Secrets of a Bollywood Marriage(57)

                Tina closed her eyes as her stomach gave a violent twist. They knew everything. And there was only one way Shreya would have gotten this information. Dev had told Shreya everything.





                                      CHAPTER TEN

                TINA STOOD VERY still as the realization hit her hard. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. She felt sick. Dizzy. She pressed her hands on the metal door as if it could hold her upright. It seemed like ages before Khushi and Prisha finished repairing their makeup. Once they left the restroom, Tina took several moments before she exited the stall.

                Tina glanced at her reflection in her mirror. She looked pale and wounded. She wanted to believe Dev hadn’t betrayed her, but she couldn’t think of any other explanation. She tried to think of how Shreya could have got this information but the images of the tabloid pictures flickered in her mind.

                She slowly walked to the door, her movements awkward and choppy. Her stiletto heels skidded against the floor and she righted herself abruptly. She really didn’t think Dev would have shared that information with anyone.

                Tina squeezed her eyes shut before the burning tears spilled from her lashes. She had believed Dev when he said he had been faithful. He had been hurt that the only reason she returned was because of the pictures. She had heard it in his voice and had felt it in his touch when they had fallen into bed.

                But if he had not been sleeping with Shreya, how did the other woman know all the details?

                Tina walked out of the restroom and she cringed at the loud music bombarding her sensitive nerves. The frenetic lights and the wild dance movements were suddenly too much for her. She had to get out of there. She needed to think. Run. Hide.

                “Tina?” She heard Dev’s voice right behind her. “Where are you going?”

                She kept moving, staring at the exit with laser focus as if her life depended on it. “I have to get out of here.”

                “Why? What’s wrong?” Dev was suddenly in front of her, forcing her to stop. She was tempted to push him away but he was stronger than she.

                She didn’t want to tell him. She wasn’t ready for this confrontation. The tears were shimmering in her eyes and the pain was howling through her, threatening to break free. If he had betrayed her confidence like this, she didn’t know how she was going to survive.

                Every instinct told her to protect herself. If she told him what she knew, he would come up with an excuse. And she would believe him because she wanted to. She needed to get away before he could totally destroy her. But she had to see his face. If she surprised him with what she knew, he wouldn’t be able to hide his guilt.

                “There were some women in the restroom who were sharing some juicy gossip,” Tina said weakly, her throat aching as the emotions clawed at her. “They knew about our agreement. Every last detail.”

                Dev grabbed her shoulders and bent his head so he could look directly into her eyes. “What are you talking about?”

                “Shreya told others about our agreement. She knows that this marriage is going to end in five weeks.”

                Dev’s dark brown eyes narrowed into slits. “That’s impossible,” he said in a growl.

                Was it? Dev said he hadn’t had an affair with Shreya, but what if he had shared his thoughts, dreams and problems with the other woman? What if he had talked to her about things he hid from his wife? “I don’t know what she’s going to do with the information.” Tina’s voice shook.