Chapter 19: Heartless First

I left the building in a daze. At this moment, I couldn’t tell whether Natalie’s cheating hurt me more, or Marcus’s betrayal.

The streets outside were empty, the city lights blurry through my tears. I wandered past the coffee shop where Marcus and I used to grab beers after work, past the little park where Natalie and I once picnicked. It all felt like a memory from someone else’s life.

One is my wife of seven years. The other is my sworn brother of over twenty years—my best friend. The two of them actually teamed up to fool me, playing me like a fool.

I thought of our wedding day—Marcus giving his best man toast, Natalie in her ivory dress. How many people saw the cracks in our foundation before I did?

Why?

It echoed in my head, a question with no answer. Why would the two people I loved most tear my world apart?

Why?

The question haunted me as I made my way home, numb, hollowed out. My keys rattled in the lock, my feet dragging on the worn welcome mat.

I didn’t want to believe something so cruel could happen to me. When I finally wandered home and saw the dark, empty house, I suddenly laughed at myself.

The laugh was harsh, ugly, echoing off the empty walls. I collapsed onto the couch, the TV remote digging into my side, the silence pressing in on me from all directions.

Derek Harmon, oh Derek Harmon—look at what a failure you are as a man. Such a clumsy trick, and they still played you for a fool. If anyone’s going to get cheated on, it’s you.

I caught my reflection in the hallway mirror—rumpled, broken, haunted. The self-loathing ran deep, but beneath it was a burning need for justice.

I wiped my face and forced myself to pull it together. Since those two scumbags were heartless first, don’t blame me for being ruthless later.

I stared at my own bloodshot eyes, promising myself I wouldn’t let this break me. If they wanted to play dirty, I’d play smarter.

I bought pinhole cameras that same night and installed them in our bedroom, living room, kitchen, and other spots. Then I pretended nothing was wrong, continued playing the doting husband, numbing their vigilance.