tearfully clutching a small, worn-out teddy bear, our first anniversary gift Babe! I messed up so bad, can we talk?
sniffs, wipes away tears I fucked up, babe. I cheated on you with that guy from work. I feel like shit about it, you know?
angry, crosses arms So, what? You just thought you'd try being single again? Is that why you chose my own co-worker?
No, no, no! That's not what I was thinking at all! It was stupid mistake, a moment of weakness. I love you, babe, and I don't want to lose you.
sighs heavily, rubbing temples A moment of weakness? And that makes it alright? You think that you can just say sorry and forget it?
No, of course not! I know it's not enough, but it's a start, right? I want to make things right between us. I'll do whatever it takes to earn your trust back, babe.
annoyed, gestures towards door Then get out. Get out and stay out till you're ready to be honest!
falls to her knees, holding onto the teddy bear tightly Please, babe, don't kick me out. I can't live without you.
sighs deeply, looking down at you Alright, you wanna fix this? Prove it. Go, spend the night at your sister's place. Think about your actions.
clutches the teddy bear tighter, tears streaming down her face Fine, I'll go, but please understand that I'm genuinely sorry, babe.
eyes softening slightly Fine, go. But don't come back until you're ready to face this head-on. No excuses.
stands up, wiping away her tears I promise, babe, I'll take this seriously and come back tomorrow with a plan to make things right.
softly, with a hint of hurt Alright, Daphne. Show me you mean it.
nods, sniffs I will, babe. I'll show you how committed I am to making this right. Thank you for giving me a chance to prove myself.
looks at Daphne, voice soft but firm Tomorrow, then. Show me some effort. Or it's over.
quickly wipes away her tears and grabs her bag Alright, babe, I'll get going now. I'll stay at my sister's place tonight and think things through.
watches Daphne leave, his expression unreadable Don't disappoint me, Daphne.
hurriedly packs a few essentials into her bag, her mind racing with thoughts of how she can make things right Okay, Daphne, you can do this. Just focus. You need to clear your head and figure out a way to earn back his trust. Maybe talking to Aunt Jenny will help. She always gives good advice. And maybe...maybe there's something else she can do. Something drastic. She grabs her phone and sends a quick text to her sister. "Hey, Aunt Jenny. Can we talk? I need your help with something important." There, sent. Now all she had to do was wait for her response.
watching Daphne's figure dwindle in the distance, equatorialmuse clenches his fists, feeling a mix of anger and uncertainty This better be worth it, Daphne. He turns back to the apartment, sighing heavily as he starts cleaning up, trying to push all thoughts of Daphne and her betrayal aside I need a drink.
slams the door behind her and quickly dials her sister's number Aunt Jenny, it's Daphne. I need your help. Can we meet up tonight? I...I messed up really bad, and I don't know what to do. Aunt Jenny: calmly Of course, sweetheart. I'm here for you. Let's meet at our favorite coffee shop in an hour. We can talk there.
Leaning against the doorframe, watching Daphne pace outside If she thinks I'm gonna sit around and mope while she figures herself out, she's got another thing coming. I've got work to do. And that includes fixing myself. He grabs his jacket and heads out to his job
arrives at the coffee shop, nervously fidgeting with her hair Aunt Jenny! Thanks for meeting me on such short notice.
picks up his phone and sends a quick text to Daphne "Brought my tools. Ready to fix whatever's broken. Start talking."
takes a deep breath, her voice trembling Aunt Jenny, I messed up big time. I cheated on equatorialmuse, and now I don't know how to fix things.
opens the door to the coffee shop, his face hard I'm listening, Daphne. Don't waste my time with apologies. What's your plan?
clasps her hands together, her eyes brimming with determination Look, equatorialmuse, I know I screwed up, but I'm ready to do whatever it takes to make it right. I've been doing some serious soul-searching, and I've come up with a plan to earn back your trust. First, I want to give you some space. I'll stay away for a while, respecting your need for time alone. Second, I'm willing to attend couple's therapy together. I know it won't be easy, but I'm open to doing whatever it takes to rebuild our relationship. Third, I want to show you how committed I am to change. I'm willing to cut off all contact with that guy from work and block him on every form of social media.
squints at Daphne, studying her expression And after all that?
leans in closer, her voice low and sincere After all that, I want to prove to you that I'm serious about change.
squints at Daphne, studying her expression How exactly do you plan on doing that?
grabs a pen and paper, scribbling something down I've come up with a list of tasks that I'm willing to complete to prove my commitment.
squints at the list, then looks up at Daphne These are just empty promises, Daphne. Actions speak louder than words. Show me you mean business.
reaches into her bag and pulls out a small envelope Here, equatorialmuse. This is a key to a safe deposit box. Inside, you'll find the proof of my commitment. But you have to promise not to open it until we've reached a certain milestone in our journey of rebuilding trust. Aunt Jenny: smiling encouragingly Daphne, that's a great idea. It'll show equatorialmuse that you're willing to go the extra mile for forgiveness.
takes the envelope, his expression unreadable A mystery box, huh? Interesting choice. But remember, Daphne, actions speak louder than words. Don't expect me to be impressed by cryptics. Open it now or never, sweetheart.
pauses for a moment, taking a deep breath, before slowly opening the envelope Alright, equatorialmuse, brace yourself for what's inside.
looks at Daphne, raising an eyebrow Well? Let's see this grand gesture of yours.
takes a deep breath, her hands shaking slightly as she reveals the contents of the envelope
squints at the items in the envelope, then looks up at Daphne So, what's this key open?
grinning, her eyes shining with determination It opens a safe deposit box where I've stored all the evidence of my commitment to change.
raised an eyebrow Evidence, huh? Well, let's see it then. Open the damn box.
rushes to the nearest bank, accompanied by Aunt Jenny Come on, let's go. I need to show you what's inside the safe deposit box.
follows Daphne and Aunt Jenny into the bank, his gaze fixed on Daphne Don't keep me waiting, Daphne.
leads equatorialmuse and Aunt Jenny to the bank manager, who unlocks the safe deposit box Here we are. This box contains proof of my commitment to change. It includes documents, photos, and even recorded conversations that prove I've cut off all contact with that guy from work. Everything in here is evidence of my dedication to making things right between us. Bank Manager: nods, handing over the keys I can confirm that Miss Olvera has been a faithful customer, consistently making payments and demonstrating good behavior.
squints at Daphne, then nods Impressive, Daphne. Seems like you've done your homework. But actions speak louder than words. What's next?
grabs equatorialmuse's hand, leading him out of the bank Alright, let's head home and put the next part of my plan into action.
smirks Lead the way, then. Let's see what you've got in store for us.
enters the apartment and begins clearing out all the remnants of her infidelity Time to cleanse our space of any traces of betrayal.