Chapter 3: Goodbyes Are Not Forever
976 Words
Vince's POV
I rubbed my temples, trying to ease the dull ache in my head.
I hadn't even noticed what time I had finally fallen asleep last night.
I thought taking a walk through the garden would help me relax and clear my mind.
Instead...
It only made everything more complicated.
Monica and I had been married for almost two years.
For two years, we'd been waiting for the blessing of having a child—an heir who would carry the Villareal name.
But nothing had happened.
Our parents were beginning to grow impatient.
Whenever they asked about grandchildren, Monica and I always gave them the same answer.
"Please let us enjoy married life first."
"We're still young."
"There's no need to rush."
One excuse after another.
The truth was...
I wasn't in any hurry either.
If we truly wanted children, modern medicine offered plenty of options.
Money had never been a problem for us.
There was IVF.
Surrogacy.
Anything was possible.
Two years...
Two years had passed since Monica and I exchanged vows before God and everyone we knew.
Which also meant...
It had been two years since I left Jade.
Two years since I betrayed the woman who loved me.
Every single day, my conscience haunted me.
Yet deep inside, I kept convincing myself that I had made the right decision.
Our love had never had a future.
I loved her.
She loved me.
But if I had chosen Jade...
I would have lost everything.
The wealth.
The luxurious life I had grown accustomed to.
And I couldn't bear that.
I couldn't imagine becoming poor.
Father and Mother would have disowned me.
Worse...
They would have cut me off from my inheritance.
They had made that painfully clear.
They would never accept Jade—
The woman I had loved for five years.
At first, I believed I was strong enough to defy my parents.
I thought love would be enough.
I was wrong.
I wasn't strong enough.
So why...
Why did my heart react the way it did when Primo mentioned that his wife's name was Jade?
Why did my chest still ache after hearing the intimate voices coming from his bedroom last night?
Why did the thought of my uncle holding another woman so lovingly bother me so much?
What if...
The Jade Primo married...
Was the same Jade I had abandoned?
I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lower lip.
Impossible.
It couldn't be.
Maybe it was only a coincidence.
The same first name.
The same surname.
There was no way someone like Primo would ever fall in love with someone like Jade.
She had always been simple.
She never wore expensive clothes.
Most days, she'd be dressed in a faded blouse and a long skirt.
Her long, silky black hair almost reached her waist, and she rarely had it cut.
Yet despite her plain appearance...
She was beautiful.
She was the kind of woman who deserved a man willing to protect her from anyone who tried to hurt her.
Unfortunately...
I had never been that man.
I knew she would only suffer if she stayed with me.
My parents would have made sure of it.
Jade never finished school.
She had only completed high school.
That alone would have been enough for Mother and Father to reject her.
And Primo...
I knew exactly what kind of man my uncle was.
He had always been surrounded by women.
Yet he had never taken any of them seriously.
Not until now.
He had even challenged his own brother just to protect the woman he married.
Then again...
Primo had always been stubborn.
When Grandpa and Grandma were still alive, they constantly compared the two of us.
I was the obedient one.
The dutiful son.
Primo was the rebellious free spirit who followed no one's rules but his own.
I let out a deep sigh.
My eyes drifted toward the alarm clock on the bedside table.
It was already past nine in the morning.
Monica was no longer beside me.
She was probably outside, exercising in the garden like she always did.
Slowly, I got out of bed.
I grabbed a clean white towel from the built-in closet and draped it over my shoulder.
Before heading to the bathroom, I decided to check whether Monica was really outside.
I pulled the heavy curtains aside.
As expected, she was in the garden.
I was about to turn away...
When a familiar figure near the swimming pool caught my attention.
Primo.
He was happily swimming in the deep end.
But he wasn't alone.
Laughing loudly, he pulled the woman in his strong arms deeper into the water.
I couldn't explain it.
Something compelled me to keep watching.
I wanted to see the woman who had captivated the heart of the man who once swore he'd never settle down.
She wore a red two-piece swimsuit.
From the second floor of the mansion, I could clearly see her graceful figure, though her back was turned toward me.
Even from that distance, it was obvious she was beautiful.
"Love!"
The woman laughed.
"You're so naughty!"
"Come on," Primo teased. "Swimming in the shallow end isn't any fun. Let's stay here in the deep part."
The moment I heard her voice...
My heart stopped.
That voice...
How long had it been since I'd last heard it?
Two years.
I swallowed hard.
Instinctively, my hand pressed against my chest.
Why did it feel as though someone was slowly squeezing the life out of me?
Why did every heartbeat feel like a knife piercing straight through my heart?
No...
I couldn't be mistaken.
I would recognize that voice anywhere.
"Jade..."
How did you become my uncle's wife?
Do you really love Primo?
Or...
Did you return after disappearing for two years...
To make me pay for everything I did to you?
- Writer
