My One Year Husband Wants Me Forever

Chapter 3

FIONA

All these years, I had believed Tommy loved me. When I got married to him, I had believed that the life we were building together meant something. And after we got married, I had believed that all the sacrifices I made were for our future.

But that morning, I finally understood everything. And the truth was ugly.

I hadn’t been his partner. I had been his tool.

I didn’t remember how I left the building. One moment I was standing there, staring at him as he let out the words that broke me, and the next I was outside on the street, walking without direction.

My mind felt empty.

Everything I had believed in… everything I had trusted… was gone.

Tommy hadn’t loved me, not once. He had only married me to get close to Anna. He had used my feelings, my loyalty, and my ideas to build his wealth. And now that he had everything he wanted, I meant nothing to him.

I kept walking and walking, and by the time the sun began to set, I realized I had nowhere to go.

The house wasn’t mine. The business wasn’t mine. Even the life I thought I had built wasn’t real.

I was left with nothing.

I walked until I found myself standing outside a small bar. Music drifted through the open door, mixed with laughter and loud voices. Normally, a place like that would make me nervous. I had never been comfortable around crowds or strangers.

But that night, I didn’t care. I just wanted the pain to stop, so I went inside.

The smell of alcohol and smoke filled the room. Colored lights flashed across the walls, and people crowded around small tables.

I sat down at the counter.

“What’ll it be?” the bartender asked.

“Anything strong,” I muttered.

He raised an eyebrow but poured a drink anyway. I drank it in one go. The liquid burned my throat, but I welcomed the feeling. For the first time that day, something inside me felt quiet.

So I ordered another. And another.

The room began to blur around the edges. The music sounded louder. My thoughts slowed, drifting like fog.

But soon I noticed the stares. Men at nearby tables were watching me, and soon enough, one of them leaned closer.

“Are you here alone?” he asked with a grin.

I stiffened.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly.

He didn’t move away. Another man laughed from behind him.

“You sure about that?”

My heart started beating faster.

I suddenly felt very aware of how unsteady I was, how vulnerable. The alcohol that had felt comforting moments ago now made everything worse.

“I’m leaving,” I muttered, dropping some dollar bills on the shelf as I pushed myself off the stool. The bartender glanced at me but said nothing as I stumbled toward the door, my legs shaky.

The cool night air hit my face the moment I stepped outside, and I inhaled deeply, trying to clear my head.

The street was quiet. Most of the buildings around the bar were dark, and only a few streetlights glowed faintly through the mist.

Somewhere behind me, the music from the bar continued to play. But despite myself, I started walking.

My shoes scraped against the wet pavement, and I wrapped my arms around myself.

My thoughts felt heavy and slow. My mind drifted to the scene back at the house, Tommy’s voice echoing in my mind as I walked.

“I never loved you, Fiona. My heart always belonged to Anna…”

Tears blurred my vision, and I didn’t even notice when I stepped off the sidewalk.

Before I could realize what was happening, headlights suddenly flashed in front of me. A loud horn blared, and the next thing I felt was impact as something slammed into me with terrifying force.

My body flew backward, hitting the ground hard. Pain exploded through my chest and legs.

The world spun violently.

Rain began to fall, cold drops hitting my face as I lay on the street. I tried to move, but my body wouldn’t respond.

Everything felt distant.

The sound of footsteps approached, followed by shouting, but the voices were fading.

The only thing I could still hear clearly was the faint music drifting from the bar down the street.

I stared up at the dark sky as rain soaked my clothes, a weak laugh escaped my lips.

Maybe it was fitting.

I had spent my whole life begging for love—from my parents, from Tommy, from anyone who would give me a little kindness.

And in the end, none of it had been real.

My vision dimmed.

The streetlights blurred into soft halos, and darkness crept in from the edges of my sight.

Then suddenly, something pulled me hard. It felt like invisible hands dragging me backward through the darkness.

My chest jerked, and air rushed painfully into my lungs.

My eyes flew open just as my head throbbed terribly. For a moment, I couldn’t understand where I was.

The ceiling above me looked familiar. Too familiar.

Slowly, I turned my head. The room around me made my stomach drop. The old wooden wardrobe. The faded curtains. The small clock on the bedside table.

This was… my foster parents’ house.

I sat up abruptly, my heart racing. Pain shot through my head, but the rest of my body felt fine.

“That’s impossible,” I whispered.

I clearly remembered the car, the impact, the rain.

My shaking hand reached for the clock beside the bed. The numbers made my breath stop.

The date showed five years earlier.

Before the marriage. Before the company. Before Tommy betrayed me.

My mind spun as I stared blankly at the clock.

The bedroom door suddenly creaked open, and my mother stepped inside. She looked exactly the same as she had back then—sharp eyes, tight lips, and that familiar look of irritation whenever she saw me.

“You’re finally awake,” she said flatly.

I stared at her, my voice trembling.

“Why… why am I here?”

She frowned.

“What kind of stupid question is that?”

“I mean… the date…” I whispered.

Her face twisted with disgust.

“You hit your head or something?” she scoffed. “Stop acting strange.”

Without another word, she turned and walked out of the room. The door shut behind her, and silence filled the space.

My heart pounded wildly as I stared at the ceiling.

The accident. The betrayal. Everything I had lived through. It had all happened, and now, I was back to the point before everything fell apart.

A slow breath escaped my lips.

This time, I knew the truth. I knew every lie Tommy would tell. Every step he would take, and now I knew Anna’s role in all of it.

My fingers slowly curled into fists.

The pain in my chest hadn’t disappeared. But now it was mixed with something stronger.

Determination.

I stared up at the ceiling, making a strong promise to myself not to waste this second chance I had.