It shouldn't hurt

The revelation was like a cold wave crashing down upon me, chilling and unrelenting. The words swirled in my head, a chaotic symphony that refused to settle into any coherent melody. It was a reality I had never anticipated, one where the man I had poured my heart into could turn and give a piece of himself to the woman who had upended my life. It was a bitter pill, laced with the poison of betrayal, and it forced an unwelcome epiphany upon me. Dylan's affection, it seemed, had been nothing but a masquerade.

With a heavy heart and thoughts racing, I murmured to myself, still reeling from shock, "This doesn't make any sense... or perhaps, now it does. Dylan never truly loved me. It was all pretense."

My voice was barely a whisper, a feeble attempt to console my breaking heart. The room was thick with tension, a silent witness to the drama unfolding.

Then, as if on cue, Allison lifted her gaze to meet mine. Her lips curled into a smile, a sickeningly sweet expression that felt like a da