Chapter 169 One Hundred And Sixty Nine

Chapter 169 One Hundred And Sixty Nine
The bathroom door opened.
Steam drifted into the room as Kennedy stepped out wearing only dark sweatpants, a towel hanging around his neck.
The moment he saw Antonia sitting upright in bed holding his phone, his expression changed instantly.
Sharp.
Guarded.
“What are you doing?”
Antonia slowly looked up at him.
Her eyes were already clouded with hurt.
Kennedy noticed immediately.
His gaze dropped toward the phone in her hand.
And realization hit him.
His jaw tightened.
“You went through my phone?”
The coldness in his tone shocked her.
Antonia stood from the bed slowly.
“I didn’t go through your phone.”
“Oh really?”
“It rang.”
“And that gave you permission to read my messages?”
The accusation in his voice made her chest ache.
“I saw the notification, Kennedy.”
“You still shouldn’t have looked.”
Antonia stared at him in disbelief.
“That’s what you’re upset about right now?”
“Yes.”
He walked toward the dresser aggressively, grabbing a shirt.
“You invaded my privacy.”
Antonia laughed bitterly.
“Privacy?”
Kennedy turned sharply toward her.
“Yes, privacy.”
“From your wife?”
“You still had no right.”
Antonia’s eyes widened.
“No right?”
“Sofia literally said she’ll see you tomorrow!”
Kennedy dragged a frustrated hand down his face.
“She’s helping me with the company.”
Antonia scoffed.
“At night?”
“It’s work.”
“Then why hide it from me?”
Kennedy froze slightly.
That hesitation hurt more than any answer.
Antonia shook her head slowly.
“Oh my God.”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Then explain it to me.”
Kennedy’s voice rose slightly.
“I’m tired, Antonia.”
“And I’m pregnant!”
The room fell silent instantly after her outburst.
Antonia’s breathing had become uneven.
Emotional.
Fragile.
“You think this stress is good for me?” she asked shakily.
Kennedy softened slightly.
But only for a second.
“I’m doing everything I can to keep this family secure.”
“And Sofia is helping you do that?”
“Yes.”
The answer came too quickly.
Too firmly.
Antonia felt something crack painfully inside her chest.
“So Daniel was right.”
Kennedy’s eyes narrowed immediately.
“…Daniel?”
The way he said the name was dangerous.
Antonia instantly realized her mistake.
But it was too late.
Kennedy stepped closer slowly.
“Who is Daniel?”
Antonia looked away.
“Nobody.”
“No.”
His voice hardened.
“You brought him up.”
She swallowed nervously.
“We just talked.”
Kennedy’s expression darkened further.
“We?”
Antonia crossed her arms defensively.
“He’s been checking on me.”
Kennedy stared at her.
Disbelief.
Then anger.
“Your ex-boyfriend? That Daniel?”
“Yes. He listens to me!”
The words hit Kennedy hard.
He went completely still.
Antonia immediately regretted saying it.
But her emotions were spiraling now.
“You’ve barely been here lately,” she continued, tears forming in her eyes.
“When you are here, you’re distracted.”
“You leave without talking to me.”
“You come home late.”
“And now Sofia is texting you at night.”
Kennedy clenched his jaw tightly.
“So instead you run to your ex?”
“I wasn’t running to him!”
“You’re emotionally confiding in another man!”
“Because my husband stopped being there for me!”
The silence afterward was explosive.
Kennedy looked genuinely wounded now.
And furious.
“You know what?” he said coldly.
“I can’t do this tonight.”
Antonia blinked at him.
“What?”
“I’m not having this conversation while you accuse me of cheating and defend talking to your ex.”
Her voice cracked.
“I’m scared, Kennedy.”
For a brief moment, something in his expression softened.
But then his anger returned.
“And I’m drowning.”
He grabbed a pillow from the bed suddenly.
Antonia’s eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m sleeping in the guest room.”
The words hit her like a slap.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“You’d rather walk away than fix this?”
“I’d rather cool off before we say worse things.”
Antonia laughed bitterly through tears.
“Wow.”
Kennedy moved toward the door.
But before leaving, he stopped briefly.
Without turning around, he said quietly.
“I haven’t touched Sofia.”
Antonia’s chest tightened painfully.
“But you wanted to,” she whispered.
Kennedy closed his eyes briefly.
Then walked out without another word.
The bedroom door shut behind him.
Leaving Antonia alone.
Completely alone.
And for the first time since their marriage, she truly felt abandoned.

\---

Antonia sat motionless on the bed, the guest room door downstairs had closed nearly ten minutes ago.
But the sound still echoed painfully in her chest.
The argument replayed in her mind over and over again.
“You went through my phone?”
“You’re hiding things from me!”
“You don’t trust me!”
“And you give me reasons not to!”
The words had been sharp.
Cruel.
And now Kennedy was sleeping in another room.
Tears burned behind Antonia’s eyes.
She hated this.
Hated the distance growing between them.
Hated the silence.
Hated the coldness in Kennedy’s eyes.
And more than anything, she hated how lonely she felt.
Especially now.
Especially pregnant.
She placed a shaky hand over her stomach.
The baby shifted faintly beneath her palm.
A painful ache tightened in her chest.
“This isn’t good for us,” she whispered softly.
But Kennedy wasn’t there to hear it.
Downstairs, faint footsteps moved briefly before silence returned again.
The house suddenly felt enormous.
Empty.
Antonia wiped quickly at the tears threatening to fall.
Then her eyes drifted to her phone.
Daniel.
For a moment, Helen’s warning echoed in her mind.
A man that cheated on you.
A man that wasted six years of your life.
Antonia closed her eyes briefly.
She knew this was probably a bad idea.
She knew it.
But right now…
She just needed someone to talk to.
Someone who would listen.
Someone who would make her feel less alone.
Before she could change her mind, she unlocked her phone and typed quickly.
Antonia:
“Are you awake?”
The reply came almost instantly.
Daniel:
“For you? Always.”
Antonia stared at the message for a second before typing again.
Antonia:
“I had a terrible night.”
This time his reply came slower.
Daniel:
“What happened?”
Her fingers hesitated above the screen.
Then finally...
Antonia:
“Kennedy and I argued.”
Daniel:
“I’m sorry.”
A fresh wave of sadness hit her unexpectedly.
Because Kennedy used to be the person comforting her.
Not the reason she cried.
Antonia leaned back against the headboard slowly.
Daniel typed again.
Daniel:
“Do you want to talk about it?”
She stared at the message.
Then sighed softly.
This wasn't right. She shouldn't be discussing her marital issues with her ex.
Antonia bit her lower lip.
Antonia:
“I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Daniel:
“You deserve better than feeling ignored in your own marriage.”
That one hit deeply.
Because that was exactly how she had been feeling.
Ignored.
Unseen.
Forgotten.