Daniel's POV
Last night, while I pretended to be asleep, Regina quietly slid out of bed and started packing her things.
She moved carefully, trying not to wake me. But I heard every shuffle, every zipper, every hushed breath. She thought she was being slick, but I wasn’t sleeping. I was wide awake.
As she moved around the room, she kept whispering on the phone. Erickson was on the other end. She was laughing breathily, as they joked about what position they’d try tomorrow, like this was all some game.
I didn’t get a second of sleep.
Instead, I picked up my phone and messaged my boss.
I’d made up my mind. I was transferring to France to take over the branch office there. Permanent relocation. New life. No looking back.
From now on, I’d never have to see Regina again.
The next morning, she left the house early, practically bouncing out the door like she couldn’t get away fast enough. I stood by the window and watched her rush off. There was this bitter weight in my chest, heavy and cold.
But I still followed her.
I stayed out of sight, keeping behind cover. Ended up hiding behind a big tree at the edge of the woods. And what I saw… I’ll never forget it.
Regina and Erickson were out in the grass, tangled up in each other. Laughing, moaning, clawing at each other like wild animals.
She pulled a sheer negligee out of her bag, one I’d never seen before, but Erickson stopped her with a crooked grin.
“Let me put it on you myself,” he said, real proud of himself.
They giggled like they were in high school. No shame. No filter. Then they went straight into it, not caring who might’ve been nearby.
Regina kissed along his jawline, her voice breathy. “The grass is so rough… It’s gonna ruin my skin.”
Erickson just chuckled and nipped at her ear. “First time for everything. That little thrill just makes it hotter, doesn’t it?”
“You’re such an asshole,” she whispered, half-laughing.
He snorted. “That idiot doesn’t even know we’re screwing right under his nose. He’s still up on the trail, playing guard dog.”
“You’re the worst,” she said, swatting him half-heartedly. “You’re always pushing it. If Daniel finds out, you’re screwed.”
“Oh yeah?” he said, grinning. “But you’d miss it. If I was outta the picture, how would you get that kind of pleasure again?”
I couldn’t move.
It was one thing to hear about it. It was another to see it. Watching it unfold and seeing how deep the betrayal went cut deeper than anything she’d ever said to my face.
After a while, Regina sat up, brushing dirt off her clothes.
“We should wrap this up. Daniel’s still waiting for me to come back.”
“No way,” Erickson said, dragging her back down. “I’m not done with you yet.”
I’d never seen this version of her that was so wild and careless. She wasn’t even the same person when she was with him.
I turned and started walking away.
My head was spinning. I couldn’t think straight. I must’ve misjudged the path because the next thing I knew, my foot slipped.
I lost my footing and went tumbling down the slope.
My instincts took over, and I instinctively grabbed a robust vine on the hillside.
Now I was dangling, one hand clinging to that vine, my legs kicking over open air.
“Help!” I shouted. “Somebody!”
My voice echoed through the trees. I screamed until my throat burned.
No one came.
Desperate, I gritted my teeth and fished my phone out of my pocket with my free hand.
I dialed Regina.
No answer.
I called again. And again. I must’ve hit that redial button a dozen times.
Nothing.
She was probably still rolling around in the grass with him, still riding whatever high they’d gotten off of screwing me over.
Finally, after what felt like forever, the call connected.
Her voice came through, irritated and clipped.
“Daniel, I’m in the middle of taking a piss, okay? Stop calling. You’re killing the mood. My stomach hurts like hell. I might have eaten something bad last night.”
I didn’t even argue.
I immediately told her that I was stranded on the edge of a mountain, about to fall, and needed immediate assistance.
She paused, but her tone didn’t change. “Oh, come on. Don’t be so dramatic. This mountain isn’t even that steep. You city guys really do love to exaggerate.”
But she wasn’t there. She didn’t see the edge. She didn’t see what I was clinging to.
And then, the vine gave out.
It snapped.
I dropped like a rock, rolling downhill, crashing through branches, smashing into stones until I hit a sharp boulder at the bottom. Hard.
The pain hit like a freight train. My leg was a mangled mess of blood and torn muscle. I could barely breathe.
And then I realized that my phone was still on.
The call hadn’t ended.
Through the speaker, I could still hear her voice. She wasn’t alone. There were soft moans, heavy breathing.
She’d heard my screams.
She knew I was in trouble.
And she didn’t stop.
Faced with the choice between love and lust, she picked lust.
And just like that, whatever I had left for her and whatever tiny scrap of love was still hanging on was gone.
I shut my eyes.
Even when night fell, she never came looking for me.
She didn’t even bother checking if I was alive.
Eventually, I dragged myself down the mountain. One step at a time, pain flaring with every move, my leg was a practically dead weight.
By some miracle, there was an ambulance waiting at the base. Someone else must’ve called it in. A stranger, probably.
Not her.
She and the others were long gone.
No text. No call. Nothing.
It wasn’t until deep into the night that my phone finally rang.
It was her.
I answered.
“Daniel, where are you?” she snapped, her voice sharp and irritated.
I smiled bitterly and shook my head.
