TOO LOW TO BE HIS.

ELEANOR’S POV “I’m never falling in love with a man. Ever.” The words left my mouth as tears blurred my vision. I had seen enough to know better, enough pain, enough broken promises, enough women destroyed by men who once swore they loved them. I was a product of a broken home myself, shaped by a father who knew how to wound and a mother who endured too quietly. I had promised myself I would never let someone have that kind of power over me. My mother, had spent twenty years scrubbing the floors of the Archer-Vane mansion in Belgravia; a highly affluent residential district in central London. Her back bent and her hands calloused, just to send me to the university. She was the only reason I breathed. She had traded her youth to give me a future, and I owed her my life. My only goal was to finish this final year, get my degree, and finally retire her from that gilded prison. I wanted her away from the arrogance of the rich, away from a life of service. And now, I was holding Martha in my arms. I had arrived just in time. Seconds later, and I didn’t even want to imagine what could have happened. She trembled in my arms, barely able to breathe, like the weight of the world rested on her shoulders. Her eyes were full of pain I couldn’t measure. I could feel her heart break with every word she spoke. “What were you thinking, Martha? Why?” I whispered, holding her tighter, taking the bottle of poison from her hands. She had tried to end her own life. “Jason,” she said, barely audible. Jason? Her boyfriend of three years. The same Jason she had been with since high school, the one everyone assumed she would marry. I had thought so, too. “He cheated?” I asked softly, though the answer had already begun to carve itself into my thoughts. She nodded, a faint shiver running through her. “He didn’t just cheat,” she said. “He… he got her pregnant.” My mouth dropped open. I was beyond shocked. I couldn’t believe what I had just heard. “Wh-what the hell, Martha!” I said, my voice cracking. “Anita,” she whispered. She didn’t have to say the name aloud. We had known her for years, the quiet enemy who smiled while waiting for the right moment to strike. Always watching, always planning, always one step ahead. Worst of all, she was Jason's ex! She had cheated on Jason in high school. They broke up, and he met Martha afterwards. Since then, she had not gotten over him. And as girls, we became her sworn enemies. I couldn’t believe Jason, after so many years, went back to the same girl who had once broken him. I couldn’t believe he threw away all the years of love and loyalty my best friend had given him. He was nothing but a monster. Martha and I had been friends for eight years, through late-night talks, and every heartbreak that came our way. We had always promised we would protect each other. And now, we were both standing on the edge of something we couldn’t control; a betrayal so bad it left no room for understanding. I guided her out of her apartment and into the car. She stayed silent, clutching my arm, her eyes fixed somewhere beyond the windshield. We hadn’t gone far when a familiar figure appeared at the corner. It was Jason. He froze when he saw us, his hands raising in a gesture meant to reassure, but it only made me burn with fury. I stopped the car, waiting to hear whatever explanation he had planned. At that point, my body went into fight-or-flight mode. I was ready to confront him, but I knew not to interfere and pushed aside my intrusive thoughts. “Wait,” he said, voice unsteady. “Martha, please. Let me explain.” He opened the door where Martha sat. Martha pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him, tears streaking her face. She gave him a resounding slap. I would have done the same if she hadn’t. “I don’t want to hear it,” she said loudly. “You don’t get to explain. You don’t get to fix this.” He paused as if the words were lodged somewhere deep. “I made a mistake. I… I didn’t mean to… get her—” “Pregnant?” I cut in, pain in every word. “You didn’t mean to betray her? To ruin everything she believed in? Of all people, Anita? Oh Jason, f**k you!” I said, holding back every urge to beat him to a pulp. I swear I could, regardless of the fact he was man, I really could beat Jason up if I wanted to. Jason flinched. Martha’s hand gripped mine tighter, and I realized she was holding herself together just enough to stand. “I never wanted this to happen,” he said. “I still… I still care about you, Martha. You have to believe that.” He said, holding both her hands this time. Martha shook her head and pushed him away, a bitter laugh escaping her lips. “Care about me? You don’t even know what that means. You don’t get to say that after everything. I trusted you. I trusted you with everything.” His face went blank, and he opened his mouth again, but Martha looked away, She didn’t need to hear any more, She didn’t need him to try to make it right. The moment had passed. Whatever care he claimed to feel could not undo the betrayal that now defined their history. I shut the door, started the car, and drove slowly, giving Martha space while keeping my hand on hers. The streetlights flickered overhead, shadows falling across her face, highlighting every line of pain that would take years to erase. “I’m scared,” she whispered finally, I could hear the brokenness in her voice. “I know,” I said, pressing my hand against hers. “But you’re not alone. Not now, not ever again. I’ll stand by you and protect you till my last breath, Martha,” I said, tears rolling down my cheeks. Even as I spoke, a part of me knew that this moment, this clarity, was also a turning point for me. I realized I didn’t trust men anymore. I didn’t trust love! I wouldn’t allow it! A virgin till I die, I thought bitterly. Better alone than broken.