The Billionaire CEO Betrays his Wife: He wants her back-Chapter 36: A Sister’s Betrayal

Mara walked out of the room, her hand instinctively cradling her belly. The gentle curve of her unborn child was a silent reminder of the life growing inside her. She may not have planned it, she wasn’t ready but the baby was in her womb and she was ready to take the next Chapter on her own.

This was supposed to be a time of joy at least for Ethan and building a future with the people she loved most. But now, it felt like the ground had been ripped out from under her. The betrayal cut deeper than she could have ever imagined. It could have been anyone, anyone but Maria. Maria, her best friend, her sister in all but blood. The one person she had never doubted, never questioned.

Her steps were slow, and unsteady, as she made her way to the guest room. The tears she had been holding back finally spilled over, streaming down her face as she closed the door behind her. She sank onto the edge of the bed, her shoulders shaking with silent sobs. The weight of it all was too much the betrayal, the heartbreak, the realization that the life she had known was irrevocably changed.

Just then, there was a soft knock at the door. Mara didn’t answer, but the door creaked open anyway. Maria-Isabel stood there, her face streaked with tears, her eyes red and swollen from crying. She looked broken, her usual smiling face replaced by raw, unfiltered guilt.

"Mara," Maria whispered, her voice trembling. "Please... let me talk to you. Just for a moment."

Mara didn’t look up. She couldn’t. The sight of Maria-Isabel only deepened the ache in her chest. But she didn’t tell her to leave, either. Maybe some part of her needed to hear what Maria had to say, even if it wouldn’t change anything.

Maria stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She stood there for a moment, as if unsure of where to begin. Then, in a voice choked with emotion, she said, "I know I don’t deserve to be here. I know I don’t deserve your forgiveness. But I need you to know how sorry I am. How much I regret what I’ve done."

Mara remained silent, her hands still resting protectively on her belly. Maria took a tentative step closer, her tears falling freely now. "You’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember. You’ve been my family. And I... I threw that away. I betrayed you in the worst possible way. And I hate myself for it. I hate that I hurt you. I hate that I hurt Ethan. I hate that I’ve destroyed everything we had."

Mara finally looked up, her eyes filled with a mixture of pain and anger. "Why, Maria?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "Why would you do this? How could you?"

Maria shook her head, her hands clutching at her chest as if trying to hold herself together. "I don’t know, I tried to fight it, I really did Mara," she admitted, her voice breaking. "I don’t have an excuse. There’s no justification for what I did. It was selfish. It was wrong, I should have fought harder than give in. And I’ll regret it for the rest of my life."

Mara looked away, her tears falling silently. "You were like my sister," she said, her voice trembling. "I trusted you with everything. And you... you took that trust and you shattered it. Do you know how much that hurts? Do you know how much it hurts to know that the person I loved like family could do this to me? You Maria-Isabel of all people," freewebnøvel.coɱ

Maria sank to her knees, her sobs echoing in the quiet room. "I’m so sorry, Mara," she cried. "I’m so, so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to lose you. But I know I’ve ruined everything. And I don’t expect you to forgive me. I just... I needed you to know how sorry I am."

Mara sat there, her heart heavy with grief and anger and a thousand other emotions she couldn’t name. She wanted to scream, to lash out, to make Maria feel even a fraction of the pain she was feeling. But instead, she just sat there, silent and still, her hand resting on her belly, perhaps the only person she had in this world that would love her unconditionally.

"You need to leave," Mara said finally, her voice quiet but firm. "I can’t do this right now. I can’t look at you. I can’t talk to you. I just... I need you to go."

Maria nodded, her shoulders shaking as she struggled to her feet. "I understand," she whispered. "I’ll go. But Mara... I’m so sorry. For everything."

With that, Maria turned and walked out of the room, leaving Mara alone with her thoughts and her tears. The door clicked shut behind her, and Mara finally let herself break, her sobs echoing in the empty room. She held onto her belly, her baby, the one thing that still felt pure and untouched by the betrayal. It was the only thing keeping her grounded, the only thing reminding her that there was still something worth fighting for.

Mara sat in the suffocating silence, her body heavy and unfeeling, as though the weight of her grief had anchored her to the spot. Tears streamed down her face, unchecked and unending, each one a silent testament to the ache in her chest—a pain so profound it seemed to hollow her out from within. She didn’t know what to do. She didn’t know how to move, how to breathe, how to exist in a world that had suddenly become so cruel. If only she had the strength to rise, to fight, to do something. But the numbness held her captive, and all she could do was sit there, drowning in the quiet.

In the hallway, Maria zipped her suitcase shut, the sound sharp and final. Her hands trembled as she lifted it, her eyes red-rimmed and swollen from crying. Ethan sat motionless on the staircase, his head bowed, his hands clasped tightly together. He didn’t look up as Maria passed him, didn’t dare meet her gaze. He had ignored the problem for too long, let it fester until it had grown into something monstrous, something that had shattered the fragile peace of their lives. Now, there was nothing left to say, nothing left to do. The damage was done.

"I’m sorry, Ethan," Maria whispered, her voice breaking. She paused her suitcase at her feet and looked at him one last time. Tears spilled down her cheeks, but Ethan couldn’t bring himself to look at her. He had felt sorry for her once and had tried to understand her pain, but now all he felt was a hollow emptiness. He was losing everything—his marriage, his home, the life he had built. And though he knew he bore some of the blame, he couldn’t help but resent her for the part she had played in it all.

Mrs. Morgan, who had unintentionally overheard the entire exchange, stepped forward, her heart heavy with sympathy for Mara. The commotion had been impossible to ignore, the raised voices and choked sobs echoing through the house like a storm. She couldn’t wait to see Maria leave, to remove the source of Mara’s anguish from the home. "I’ll call you a cab," she said briskly, her tone leaving no room for argument. Maria nodded, her shoulders slumping in defeat, and with one last lingering glance at Ethan, she walked out the door, her suitcase trailing behind her like a shadow.

When Mrs. Morgan returned, the house felt quieter, but the tension still hung thick in the air. "I asked James to drop her at the hotel," she said softly, placing a gentle hand on Ethan’s shoulder. "She’ll figure her life out from there. She’s not your responsibility, Ethan. Your wife is." Her voice was firm but kind, the words of a woman who had always seen Ethan as her own son. She gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning toward the kitchen. "Mara needs to eat. I’ll fix a plate, and you’ll take it to her."

Ethan nodded absently, his mind a whirlwind of guilt and regret. He barely registered Mrs. Morgan’s words, too consumed by the chaos in his own thoughts. What state could Mara be in? The question flickered at the edge of his consciousness, but he didn’t ask for clarification. He simply sat there, staring at the floor, his heart heavy with the knowledge that he had failed the woman he loved.

In the quiet of the guest room, Mara remained where she was, her tears still falling, her body still numb. The pain in her chest was a living thing, clawing at her insides, threatening to consume her. She didn’t know how to move forward, how to piece together the fragments of her broken heart. All she knew was that she was alone, and the silence around her felt like a prison.