Chapter 181 One Hundred And Eighty One

Chapter 181 One Hundred And Eighty One
Antonia stared at the screen in complete disbelief.
Her heart began pounding violently.
“What…?”
She reread the message on her screen.
“You need to choose between me and him. You have just 48 hours.”
Her fingers trembled slightly around the phone.
Fear.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Everything hit her at once.
“What kind of message is this…?” she whispered.
Upstairs, the house remained painfully silent.
Kennedy still hadn’t come into the bedroom.
Hadn’t spoken to her.
And now this.
Antonia quickly typed back:
“What are you talking about?”
The typing bubble appeared almost instantly.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Daniel:
“You heard me.”
Antonia’s heart pounded harder.
Another message came.
Daniel:
“I’m tired of pretending.”
“I still love you.”
“And I know you still feel something for me too.”
Antonia shut her eyes tightly.
“No,” she whispered.
This had gone too far.
Way too far.
She immediately typed.
“I’m married, Daniel.”
His reply came quickly.
Daniel:
“To a man who barely looks at you anymore?”
Tears stung her eyes instantly.
Before she could reply again, another message arrived.
Daniel:
“You’re unhappy.”
“I see it.”
“I hear it every time you talk.”
“And deep down, you know I would treat you better.”
No.
No no no.
This was wrong.
Completely wrong.
And has gone on for too long.
She had to cut ties with Daniel completely.
Antonia wiped at her face quickly and typed again.
“Stop this.”
Daniel:
“No.”
“You deserve honesty.”
“I’m done standing on the sidelines while Kennedy destroys what’s left of you emotionally.”
Antonia shook her head slowly.
This wasn’t concern anymore.
This was obsession.
Manipulation.
Pressure.
Another text came.
Daniel:
“In 48 hours, I want your answer.”
“Me or him.”
Antonia’s chest tightened painfully.
Then anger rose.
Real anger.
She typed furiously.
“You don’t get to make demands in my marriage.”
"I don't have feelings for you. I haven't since we broke up."
The reply took longer this time.
Daniel:
“But I know you kissed me back for a second.”
Her stomach dropped instantly.
"Stay away from me and my family."
She typed quickly and immediately locked the phone, tossing it onto the bed like it had burned her.
Tears slid down her cheeks again.
What had she done?
How had everything spiraled this badly?
A few minutes later, footsteps echoed faintly from downstairs.
Her heart leapt immediately.
Kennedy.
Antonia quickly wiped her tears and stood from the bed.
The bedroom door slowly opened.
Kennedy stepped inside quietly.
His face looked exhausted.
Emotionally drained.
He didn’t look at her immediately.
Instead, he walked toward the dresser and pulled open a drawer.
Antonia swallowed hard.
“Kennedy…”
No response.
He grabbed a shirt and closed the drawer again.
Antonia took a careful step closer.
“Can we please talk now?”
Kennedy finally looked at her.
And the pain in his eyes nearly shattered her.
“What’s left to say?”
Her throat tightened.
“A lot.”
He gave a quiet bitter laugh.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Kennedy stared at her for a long moment.
Then he noticed the phone lying on the bed.
The screen lit briefly.
Another message.
Daniel:
“I mean every word.”
Kennedy’s eyes darkened instantly.
Antonia panicked.
“It’s not what—”
He grabbed the phone before she could finish.
His jaw tightened harder with every second he read.
Silence.
Terrible silence.
Kennedy looked up slowly.
“Forty-eight hours?”
Antonia’s stomach dropped violently.
“Kennedy please listen—”
“He’s giving you ultimatums now?”
“He’s unstable right now.”
“And why exactly does he feel entitled to demand answers from my wife?”
Antonia’s eyes filled again.
“I never encouraged this.”
Kennedy’s expression hardened.
“You opened the door to it.”
That sentence hit painfully.
Because she knew there was truth in it.
Antonia stepped closer desperately.
“I was lonely.”
Kennedy shut his eyes briefly.
“And I hate myself for that.”
The rawness in her voice made something flicker across his face.
Her voice cracked.
“I made everything worse between us, and I apologize.”
Silence filled the room again.
Then finally Kennedy spoke quietly.
“I never cheated on you.”
Antonia’s tears fell harder instantly.
“I know.”
“I told Sofia nothing would ever happen between us again.”
“I believe you.”
Kennedy looked back at her now.
“So why did you keep going back to him?”
Antonia broke completely then.
“I saw him more like a friend I could talk to.”
“I felt alone!”
“I felt like I was losing you!”
“You barely touched me anymore!”
“You barely looked at me!”
“And every time I tried reaching you, work came first!”
Kennedy flinched slightly at her words.
Because they weren’t entirely false.
Antonia covered her mouth as sobs escaped her.
“But none of that excuses what happened.”
Kennedy’s expression softened slightly for the first time.
Just slightly.
Antonia cried harder.
“I’m ashamed of myself.”
“I hate that I let another man get emotionally close to me.”
“Kennedy, I swear I never wanted this.”
He stared at her silently.
Then quietly he asked “Did you want him to kiss you?”
"No. I wasn't expecting the kiss."
"He took me by surprise."
Kennedy face hardened.
"Now he is telling you to choose between us both. "
He stepped back.
“Kennedy—”
“Why? Why does he think he can ask you that?”
Fear flooded her chest.
“I don't know, I swear to you.”
Kennedy looked at her with exhausted eyes.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
The sentence shattered something inside her.
He turned and walked toward the door.
Antonia grabbed his arm desperately.
“Kennedy please…”
He stopped briefly.
But didn’t turn around.
And when he finally spoke, his voice sounded broken.
“I love you, Antonia.”
Fresh tears slid down her face.
“But right now…”
He slowly pulled away from her grip.
“…I just need to be alone.”
Then he walked out again.
Leaving Antonia standing in the middle of the bedroom.
Crying.
Terrified.
And realizing that her marriage might truly be slipping through her fingers.