[BL] A Marriage Ruled by Family, Saved by Desire-Chapter 33: Holding On While Falling Apart

~Alistair’s POV~

Alex’s sobs grew louder, a jagged, ugly sound that filled the room. He buried his face in my chest, his words muffled but clear enough to shatter my heart.

"It was for Sarah... it was for her birthday celebration. My mother forced me... She threatened to pull every investor from the business if I didn’t attend. She said she’d ruin us both. And seeing how much she’s always made things difficult for you, I decided to go and keep the peace, especially since my cousins were going too."

"I lay there, frozen, the air in my lungs heavy and hard to draw. I let the silence stretch between us for a long, tense moment before forcing my voice to stay steady. ’Okay... I understand. You went for a birthday, not for work. So tell me, what happened at the party?’"

"Nothing," Alex gasped, his grip on me tightening. "Nothing happened, Alis. They just celebrated."

"And?" I pressed, a sharp flutter of anxiety coursing through me. "What else, Alex?"

He slowly pushed himself up on the bed, and I mirrored him, sitting upright to face him. Our eyes met, tense and unblinking, before he finally spoke.

"Please," he sobbed, looking up at me with eyes rimmed in red. "Babe, you have to trust me."

"I trust you, babe," I murmured, brushing his hair back with soft fingers. "I’m right here. ... tell me."

Alex swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he struggled for composure. "That night... we were all drinking. My cousins were there, old friends from Singapore... everyone kept pushing drinks on me. I wanted to get through the night and leave early, to go back to my room. I wanted to call you so badly, to hear your voice, but I left late, stumbling drunk. I knew if I called, and you heard me like that, you’d scold me. I didn’t want to fight, so I just went to my room and passed out. But the next morning..."

He ran his hands through his hair, gripping it until his knuckles blanched, as if trying to wrench the frustration out of himself.

I spoke softly, choosing my words carefully so I wouldn’t startle him. I didn’t raise my voice or scold him, I just placed a hand on his shoulder, anchoring him. "Take your time, Alex. You don’t have to be afraid. Remember who I am. I’m your husband, not some stranger you owe explanations to. I’m your partner. ... tell me."

Alex took a deep, shuddering breath, his chest heaving. "Honey... I woke up the next morning, and Sarah was there. She was in my bed, Alis. She was half-naked, tucked under the covers right next to me."

The blood drained from my face, leaving me cold. I felt the phantom sting of a slap, but I kept my voice low. "I’m listening. What happened next?"

"I was in shock," Alex admitted, his voice cracking as panic finally took over. "I scrambled out of bed, yelling at her, demanding how she even got into a locked suite. My head was spinning... I could barely remember how the night had ended..."

He turned to me, grabbing my wrists, his eyes wide and wild with terror. "I don’t have a single memory of her coming in, Alis. But she told me... she said we did things together. She told me I sought her out. I’ve been dying inside ever since, but I swear to you, on my life, on our marriage, I don’t think I touched her. I don’t feel like I did. But she says she has proof, and my mother..."

He collapsed again, his body trembling uncontrollably. It was like watching a man suffocate in a waking nightmare, gripped by the fear that one mistake had already stolen the only thing he had ever truly loved.

I stayed silent, my gaze fixed on him as the moment stretched, heavy and suffocating. I knew him too well, if I snapped now, he would spiral into a night of overthinking and endless tears. And while a part of me was screaming, I also knew the venom his mother was capable of. Still, the weight of his confession landed like a physical blow to my chest. I didn’t know how to react.

"Babe, please say something," Alex pleaded, his voice cracking. "I didn’t do it... my mom said she was going to tell you everything. She said she’d make it look like I did it willingly just to break us, but it’s a lie. Alis, trust me, it’s a lie. I never touched her."

I nodded slowly, swallowing the lump in my throat, fighting back my tears and refusing to let them fall yet. "Tell me about the doctor’s report, then," I said, my voice eerily calm. "The message your mother sent mentioned a report. What was that about?"

Alex wiped his eyes, his breathing uneven. "The report... it wasn’t mine. My mother went to a doctor and convinced them to write that she was under severe psychological distress. She says I’m the curse," he said. "That I’m destroying her because I refuse to do what she wants."

"And what does she want now?" I asked.

"She wants me to take ’responsibility’ for Sarah," Alex murmured, his face twisted in disgust. "She says I can’t just sleep with a woman like that and then ignore her existence."

A cold, bitter chuckle escaped my lips. "Oh, so now it’s responsibility? Why didn’t she warn Sarah before she crawled into your bed? It sounds like she wanted a taste, and maybe you wanted a taste, too. That’s why you planned this whole trip behind my back?"

"No, babe!" Alex cried, reaching for me. "I only went to protect you! I thought if I gave her that one weekend, she’d leave us alone!"

"And that protection included sleeping with her?"

Alex fell silent, his mouth hanging open as he stared at me in shock "No, Alis... no. I didn’t sleep with her. I went back to my room alone that night. I swear it."

"If you went back alone," I shot back, my voice sharp with anger finally breaking through, "then how the hell did she end up in your bed?"

"I don’t know!" he wailed, moving as if to kneel. "Please, don’t leave me. I didn’t do it, Alis. Please!"

The anger was boiling over, impossible to contain. I knew if I stayed, I’d say things I couldn’t take back. I stood abruptly, wrapping my robe tighter around me. "Let’s sleep, Alex. I’m taking the guest room tonight. We need some space."

"Alistair, please!" Alex scrambled toward the edge of the bed, his face pale. "I’m sorry! I’m so sorry I lied about the trip. Please, don’t leave the room. I’ll sleep on the sofa... I won’t come near you, just don’t go."

I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t look at him without seeing Sarah in that bed. I turned my back, walked to the door, and stepped out into the cold, dark hallway, leaving his apologies to echo against the closed door.

I retreated to the guest room, locking the door behind me. The second the bolt clicked, the strength I’d been holding onto vanished. I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in a pillow to muffle the jagged, painful sobs that tore through my throat. I felt betrayed, humiliated, and utterly lost.

With trembling hands, I reached for my phone. I needed a voice of reason. I needed my mother.

She picked up on the second ring, her voice warm and sleepy. "Alis? Honey, it’s late. Is everything okay?" 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

That was all it took. I broke down completely, the words spilling out of me in a frantic, tearful rush. I told her everything, the lie about the business trip, the birthday party in Singapore, Sarah in the bed, and the poisonous strings Alex’s mother was pulling.

"I can’t stay here... I want to come home, Mom," I choked out, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "I can’t look at him without thinking he touched her. I want to leave. I want to end it all before it breaks me any further."

My mother was silent for a long time, letting me cry until my breath hitched. When she finally spoke, when she finally spoke, her voice was calm and unwavering, grounding me when everything else felt like it was falling apart.

"Alistair, listen to me," she said softly. "I know you are hurting. I know it feels like the world is ending. But you must not act rashly. If you walk out now, in the heat of this storm, you aren’t just hurting Alex, you’re hurting yourself. And more importantly, you are giving his mother exactly what she wants. You are handing her the victory on a silver platter."

"But Mom, he lied—"

"He did," she interrupted gently. "He was a coward because he was afraid of losing you. But Alis, a marriage isn’t just about the easy days. It’s about how you handle the storms. If you believe in your heart that Alex loves you, if you believe he is the man you married, then you owe it to your bond to find the truth, not the ’truth’ his mother manufactured."

She paused, her tone turning firm yet maternal. "Go back to your room, Alis. Don’t sleep apart."