Till Betrayal Do Us Part

Chapter 3 Of Love and Resilience

To Jacob, Lily was little more than an enchanting yet pampered girl.

Her pampering knew no bounds. She could push me, hurl insults, and belittle me with ease.

But the moment I pushed back, I was labeled vindictive and spiteful.

Strangely enough, this "spiteful" woman had devotedly loved Jacob for a solid five years.

I was at his side through every struggle in his business journey, sharing his burdens.

I would step in to stop him from drinking excessively, wedging myself between him and glass after glass of liquor.

All the while, Lily whispered tales painting me as a reckless party-goer, craving wild nights.

But I was weary.

Tears welled in my eyes, not for anyone else, but from the painful realization that these five years amounted to nothing.

Jacob locked eyes with me, then suddenly tugged me through the door, ushering me into the car.

I knew he intended to drive me to the site steeped in our shared love history.

Mount Evergreen held our fondest memories at its summit.

However, unbeknownst to him, it was where my deepest scars also resided.

We had planned, in our second year together, to witness the sunrise atop that mountain.

But at three in the morning, a single call from Lily drew him away.

"Hang tight, Wendy. I won't be long," he promised, and without a backward glance at my tear-soaked face, he was gone.

An hour later, rain began to fall relentlessly.

Left with no option, I made my way down the mountain alone in the dim dawn light.

Midway, a disheveled man emerged from the shadows, glaring with menace.

He lunged at me suddenly, his rancid breath grazing my face as I screamed, earning a sharp slap in return.

After a few thrashings, I was too disoriented to fight back, but my hand found a rock and I struck him hard.

When I reached the bottom, there he was, cooking for Lily in the warm glow of his kitchen.

In my youthful pride and fear of rejection, I had kept this secret until today.

For four relentless years, I endured the burdens silently, battling my turmoil alone.

My gaze drifted, unfocused, as I shrank inward, rejecting reality entirely.

"I refuse to go. I won't go!" I shouted, defiant.

Jacob crumbled too, clutching me desperately.

In a voice thick with desperation, he pleaded, "What do you want? I swear I won't meet Lily again, alright?"

Amid the dim surroundings, his words echoed with despair, casting me as the villain, irrational and harsh.

Suddenly, my phone rang, signaling Lily's distinct ringtone.

Still seething, Jacob snatched it up and growled, "Don't dare call me again!"

Yet whatever was whispered from the other side drained the color from his face.

In an instant, he abandoned his recent promise. With fear lining his features, he gripped my shoulders and said, "Wendy, Lily's talking about ending her life."

His hands pressed cruelly against my fresh wound. Blood seeped out, staining his fingertips, but Jacob remained oblivious.

Though pain racked my body, my voice steadied. "Then let her."

He released me without hesitation. "Wendy, I swear, this is the last time."

I watched him leave with a serene detachment, untouched by sadness or joy, only washed over by a wave of tranquility.

For I knew this wasn't the first instance, nor would it be the last.

Returning inside, I quietly treated my wound.

It wasn't long before his call reached me.