ENTANGLED WITH THE CONGRESSMAN

"No..." Aliyah's mind screamed. She couldn't believe she was standing in front of a sight that was slowly destroying her world.

Two naked bodies lay on the bed-entwined, joined together. The woman was sweating, grinding as she rode the man lying beneath her. Their loud, feverish moans were like sharp knives repeatedly stabbing Aliyah's heart, slicing her into pieces.

She wanted to charge in. She wanted to destroy everything in front of her. But she couldn't move. It was as if her feet were nailed to the floor, while her mind flipped back and forth-should she run away or confront the pain?

With a cold, trembling hand, she slowly closed the door. She shook as she stepped away, but she found that she couldn't just leave. She had to face them. She had to see the face of the man she loved as she stripped him of his lies.

She didn't know how many minutes-or hours-she'd been standing in the living room, but when the bedroom door opened, all the strength she had left left her body.

Her eyes widened.

Benedict looked like he'd been doused in cold water, paling in shock at the sight of her. But what shattered Aliyah's world even more was the woman who stepped out of the room behind him.

No... Impossible...

"A-Aleli..." she whispered, barely able to hear her own voice through the dryness of her throat. It was like trying to swallow sand.

The woman standing before her-the one who had just come out of Benedict's room, wearing a silk robe that hung loosely open-was her own sister.

"W-What..."

But before she could even form a question, Benedict cut her off.

"Aliyah, what are you doing here?!" His voice was filled with irritation, as if she was the one in the wrong. He casually adjusted his disheveled bathrobe, but she noticed the red marks on his neck and chest. Aleli didn't even bother to cover up, her ample chest barely concealed by the robe's loosely tied sash.

Trembling with rage, Aliyah stepped closer. "What am I doing here?" she laughed bitterly. "Shouldn't I be the one asking that? What are you doing here? What are you doing with my sister?!"

Instead of showing guilt, Aleli smirked. There was mockery in her expression, even a hint of seduction.

"Isn't it obvious, Aliyah?" she said playfully, letting out a mocking laugh. "We're an item. Actually, we just finished having sex."

Aleli looked at Benedict with no shame, gently caressing his shoulder and giving him a sweet smile-as if to prove she had won.

Then she turned back to Aliyah, her eyes gleaming with cruelty.

"You're really stupid, aren't you, Aliyah?"

Aliyah's vision darkened. The anger she had tried so hard to contain finally exploded.

"You bitch!" she screamed, her body shaking with fury. "How could you sleep with and steal the man you knew was your sister's boyfriend?!"

Aleli let out a laugh, not even pretending to feel remorse. She looked entertained by Aliyah's pain.

"Oh, come on, Aliyah," she rolled her eyes. "I never stole anything from you. Did it never occur to you that maybe he came to me?"

"You have no decency!" Aliyah shouted, trembling.

Before she could say anything else, Benedict stepped toward her, his face full of annoyance.

"Don't blame Aleli, Aliyah. Do you know whose fault this is? Yours."

She froze. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he insane?

"W-What?"

Benedict's eyes darkened with resentment and contempt. "You're the reason I drifted away. You're always busy, always cold, always have some excuse! Do you know how boring our relationship became? All you ever did was try to be perfect-in your job, in your life. But what about me? When did you ever think about me?"

That was his reason? Because she was busy? Because she wanted to be perfect?

Yes, it was true. She did everything she could. She tried to be perfect because she wanted to be worthy of him. He came from a prominent family, while she was from the middle class. She only wanted to belong.

But was that really enough reason to betray her? Enough to crush her soul?

She loved him. She loved him so much.

If he were a decent man, he would have ended things properly. Not cheat on her with her sister.

Fury rose in her chest.

"Damn you, Benedict! You're blaming me for your betrayal?! Are you seriously saying this is my fault? Did it never occur to you that a relationship isn't just about sex? That there are more important things than lust?"

Aleli chuckled, mocking her. "And that's exactly why he left you, Aliyah. Because you're worthless as a woman."

Aliyah couldn't believe her own sister's cruelty. Her hand flew before she could stop it-landing hard on Aleli's cheek.

Aleli turned to her, shocked and furious. But before she could retaliate, Benedict stepped in.

"What right do you have to hurt her?!" he yelled before pushing Aliyah hard. She stumbled backward, nearly falling from the force.

And right in front of her, Benedict embraced Aleli, gently caressing her back as if soothing a pouting child.

"I love your sister, Aliyah." Benedict's voice was cold and firm. "We've been over for a long time."

It was like she went deaf. Like she drowned in a sea of pain and betrayal.

She leaned against the wall, holding back the tears swelling in her eyes. After two years of loving this man, was this really how it would end?

She had wasted two years of her life loving him.

She took a deep breath. There was one thing she was sure of now-she would never let them win.

Aliyah lifted her head and looked straight at them. She had no intention of begging. She had no intention of showing them how broken she was. She couldn't bear the thought of letting them see her world crumbling beneath her strength.

She didn't say goodbye. She didn't look back. She silently turned and walked out of Benedict's condo, hiding the trembling of her hands. But with every step toward the elevator, her chest grew heavier, like a tidal wave of emotion threatening to swallow her whole.

Once inside the elevator, she immediately pressed the button to the lobby. And the moment the doors closed, her tears finally fell.

She tried to suppress her sobs, tried to stifle the sounds that might be heard by others. But she couldn't stop the shaking of her shoulders. She shut her eyes tightly, trying to control the pain, but her tears were like an open faucet-uncontrolled and unending.

In the middle of her weeping, the elevator dinged. The doors opened.

A man stepped in.

Aliyah immediately shrank into a corner, trying to hide her face with her hands. She felt so ashamed. She didn't know how pitiful she must have looked to the stranger who had just entered.

But then, the man handed her something.

A handkerchief.

Aliyah paused. Slowly, she looked up, and despite her blurred vision from the tears, she couldn't stop the awe rising within her when she finally saw him clearly.

He was tall. His eyes were sharp, but not in a frightening way-there was a strange depth behind them. His nose was straight, his lips thin and slightly curved-not quite smiling, not entirely serious. His face looked like it had been carved by a skilled sculptor, almost unnaturally perfect.

His voice was baritone when he spoke. "Use this."

She silently took the handkerchief and gently wiped her face. The man didn't pressure her to speak, nor did he ask questions.

She was grateful for the silence.

The elevator continued its descent in silence-until the doors opened again, signaling they had reached the lobby.

Just before she stepped out, the man finally spoke again.

"A woman as stunning as you should never shed a tear for a man too weak to cherish and love you the way you deserve. He's nothing but worthless trash-beneath you in every way."

Aliyah blinked, stunned by his words.

She was about to respond, but the elevator doors were already closing-and just before they shut completely, she saw him smile.

A smile that sent an unfamiliar flutter through her chest.