**Chapter 5: "The Storm"**

The air was electric with tension as Luiza turned to face Jack, her eyes blazing with a mix of anger, hurt, and betrayal. The silence that had hung between them for hours finally shattered, and the storm she'd been holding inside broke loose. "How could you, Jack?" Her voice was low and deadly, each word dripping with venom. "How could you do this to me, to us, to Lucas?" Jack's eyes widened, and he took a step back, as if physically recoiling from the weight of her words. He looked like he'd been punched in the gut, his face pale and drawn. Luiza's words tumbled out in a rush, each one a dagger to Jack's heart. "You lied to me, Jack. You lied to me and you used me and you threw away everything we had for some cheap thrill with a woman who doesn't even care about you." Jack's eyes dropped, and he shook his head, his mouth opening and closing as if searching for words. But Luiza wasn't having it. She wouldn't let him off that easily. "Tell me it was a mistake," she spat, her voice rising. "Tell me it was just a one-night stand and that it didn't mean anything. But I know better, don't I? I know you were with her for months, that you lied to me and lied to yourself, and that you threw away our marriage for something so cheap and tawdry." The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in on them as the tension between them grew. Jack's face crumpled, and he looked up at Luiza, his eyes filled with tears. "Luiza, I'm so sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I was weak, and I made a mistake. I never meant to hurt you." Luiza laughed, a harsh, bitter sound. "A mistake? A mistake is when you forget to pick up milk on the way home. A mistake is not when you deliberately and repeatedly betray the person you're supposed to love." She took a step closer to him, her eyes blazing. "You used me, Jack. You used me and Lucas and our marriage like a convenience, something to fall back on when you needed it. But I was never just a convenience to you, was I? I was your wife, your partner, your best friend. And you threw that away like it meant nothing." The words hung in the air, a challenge to Jack to respond, to defend himself, to make excuses. But he didn't. He just stood there, his eyes locked on Luiza's, his face etched with pain and regret. Finally, he spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry, Luiza. I was blinded by my own desires, and I didn't see what I had right in front of me. I didn't realize what I was throwing away until it was too late." Luiza's laughter again, this time a cold, mirthless sound. "You didn't see what you had right in front of you? You didn't see me, your wife, your partner, your best friend? You're lying to yourself, Jack. You saw me just fine. You just chose to ignore me, to ignore us, and to pursue something else." The storm raging inside Luiza finally broke, and she let out a raw, anguished cry. Jack took a step forward, his arms open, but Luiza backed away, her hands raised in a defensive gesture. "Don't touch me," she spat, her voice venomous. "Don't think you can just fix this with a hug and a kiss. You broke us, Jack. You broke me." The room fell silent again, the only sound Luiza's ragged breathing. Jack's face was etched with pain, his eyes filled with tears. For a moment, they just stood there, the distance between them seeming insurmountable. Then, in a movement that was almost imperceptible, Jack's shoulders slumped, and he looked away, defeated. Luiza felt a pang of sorrow, but it was quickly consumed by her anger and hurt. She turned and walked away, leaving Jack standing alone in the darkness, the weight of his mistakes crushing him.