VOWS AND VENGEANCE

FREJA'S [POV]  Broken Promises I sat on the edge of the bed and looked foolishly at the screen of my phone. I have no idea why I was waiting. A message? A phone call? Is Max displaying a sign of any kind? Yes, exactly. He had no intention of calling. Since he stormed out, acting as though I was the one who ruined everything, he has not spoken. Normal Max. I tried to relieve the tightness in my chest by rubbing my arms, but it didn't work. I couldn't touch it or improve it. It sat there, deep and heavy. He treated me like garbage the last time we spoke. It seemed like he harboured a deep dislike for me. Perhaps he did. However, why? Could you please let me know what I might have done wrong? I stood up and went to the window. I opened the drapes and let some light in, but it didn't improve my mood. Even though it was sunny outside, I was still feeling very dark inside. I was having trouble breathing. Everything was heavy. I felt the weight of my skin, this marriage, and this house. I experienced a sense of entrapment. It buzzed on my phone. My heart leapt. Be him, please. It wasn't. It was merely an insignificant news alert. I let out a sigh, unlocked my phone anyway, and needed something—anything— to divert my attention. Then I noticed it. **"His wife's stepsister, supermodel Serena Blake, was spotted with Leon Graves! Problems at Home?** No. I went cold. My finger moved on its own even though I didn't intend to click on it. The article appeared. I was completely stunned by the images. He was with her. I'm grinning as if they hadn't just destroyed my entire world. In one picture, it showed her arm wrapped around his, as if they had been doing so for ages. She appeared to have won the lottery. And him? He had a nice, lovely appearance. calmed. Joyful. He appeared as though he was an integral part of her. The following image struck more forcefully. She was whispering in his ear while leaning in close and placing her hand on his chest. He remained motionless. didn't recoil. There was no trace of guilt on his face. He appeared to enjoy it. I began to pace after dropping my phone on the bed. My eyes blurred with tears I was fighting to contain, and my chest burnt. What I was witnessing was unbelievable. I didn't want to accept it. They were in the open. Grinning. Posing. As if they weren't tearing me apart. I was up I was upset with myself for crying, so I wiped my eyes. IrHe's trying not to cry. ve him. Not over a blatantly indifferent person. However true, it was painful. really painful. I had him. Was he not? I collapsed onto the floor and curled into a ball. The tears came suddenly. I was perhaps powerless to stop them. My entire body trembles. Everywhere was the pain. My insides seemed to be disintegrating. I still rocked back and forth while trying to push it. Through the tears, my thoughts became intertwined with one another. We were content once. I recalled the smile he gave me during our first encounter. He used to stare at me as if I were the only girl in the world. What happened to that? At what point did I cease to be sufficient? My thoughts turned to Serena. She was always the attractive one. She was the one who effortlessly drew attention to herself. She was the one who effortlessly received everything. She never had to struggle for anything. Unlike me, she never had to struggle for anything. It began much earlier than this. The day at the lake... When he nearly drowned, she saved him. He has been staring at her as if she were an angel ever since. The girl The girl standing in her shadow was me. His son married for convenience and to maintain the family name. He did not marry out of love. Never fall in love. According to the article, they had been friends since childhood. The article claimed that the friends' supporters were "rooting" for them to "reconnect.". How about me? What role did I play in their idyllic tale? Not at all. I was the error. the barrier they had to overcome. With shaky, weak legs, I pushed myself off the ground. I went to the bed, picked up my phone once more, and gazed at the headline. The images were deeply etched in my memory. It would be visible to all. Everyone would converse. Have you heard? At last, Leon has found the right sister. I tossed the phone. Hard. It fell after striking the wall. I remained unaffected. Allow it to shatter. Everything else had. I staggered over to the mirror and looked at my reflection. They were swollen from crying, and my face was red and splotchy. I appeared to have lost everything. "Why am I not enough?" I muttered. There was no response from the girl in the mirror. She simply had a worn-out appearance. empty. I was numb, and I reclined on the bed. I considered giving my dad a call, but what would I say? That my husband was stolen by his stepdaughter? That I would turn into a farce? Thank you, but no. My ears rang from the silence in the room. I took an OK look around. There was a fragment of him everywhere I looked. By the door, his coat hung. His books were arranged on the shelf. He always kept that dumb, pricey watch on the bedside table. I had reached my limit. I stood up and took his belongings. I tossed everything on the ground, one by one. I threw his cologne, his shoes, and his suits onto the floor. I persisted until his side of the room took on the appearance of a tornado. I was panting heavily as I stood over the mess. I had the urge to light a match and watch it burn. Instead, I knelt down and picked up one of his shirts. It still felt like him when I held it to my chest. It comforted me, which I detested. I detested wanting to cling to this much of him. "What made me insufficient?" I muttered into the cloth. There was silence in the room. Only me, as well as the debris. Once more. I pressed my knees to my forehead. I rocked back and forth, attempting to force the pictures out of my mind. back and forth, attempting to force the pictures out of my mind. However, they refused to leave. Serena and he. Her flawless face. His grin. Their future. The duration of my sitting there remained a mystery to me. perhaps. Two, perhaps. Time no longer mattered. I forced myself to stand after a while. Even though my eyes were still wet and my legs were still weak, I got up. I wouldn't remain on the ground. I wouldn't stay there for their sake. My phone, cracked but still glowing, was resting against the wall. I grabbed it. One last look at that picture. He and she were grinning as if they were the only ones who mattered. And me? The forgotten one was me. I was the spouse who was not welcomed. The remainder. People would blame me. that I was too dull. Too silent. Too simple. that all he wanted was someone with Serena's sparkle. However, I was aware of the reality. I was never his choice. I was never really wanted by him. This time, I let the tears fall without holding back as I lay back on the bed. My heart had had enough of acting. They were probably laughing somewhere. I was formulating plans for the life I thought I had with him. I buried my face in his pillow and took one final breath of him. Then I released it. I was desperately trying to hold on.