Broken Strings

C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N

But she wasn't truly sure if he had really loved her. Because she couldn't find it in herself to believe that he cared and loved her as much as he loved Anisha. Because she felt a part of him still loved his ex-girlfriend. And she knew he couldn't love her the way he had, still maybe did, love Anisha.

But Amanda really had loved him. Because Sebastian Knight was the kind of guy that was easy to fall in love with.

And she hadn't wanted anything more than to marry him.

But all of a sudden, all these insecurities and fears had taken over. She didn't know to be a wife. She didn't know how marriage worked. She didn't know how she was supposed to make things work.

Because all she had known was her own parents failed marriage.

One drunken night a few days later, she had ended up in her boss's bed, naked, with his arm around her and his wedding band clearly pressing against the side of her stomach.

And all of a sudden, Andrew began giving her his attention. And there was just something so different and perfect about him that she wanted him and whatever scandalous affair she was having with him.

Because she liked what she had with Andrew more than she liked what she had with Sebastian.

"How long have you known?" And for the first time, she felt guilty. Because she had done the wrong thing. She had made mistakes, costly mistakes that had ruined lives and hurt people.

But maybe if she hadn't let her insecurities of a failing marriage take over, then maybe she could've been happy.

She could've been married. She could've had kids. She could've had a family, a family that she so dearly desired.

She could've been happy with Sebastian. And Andrew, he could've been happy with Anisha.

But Amanda had made a mess of things. Because of one small lie. One little lie.

Because the feelings she had for Andrew, she hadn't ever felt that way towards Sebastian. And she wanted Andrew. Not Sebastian.

"Known about that fact that you've been sleeping with Anisha's husband?" He shrugged. "Three weeks actually. I didn't want anything to do with you after you broke up with me. And I know Andrew's been cheating on Anisha for a while. But she never told me who it was."

There was only one thing Sebastian regretted more than anything. And that was letting Anisha go when she had been his.

He wished over and over that he could go back and tell himself to not break up with her.

But she wasn't his anymore. Not his to love or hold.

"Three weeks ago. Anisha had a doctor's appointment and she wouldn't stop crying. That's when she told me who her husband was sleeping with behind her back."

He paused for a second and looked at Amanda's face. He could see the guilt, it was clear as day.

He didn't want to hurt her. But he couldn't get the image of how weak Anisha had looked tonight out of his head.

"You're just like her." His voice was soft but the words were cold. "You're just like your step-mother."

He watched as her eyes widened and she stared at him, the past few years falling apart in front of her.

"No." Her voice was low and she refused to agree with what he was saying. "No. No. No. I'm nothing like her. I'm nothing like her."

She was screaming furiously and sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm not like that bitch. I'm nothing like her." She took a step closer to him, her eyes holding every bit of emotion she felt- regret, guilt, fear, pain, acknowledgment. Fear and acknowledgment of the fact that she really was like her step-mother.