The Message I Sent To Test Their Love

Chapter 2

A sharp female voice pierced through the ringing in my ears. I forced my heavy eyelids open.

The young woman beside me let out a huge sigh of relief when she saw me wake up.

"Thank God, you're finally awake! I called your emergency contact more than a dozen times, but nobody picked up. I was this close to calling 911."

Her words dragged me back to the day I was diagnosed with severe depression. The doctor had told me I needed someone in my life who could be reached at any hour in case of an emergency.

Stanley had put himself down as my emergency contact right there in the doctor's office.

He held my hand tightly and promised me, "Even if you call me in the middle of the night, I'll pick up and come find you."

But just now, the girl had called him more than a dozen times. He hadn't answered once.

I took my phone back from the girl. There was only one message from Stanley on the screen.

Stanley: Sharon, I'm busy. Stop messing around.

Below it was a location pin Nicole had sent 10 minutes ago. It led to an upscale gated community in Ashford.

I thanked the girl and pushed myself to my feet, using the wall for support. Then I got into a cab and headed straight for the address.

The city blurred past the window. As we drove, an old memory surfaced.

Back in college, Stanley and I had once passed this same neighborhood. I'd pressed my face against the car window, staring at the beautiful houses with stars in my eyes.

"Wouldn't it be amazing if we lived here someday?"

Stanley had turned to me with a serious expression. "When I finally make something of myself, I'll give you a home here. I promise."

And now he had. Just not with me. This was his home with Nicole.

The cab stopped outside the house. I stood at the front door for a long time. Several times, I lifted my hand toward the doorbell, only to lower it again.

Finally, I pressed it.

The door opened. Nicole stood in the entryway.

She was wearing an oversized men's dress shirt, loose enough to slip off one shoulder. Several fresh red marks dotted her neck.

The moment she saw me, triumph flashed in her eyes. "Sharon. So you came after all. What is it? You just had to see for yourself how badly you lost?"

"Nicole, who's there?" Stanley's voice came from deeper inside the house.

In an instant, Nicole's eyes turned red. She spun around and rushed behind him, clutching the hem of his shirt as she sniffled.

"Stanley, it's Sharon. Did she come all the way here because of me?"

Stanley looked up. The second he saw me, his expression changed.

His eyes landed on my pale face, and for one brief moment, he stepped toward me.

Then Nicole finished speaking. Stanley's brows immediately drew together. He moved in front of her without hesitation, shielding her completely with his body.

When he looked at me again, his voice had gone cold. "Sharon, there's no point hiding it from you anymore. 3 years ago, we made Nicole leave Kingsford because we were afraid seeing her would trigger you and make your condition worse. For 3 years, we've stood by you, taken care of you, and watched over you. Haven't we done enough? We only come visit her once in a while. Did you really have to chase us all the way here and make a scene?"

I stared at him. My throat tightened so badly that it took several seconds before I could speak.

"What did I do wrong?"

Stanley sighed. "Back then, you used your depression as an excuse to threaten everyone. Wasn't that wrong?"

He continued, almost impatiently. "Think about it. If we hadn't been worried Nicole would get blamed for hurting her own sister, do you really think anyone would've stayed with you?"

It felt as if someone had driven a knife straight into my chest. The pain spread slowly, deep and dull.

Nicole suddenly rushed toward me with tears in her eyes. She grabbed my wrist.

"Sharon, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

Then my gaze dropped to her hand. And I froze.

A diamond ring sat on her ring finger. I recognized the design instantly.

Nicole noticed where I was looking. The faintest smile touched her lips.

"Oh, you like this? Stanley bought it for me."

Then she glanced at the ring on my own finger. "Yours is just a cheap imitation. Stanley and I picked out the original together. Then he bought you a copy because he was afraid you'd have another breakdown."

She smiled sweetly. "Stanley was afraid you'd have another breakdown, so he bought it to keep you happy."

Something inside me snapped. I yanked my wrist free and turned toward the door.

But before I could get away, Stanley caught my arm. "Where are you going? It's freezing outside."

His brows furrowed, and he sounded almost exasperated. "Come inside first. We can sit down and talk this through."

He pulled me into the house. Warm air wrapped around me. I couldn't feel any of it.

On the coffee table sat a limited-edition tea set I'd been talking about for 2 years. I'd begged Stanley to buy it for me. He'd told me it was ridiculously overpriced and there was no point wasting money on something like that.

Photos from the Veloria Islands covered one of the walls. I'd asked him countless times if we could finally go on the honeymoon we'd never had.

Every time, he'd told me my health was too fragile. I needed to stay home and rest.

A designer shawl was draped casually over the couch. The exact same one had been sitting on my online wish list for 6 months.

So it had never been about money. And it had never been about my health.

Stanley could afford all of it. He had just never wanted to give any of it to me.

"Stanley, I'm tired." Nicole walked over with a yawn and linked her arm through his like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"Okay. Let's get you to bed." Stanley immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

Then he turned to me, and somehow, his voice softened again. "Sharon, sit here for a little while, okay? Nicole isn't feeling well. She needs to sleep early. I'll get her settled, then I'll come back and stay with you."

I said nothing. I just watched the two of them walk side by side toward the master bedroom.

Right before they disappeared inside, Nicole looked over her shoulder. She gave me a smug, victorious smile.

The bedroom door clicked shut. Their quiet voices disappeared behind it.

I curled up on the couch, my body ice cold despite the warmth filling the room. Tears slipped silently down my cheeks, one after another.

3 years ago, when I stood on that rooftop, a part of me had already died.

Stanley had been the one who pulled me back.

And now, with his own hands, he had pushed me into a hell even deeper than the one he'd saved me from.