldn't hear their exchange, her gestures indicated a room number, likely on the third floor,"possibly 326, if I deciphered correctly from the subtle movements of her lips.

He nodded in acknowledgment, likely expressing gratitude, before proceeding to the elevator. As the doors closed, I hurriedly entered the adjacent lift, selecting the third floor, placing my faith in luck and intuition.

My nerves frayed, emotions roiling within, consumed by a potent blend of worry and curiosity. Deep within, I grappled with the fear of who might be waiting for him at the hotel, driving him to deceive me. The specter of his past deceit haunted me, a stark reminder of his vulnerability in times of decision-making. I couldn't bear to witness him stumble into another folly, not now, not ever.

If I didn't stop him from fucking it up, then who would?

The lift doors parted, and as they did, Jacob came into view, heading towards room 334. Well, it seemed I misread the receptionist's lips afterall spying on a grown man wasn't exactly my forte.

He knocked on the door, and moments later it swung open, allowing him entry.

My heart raced, urging me to move closer. As luck would have it, the door was ajar, invitingly open, as if the occupant inside couldn't be bothered to secure it.

Could this be another trap set by Tyler? Another ploy for scandal?

No way!

I couldn't let that happen.

With cautious steps and jittery hands, I grasped the door handle and eased it open, the murmurs of two voices reaching my ears. A shiver ran down my spine as I recognized the voice other than Jacob's.

Entering the room, my body trembled, my heart pounding against my ribs, and a cold sweat broke out on my forehead. The sight before me froze me in place, my soul seemingly departing with each caress of their lips, his fingers tightly entwined in her hair.

God!

Was this real or a nightmare?

Losing my balance, I staggered backward, struggling to breathe. Colliding with a table. He finally snapped out of the daze at the sound, his gaze meeting mine with a look of shock.

"Oh, Evelyn!" Chloe's voice broke the tension, a smirk playing on her lips as she wiped her mouth, "What a pleasant surprise!"

This was real! not any nightmare.

They kissed...

He kissed her.

Breathe, Evelyn. Just breathe...

My chest tightened, my throat constricted, and I felt as though I were suffocating. Was this what dying felt like?

"Evelyn...." Jacob's voice trembled with horror, guilt clouding his eyes as he attempted to approach me. I instinctively recoiled, extending a shaky hand to halt him.

Tears welled up, streaming down my cheeks. Yet, inexplicably, the sobs remained trapped within me, somewhere inside my chest, at some corner closer to my heart, the pain too intense to articulate.

How do you put pain in words? The pain of being torn from within?

The agony of betrayal, both

emotional and physical, defies description It's a visceral ache that gnaws at the soul, tearing through every fiber of one's being. Words feel inadequate, like trying to contain a tempest in a teacup. I didn't want to understand it because I knew no amount of words could encapsulate the torment I felt at that moment.

"Stay away from me," the words escaped my trembling lips as I sought support against the console. I attempted to steady my ragged breaths, to gather the shattered pieces of myself, but the tears flowed relentlessly.

So this was the purpose of his visit? To have sex with this woman?

Why couldn't I fucking accept it? Why did my love for him overshadow the trust I had in myself?

Why was it all so agonizingly difficult?

"So...So this is why you came here, Jacob?" I questioned, a bitter chuckle escaping despite my efforts as I regarded him. His expression betrayed nothing but guilt, his eyes pleading to convey a thousand apologies his mouth couldn't articulate. "To have... to have sex with this woman?" My voice quivered with anguish.

"What else does it seem like to you?" Chloe interjected, her tone dripping with malice. "Isn't it obvious? I warned you, didn't I? He'd always come crawling back to me. Besides, who would choose a dull, inexperienced, young girl like you over me? You're nothing, Evelyn. Utterly worthless and—“ Before she could finish her vile tirade, Jacob swiftly turned towards her, his hand closing around her throat, squeezing the life out of her. "If you dare utter another word, Chloe..." His voice was low, laced with a dangerous edge as he pinned her against the wall, "I swear to God, I'll fucking kill you right here, right now."

Fear flickered in Chloe's eyes as she struggled against his grip, gasping for breath. Moments later, Jacob released her, and she crumpled to the ground, coughing and wheezing, the stark reality of her mortality dawning upon her.

"Evelyn, listen to me..." Jacob's voice trailed after me as he approached, but I didn't give him a chance to speak. Without hesitation, I landed a tight slap across his cheek.

There was no room for another sob story.

No. I'd endured enough. I didn't care about the explanations or the stories behind his actionsâ€"I cared about what I witnessed, what I saw with my own eyes: him kissing another woman. That was all that mattered.

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"I've had enough of your excuses, Jacob. I've tried everything, I tried to understand you, tried to support you, sacrificed my own life for you, went back to you again and again even when you pushed me away, I seethed, my anger simmering at its peak "I fucking gave my all to be the person you could lean on, and this... this is how you repay me? By stabbing me in the back and being here with this woman who's hell-bent on destroying us?! Is this what I get?! Is this what I get for loving you?!"

"It's not what it looks like, Evelyn. That kiss...it didn't mean anything," His words stumbled out, his speech slurred, as if he were intoxicated. It only fueled my rage. "I can explain. Please, just listen."

"I don't need your fucking explanation, Jacob. I've seen enough," I declared, dismissing him with a wave of my hand. "And thank you. Thank you for opening my eyes. I've been blind, thinking you needed me, when all along, all you wanted was this woman. Be with her. We're over!"

“Evie, please, just listen,"" He reached out for my hand, but I jerked it away, my eyes blazing with fury.

"Don't even try to touch me. You've lost that right."

With that, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the hotel room, feeling his presence trailing behind me as he pleaded for a chance to speak. I entered the elevator, and he attempted to follow.

"No, don't!"

He froze just outside the elevator, hesitant to take another step forward, as the doors slowly closed, separating us. My sobs echoed in the empty lift,

my knees threatening to buckle beneath me, tears streaming down my cheeks.

I still couldn't fathom why he chose to kiss that woman.

He claimed he had no feelings for her...

He said it...

God! How do I navigate this emotional battlefield, where my heart urged me to drown in its dark abyss?

Just as I felt myself unraveling, my phone buzzed in my pocket. With trembling hands, I retrieved it and saw an unknown number. For a moment, I hesitated to answer, but against my better judgment, I found myself swiping to accept the call.

"Hello."

"I told you before, didn't I? You don'tUpstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

deserve to be needed; you deserve to be desired, And I can make you

mine, if you want," A chillingly familiar voice greeted me from the other end, sending shivers down my spine, not of desire, but of realization. “Be mine, Evelyn. I can give you the whole world whereas Jacob can't even give you a fraction

of it."

"Send me your address, Tyler."

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