Chapter 4
571 Words
Beryl curled up in Jeffrey's arms, her eyes red as she choked out her complaint.
"I never want to see her again."
The servants dragged me out of the house almost immediately.
One of them glanced at my miserable state and muttered quietly, "I clearly saw you standing there after grabbing the diary. Beryl waited a few seconds before falling on purpose. How did it suddenly become your fault?"
I forced a faint smile but said nothing.
Because it didn't matter anymore. Who was right, who was wrong, who was acting, none of it had ever been important.
I packed a few things and checked into a nearby hotel.
The next morning, I received an anonymous audio recording. The moment I tapped it open, Jeffrey's voice slowly played through the speaker.
"That fall you staged yesterday was unnecessary. If you don't like her, just avoid her in the future. There's no need to make a scene."
After a moment of silence, his tone softened slightly, almost like compromise. "She meant nothing to me. She was just someone to sleep with. If you really hate her that much, I won't see her anymore."
Right after the recording, another message came through.
It was a wedding photo.
In the picture, Beryl wore a pure white wedding dress as she leaned against Jeffrey's chest. They looked perfect together.
The church by the ocean in the background was the exact place I had mentioned to him countless times before. I had always wanted to take pictures there.
Back then, Jeffrey used to hold me in his arms and promise softly, "Once I'm done dealing with work, I'll take you there. Just the two of us."
I looked over at the calendar on the table. Too bad that day would never come.
The four-year agreement was over. Beryl was back. Everything was finally returning to where it belonged.
Kelly acted quickly. Not long after, the money she had promised years ago was transferred into my account.
Along with it came a plane ticket to another country and a text message.
Kelly: You behaved yourself these past four years. Now that Beryl is back, Jeffrey no longer needs you. Take the money and leave. Don't ever come back."
Before boarding, I scrolled aimlessly through my phone. Almost every headline on social media was flooded with news about Jeffrey's wedding. The ceremony was extravagant enough to shake the entire city.
The venue was covered in pink roses, my favorite flowers.
For a moment, I remembered another promise he once made to me.
"Joyce, when we get married someday, we'll fill the wedding with pink roses, okay?"
Too bad I never got to see it in person.
Not long after, Jeffrey transferred another large sum of money to me. The note attached sounded exactly like him.
Jeffrey: Once I finish handling things here, I'll come find you. Be good and wait for me."
I didn't hesitate for even a second. I immediately returned the money.
Then I saw his latest post online, uploaded just moments ago.
Jeffrey: The greatest happiness in life is having the person you love by your side.
Attached was a photo of him holding Beryl intimately in his arms.
I stared at the screen for a very long time. Then quietly hit the like button.
And without a trace of hesitation, I deleted the social media account I had used for the past four years.
- Writer
