Chapter 48: 23: Hell Hath No Fury Like a Woman Scorned

SHAY

Shay found herself staring at her own reflection, but it wasn’t her. It was the last person she ever thought she’d see.

“Sky?” Shay’s voice sounded strange, foreign even, as she said her twin sister’s name.

“Shay,” Sky responded, her voice echoing back at her. It was surreal, seeing her twin after so long. The last time they’d been together was the night of the accident, the night everything went to hell.

“Uh, what are you doing here?” Sky asked, shifting uncomfortably on her heel. Her face was a mask of shock, a lock of hair falling into her eyes as she stared back at Shay. Sky hadn’t changed much. Her hair was still platinum blonde, her clothes still neon bright, but her face was the same, just a little older.

Shay’s heart pounded in her chest as the reality of the situation hit her. She stood frozen, staring at her sister who looked increasingly uncomfortable.

“Did you know?” Shay asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

“Come in and we can talk,” Sky suggested, stepping aside to let Shay in.

“Did you know?” Shay repeated, her voice stronger this time.

Sky reached out, pulling Shay into the apartment. Shay allowed herself to be led in, pulling her arm away from Sky as soon as she was inside.

“Did you know?” Shay asked again, her voice filled with anger.

“I can explain,” Sky stammered, her voice shaky.

“Is he here? Are you guys actually dating?” Shay asked, her eyes darting around the apartment. It was different from how she remembered it. She knew he’d sold most of his things, but the new decor was a clear indication that this place had been lived in for a while.

“He isn’t here,” Sky finally answered.

Shay turned her attention back to her sister, disbelief written all over her face.

“Where is he?” Shay asked, her voice surprisingly calm.

“He’s out to get some food,” Sky replied, her voice cautious.

“Are you fucking serious?” Shay scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sky remained silent, not moving, not saying a word.

“Did you know that we were married?” Shay asked, her eyes locked on her sister’s. She knew Sky had a tell, a slight twitch in her right eye.

“Uh… I can explain…,” Sky started, taking a step toward Shay.

Shay held up her hand, stopping her sister in her tracks.

“I don’t want you to explain. I want you to answer my question,” Shay demanded, her eyes landing on a picture on the wall. It was a picture of Adam and Sky, wrapped in each other’s arms.

“Answer me,” Shay demanded again, her eyes still on the picture.

“Yes, I knew,” Sky confessed.

“How long?” Shay asked, her voice filled with anger.

“Long enough,” Sky replied, her answer vague.

“Why would you sleep with my husband if you knew?” Shay asked, her voice filled with hurt.

Sky looked at her, confusion written all over her face before it was replaced with a stoic expression.

“Adam is amazing,” Sky confessed.

“Yeah, my fucking husband is amazing. I would know, I married him,” Shay spat out.

“Why? Why do you want to hurt me like that?” she asked her sister.

Sky remained silent, the tension in the room palpable.

“You know what? Fuck you,” Shay spat out. “Fuck you and fuck Adam, fuck your pathetic life!” Shay screamed.

The sound of a key in the lock made Shay turn toward the door. She waited for it to open, her chest rising and falling with her ragged breaths.

As the door swung open, Shay locked eyes with Adam. His hand was full of takeout containers, his eyes wide as he took in the scene. He closed the door behind him, standing by it, waiting for Shay to speak.

“You cheated on me with my own twin sister?” Shay asked, her voice barely recognizable.

“Shay,” he said softly, his voice filled with regret.

“You don’t feel guilty because she looks like me. In your eyes,” she paused, blinking back tears. “In your eyes, you aren’t doing anything wrong because it’s me. Isn’t it?” Shay asked.

Adam looked away, not answering her.

“Shay,” Sky called out to her.

“No. I don’t want to hear a word from you,” Shay yelled at her twin sister.

“She’s the reason why you haven’t seen the kids in over a month? She’s the reason why you’ve been the way you are? You don’t feel guilty because she looks like me, you don’t feel remorse because in some ways she is me? You haven’t asked about Nate, your own flesh and blood. You’ve stayed out, you’ve skipped work and done everything for her? Was betraying our marriage worth it? All for her?” Shay asked.

“I can explain…,” Adam started.

“Oh, now you want to explain? We’ve been trying at therapy, at every means necessary and by the look of it, you didn’t want things to change. You wanted her and me, she’s living with you isn’t she?” Shay asked.

She shook her head, unable to stay there any longer. She didn’t want to hear his response as she stormed out, pushing past him and out the door.

***

Shay replayed the entire scene in her head over and over again as she drove into the city. Wearing her big sunglasses and cap, Shay made sure she wasn’t recognizable. She was a familiar face, especially in the city.

Shay stepped out of her car and made a beeline for the elevator. This was a place she knew like the back of her hand, a place she had frequented in the past.

Once inside the elevator, she pressed the button and waited for the doors to close. The soft strains of jazz music filled the space as she leaned against the wall.

She tugged her cap down a bit, hoping to hide her face from any prying cameras. She didn’t want to be recognized.

The elevator doors slid open and she stepped out. Her feet automatically took her to the reception desk.

“I’m here to see Keith Stuart,” she announced.

“Zaia?” A familiar voice called out her middle name.

She turned and found Keith, papers in hand, looking like he was on his way somewhere. He looked as handsome as ever in his suit. She hadn’t seen him since she moved from Mountain Lakes.

“I need to speak with you,” she said, approaching him.

He nodded and handed the papers he was holding to the receptionist.

“Send this out immediately,” he instructed, placing a hand on the small of her back.

“Let’s go to my office,” he suggested.

She nodded and let him guide her to the office she knew so well. Once inside, she took a seat while he closed the blinds.

“I haven’t seen you in so long,” Keith said, ensuring they had complete privacy.

“I need your help,” Shay admitted, removing her sunglasses.

She took a deep breath and looked at him, noticing that he chose to sit beside her instead of across from her.

“Is everything okay?” Keith asked, his British accent thick with concern.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” she said carefully.

Keith raised an eyebrow, clearly taken aback by her words.

“He cheated?” Keith asked, disbelief coloring his voice.

“He cheated on me with Sky.” She paused. “He hasn’t seen the kids since he left the house or made any effort to know how they are.”

“I want a divorce. We have a prenup in place, but I want full custody of Nate,” Shay confessed.