Chapter 45 Chapter 45: Divorce? Part 1
Cathy's P.O.V
I stare at Hunter, my mouth falling open in shock.
"Divorce?" The word comes out as barely a whisper. "Hunter, Xavier and I have been together for six years. Six years. I can't just throw all that away without a proper confrontation. Without at least trying to understand what happened and why."
Even as I say the words, they sound weak to my own ears. What is there to understand? I saw what happened. I heard what Xavier said. But still, six years is a long time. Six years of building a life together, of promises and plans and dreams. How can I just walk away from all of that?
Hunter nods slowly, his expression unreadable. He doesn't argue with me or try to convince me I'm wrong. Instead, he lets out a long sigh and reaches into his pocket, pulling out his phone.
"I understand," he says quietly, unlocking the screen with his thumb. "I knew you'd say something like that. That's why I prepared for this."
He taps at the screen a few times, opening what looks like a folder, then hands me the phone.
"Look at these," he says, his voice gentle but firm. "And then tell me if you still think you need to have a confrontation."
I take the phone from him, confusion written all over my face. The screen shows a photo gallery, and I can see there are dozens, maybe hundreds of photos inside. I don't understand what I'm looking at or why Hunter is showing me this.
I tap on the first photo.
It's Xavier. He's sitting at an outdoor café, the kind of trendy place he likes to go for business lunches. But he's not alone. There's a woman sitting across from him, a beautiful blonde in a red dress. She's laughing at something, and Xavier is leaning forward, holding her hand across the table.
My heart starts to pound. I swipe to the next photo. Xavier kissing the same blonde woman outside what looks like a restaurant. His hand is on her waist, pulling her close. The kiss is deep, passionate, nothing like the casual pecks he gives me when he leaves for work.
I swipe again. And again. And again.
Different women. Different locations. Xavier with a brunette entering a hotel, his hand on the small of her back. Xavier with a redhead in the front seat of a car, their faces so close together there's no mistaking what they're doing. Xavier with another blonde at a bar, whispering something in her ear while she smiles up at him.
Photo after photo after photo. Café meetings where he holds hands with women who aren't me. Hotel entrances where he guides other women inside. Cars where he kisses them, touches them, looks at them the way he used to look at me in the beginning.
I can't breathe. The phone shakes in my hands as I continue swiping through the gallery. There are so many. Dozens and dozens of them, spanning what looks like months, maybe even years.
"Where did you find these?" I finally manage to say, my voice barely above a whisper. I look up at Hunter, my eyes wide with disbelief. "Are these real? They can't be real. These have to be AI or photoshopped or something."
Hunter actually laughs, but there's no humor in it. It's a bitter, dark sound.
"Xavier is vile enough as he is," he says, shaking his head. "I didn't need AI for anything. These are all real, Cathy. Every single one of them."
I look back down at the phone, scrolling through more photos. My hands are trembling so badly I almost drop it.
"What are these really?" I ask, even though I know the answer. I can see it right in front of me, but my brain refuses to accept it. "Is this some kind of prank? Some kind of sick joke?"
"It's not a prank," Hunter says firmly. He reaches out and gently takes the phone from my shaking hands, setting it on the bed between us. "I've been looking for proof for a long time, Cathy. But I knew you wouldn't believe me unless I could show you directly. I knew that if I just told you Xavier was cheating, you'd think I was lying or trying to break you two up for my own reasons."
He runs a hand through his hair, frustration evident on his face.
"So I had to wait. I had to wait for evidence to arrive, for proof that even you couldn't deny. And now I have it. Now I'm ready to tell you the entire story."
"What story?" I ask, my voice breaking. "What are you even talking about? I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know what's real."
My head is spinning. Last night, I watched my husband have sex with another woman in the back of our car. This morning, I'm looking at hundreds of photos proving he's been cheating on me for who knows how long. How much more can one person take before they completely shatter?
Hunter shifts on the bed, turning to face me more fully. His expression is serious, almost grim.
"Xavier has never been faithful," he says bluntly. "Not to you, not to anyone in his life. He's a spoiled brat who does whatever he wants and plays the perfect man until he needs the other person to be compliant. Then he shows his true colors."
I flinch at the harshness of his words, but I can't argue with them. Not after what I saw last night. Not after the photos I just looked at.
"He played you, Cathy," Hunter continues. "From the very beginning, he played you. And I know this is going to hurt, but you need to know the truth."
He pauses, like he's gathering courage for what comes next.
"Do you know why Xavier really married you?"