AMBER AND ANTHONY ON A DATE SHAYYLA CAUGHT THEM

It was supposed to be an ordinary night. Shayla had no plans, no intentions of seeing anyone, and certainly no desire to reopen old wounds. She had spent the past few weeks trying to rebuild her peace, focusing on Kai and herself, avoiding the tangled mess of emotions that still lingered over Anthony.

But fate, it seemed, had other plans.

Shayla had promised Kai a fun night out—a little mother-son dinner at his favorite pizza place. It was a family-friendly restaurant, the kind of place where no one wore makeup or worried about running into people from their past. Or so she thought.

She walked in, holding Kai’s tiny hand, scanning the room for an open booth. And then she froze.

There, in the far corner, under the dim lights, sat Anthony.

And he wasn’t alone.

Amber sat across from him, laughing softly, her hand gently resting over his on the table. Their drinks sat untouched, forgotten in the warmth of their conversation. Anthony smiled in a way Shayla hadn’t seen in months—easy, unguarded, happy.

For a moment, Shayla felt like the floor disappeared beneath her feet.

Amber. The woman she once confided in. The woman who had wiped her tears when Anthony first walked out the door. The woman who said, “You deserve better.” And now, she was sitting where Shayla used to sit, playing the role Shayla once played.

It felt like betrayal multiplied by betrayal.

Kai tugged on her sleeve, his innocent voice breaking her trance. “Mommy, can we sit over there?” He pointed to a booth just two tables away from Anthony and Amber.

Shayla hesitated. Every instinct told her to turn around, leave, and spare herself the humiliation. But another voice—fierce and tired of running—whispered: No more hiding.

She guided Kai to the table. Close enough for them to be seen. She didn’t need to say anything. Her presence was enough.

She watched as Anthony’s laughter faded mid-sentence when he noticed her. His face paled, lips parting slightly in shock. Amber turned, following his gaze, and when her eyes met Shayla’s, her smile vanished like smoke.

The tension in the room became suffocating.

Shayla sat down across from Kai, doing her best to focus on the sticky menu, though her hands trembled. Kai giggled, unaware of the storm swirling around them.

Anthony rose first, guilt written across his face. He approached their table slowly, hesitantly.

“Shayla... I didn’t expect to see you here,” he said, voice low.

“Clearly,” Shayla replied coldly, never lifting her gaze from Kai. “Enjoying your night?”

Amber stood, smoothing her dress, her confidence faltering under Shayla’s piercing stare. “Shayla, this... isn’t what it looks like.”

Shayla finally looked up, her eyes sharp and unyielding. “Oh, really? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks exactly like what it is.”

Anthony sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was going to tell you. About me and Amber. I just... I didn’t want it to be like this.”

Shayla let out a bitter laugh. “When were you going to tell me, Anthony? After the wedding? Or maybe when Amber started babysitting Kai?”

The words stung more than she cared to admit.

Amber stepped forward, her voice softer now. “Shayla, I never meant to hurt you. Things between Anthony and me... they just happened. We didn’t plan this.”

“But you didn’t stop it either,” Shayla shot back, her voice shaking but strong. “You sat in my house, listened to me cry about him, and still chose this.”

Silence. Heavy and suffocating.

Anthony looked down, ashamed. “I didn’t mean for any of this to get so messy. I care about you, Shayla. I always have. But I... I’m trying to move on. We both deserve to be happy.”

“Happy?” she repeated, the word foreign on her tongue. “You think happiness is built on betrayal? Good luck with that.”

Kai looked up, confused. “Mommy? What’s wrong?”

Shayla forced a smile, brushing his hair back. “Nothing, baby. Just grown-up stuff.”

She stood, grabbing her purse. Looking at Anthony one last time, her voice softened—not for him, but for herself.

“I hope you’re proud of the choices you’ve made. But don’t expect me to pretend they don’t hurt.”

With that, she took Kai’s hand and walked out, head high, heart breaking.

The night air hit her like a wave, sharp and cold, but freeing in its own way.

She didn’t need Anthony’s explanations or Amber’s apologies.

She didn’t need them to validate her pain.

Because from now on, Shayla wasn’t waiting for anyone’s truth. She was writing her own.

And that chapter? It didn’t start with betrayal.

It started with her walking away—stronger than they ever expected