Till Betrayal Do Us Part

Chapter 2 Fractured Regrets

It wasn't until the warm water pounded over me that I realized my skin was covered in minuscule cuts.

The bucket contained shards of glass along with s**t.

I clenched my jaw against the biting sting while I washed, only to feel Jacob's warm presence close in from behind.

His deep voice whispered in my ear.

"Wendy, I messed up today. Will you forgive me?"

As he spoke, his hands wandered unapologetically over my body.

I seized his hand firmly, wrapped a towel around myself, and walked away.

Jacob didn't look pleased, but trailed after me nonetheless.

He sat next to me, looking down and speaking softly.

"Lily didn't mean any harm. She was sorry. She cried for ages today and insisted on apologizing. I lectured her too..."

He continued, oblivious to the cuts marking my skin.

His thoughts and focus remained fixed on someone else, even as his fiancée sat beside him.

When I stayed silent, Jacob grew frustrated.

"You too, why push her buttons online? You know how she is, and still, you had to stir the pot on f*******:?"

My head buzzed, and I locked eyes with him.

This wasn't the first time he flipped the script on me.

I thought back to last year when Jacob planned a mysterious trip with friends.

I had a gut feeling he would propose, so I dressed up and shared a photo on social media.

But in my excitement, I mistakenly tagged our location.

During what should have been a romantic proposal, I ended up sprawled on the ground thanks to Lily's sudden intrusion.

My carefully chosen camisole was ripped, exposing me.

My friends rushed to restrain her as I prepared to defend myself, but just before things escalated, Jacob intervened, blocking her path.

With eyes blazing, he confronted me, "Why did you send that address? What are you trying to accomplish?"

Disheveled and with a trickle of blood by my mouth, I stared back in disbelief.

At my engagement party, Jacob had publicly humiliated me by walking out with Lily before everyone's eyes.

That day marked my transformation into gossip fodder, the symbol of public pity.

Now, history seemed to be repeating a year later.

But this time, I was stronger.

Under the unforgiving white light, my face showed a serene detachment.

"The wedding is off."

Barely had the words left my lips when Jacob leaped up, his face twisting with boiling rage.

I had never dared speak like this before. Throughout our five-year relationship, I had been the one chasing him.

He dictated our beginning, fully assuming he would have the final word when it ended.

Now, I was breaking free from his illusion of control.

With eyes burning, Jacob barked, "Are you threatening me?"

Was it a threat? I pondered quietly. Once, perhaps it would have been.

The painful truth is, threats only impact those who care, and it was clear. Jacob didn't care for me.

Between Lily and me, I was always the one left behind.

But now, I wanted nothing more to do with him.

Jacob appeared more rattled than expected, clamping onto my wrist as if wounded.

"Why don't you trust me? There's nothing with Lily. She just never had a father. I'm merely watching out for her."

I was sick to death of his excuses about "watching out" for her.