Till Betrayal Do Us Part

Revealing my engagement to my boyfriend sent his childhood sweetheart into a frenzy. In a flash, she marred my pristine bridal dress with a torrent of filth. Lily Scott stood firm, her eyes locked on mine, exuding a defiance that refused to waver. I remained unfazed, shifting my focus to Jacob Lawson, who stood by wordlessly, and asked, "Are you calling the police, or should I?" This was the 9th such incident of the year. Car crashes, public brawls, online slander. Whenever I mentioned Jacob, I became a magnet for relentless harassment. I had often opted for silence, accommodating Jacob's pleas. But this time, I stood firm as I reached for my phone to dial 911. Without a hint of warning, Jacob, who had been nothing more than a bystander, snatched the phone from me and hurled it to the floor. The pieces scattered as his expression turned grim. "Is it really worth escalating over a bit of trash?" I held his gaze steadily. "Yes, Jacob. I'm ending the engagement." His face went ghostly pale. Before he could respond, Lily interjected with a malicious smirk. "Who are you trying to bluff? Go ahead, end it, you manipulative witch. You stole my boyfriend and now you're playing the victim." Her words directed every eye towards us. This wasn't Lily's first attempt to tarnish my reputation. Even though Jacob had never been involved with her, she had painted me as her rival. She relentlessly harassed my family, belittled me at work, and spun a web of deceit online, portraying me as someone of ill repute. For reasons I couldn't decipher, random men often bothered me with unsolicited messages. Over the past year, I would wake up from nightmares, chunks of my hair falling out. I was even diagnosed with severe depression. Yet, Jacob stuck to the same old reassurances. "Don't worry. She'll settle down. You're the kind-hearted one. Rise above it." I tolerated it for as long as I could, but Lily only grew bolder with her taunts. Enough was enough. Calmly, I removed my veil and walked out of the bridal boutique without a backward glance, leaving the crowd's surprised murmurs in my wake. Footsteps pounded behind me, but no one caught up. Lily dramatically clutched her chest, shouting for Jacob. Without missing a beat, Jacob turned on his heel. He scooped her up hastily, rushing past me without a second glance. Lily's eyes opened, revealing a triumphant smirk. I watched coolly. I had seen Lily's act too many times before. She could deceive the ever-intelligent Jacob over and over. Once, I had tried to stop him, grabbing his arm in desperation. Jacob, instead of getting angry, simply looked at me and said, "I heard only kind souls get depression, but now I'm not convinced." At that moment, it felt as if all my warmth drained away, and I seriously considered ending it all. Eventually, he left, and I spiraled, harming myself in a fit at home. As blood pooled around me, Lily posted a f*******: picture of her and Jacob at a claw machine. The long, unsightly scar still snakes along my wrist. I looked at it and surprisingly, let out a laugh. Back home, I got rid of the wedding announcement that had been pinned. Then I stepped into the shower, eager to wash away all that weighed me down.