Jason stumbled back. It was Chad. He shouldn’t
have been there. He was supposed to be out of
town. He stood in front of me, pointing at
Jason. “I told you not to touch her!” Blood
trickled from Jason’s lip. He glared at Chad..
“This is between us. Stay out of it.” Chad’s
face hardened. He looked ready to hit Jason
again, but I grabbed his arm. “Chad!” He
stopped, turning to me, his gaze falling on my
reddened wrist. He gently took my hand, hist
voice a mix of anger and concern. “Are you
stupid? You should’ve fought back!” My mind
was racing. I shook my head. “It’s fine. What
are you doing back?” He let out a short,
humorless laugh. “What do you think? Coming
back to stop him from harassing you.” Jason’s
eyes were fixed on Chad’s hand holding mine,
his own fists clenching. “Don’t act like you’re
some kind of hero, Chad. We both know what
you really want.” Chad smirked. “Oh really?
Enlighten me, Jason. Tell me what my ‘ulterior
<
motives‘ are.” Jason was silent. Chad chuckled.
“Fine, I’ll tell you. I was just waiting for you two
to divorce so I could finally make my move. This
is my chance, and I’m not letting it go to
waste.” The night air carried his words, each
syllable a blow to my heart. He continued, “You,
Jason, if you had any decency, you wouldn’t
have asked her those questions! You really think someone’s just going to forgive you and give you another chance after all this?” Jason’s face was ashen. He swayed, looking like he might collapse. “I… I just wanted to know the truth…” Chad grabbed him by the collar. “I told you, she’s finally putting all this behind her, starting over. Why do you have to drag it all up again?!” I stared at Chad. His words… they didn’t sound quite right. Did he suspect something? Chad shoved Jason away. “Get out!” Jason stumbled, his eyes vacant. I didn’t want to see any more. “You got your answers. Now leave. And don’t come back.” I turned to go inside, but a thud stopped me. Jason had fallen to his knees. “Ashley,” he choked out, “I
12:40
E32
know I messed up. It’s all my fault. Please, give
me another chance. Let’s start over.”
- 18.
Chad’s first reaction was to look at me. His
usual playful demeanor was gone, replaced by a
tense stillness. He clenched his fists, his eyes
fixed on me. He was nervous. Jason was
waiting for my answer, but so was Chad. It
turned to Jason. “When I said I pushed Melissa,
why did you react that way?” He looked bewildered. I smiled faintly. “After I lost the baby, you ignored me. So I blamed Melissa. I hated her. I called her, lured her out, and pushed her down the stairs. Isn’t that… isn’t that exactly what you’d expect me to do?” He shook his head. “No… no…” “We were married for five years,” I continued. “I was selfish and spoiled. I wasn’t like Melissa, sweet and understanding, your perfect soulmate. I was nothing but trouble. Clingy, demanding, childish. Isn’t that what you thought of me?” Jason’s
<
face was whiter than the hospital sheets. I added softly, “You thought I forced you into
this marriage. That you only married me for
your mother. That you’d never have gotten
involved with me otherwise. Isn’t that how you
saw our marriage, Jason? That’s what you said
to me, right before the accident.” His
expression was a mixture of pain and regret. “I… I didn’t mean it! I was angry. I…” His words.
had made me realize how he truly saw me- a
caricature of a person, a villain of his own
making. After the miscarriage, heartbroken and
questioning everything, I’d agreed to meet
Melissa. I’d wanted to finally confront the
woman who’d been a constant shadow in my
marriage. But I hadn’t gotten the chance to ask.
my questions. Because Melissa had told me
something that changed everything. “Ashley,
you really thought a baby would make him love
you? I was there when you called. I heard
everything. I even told him to go home to you. But you know what he said? He said you were being dramatic.” “You’ve liked Jason since
1 Dinan ka beland
>
freshman year, haven’t you? Since he helped
you when you had heatstroke at orientation?
You probably don’t know this, but he was just
passing by. An RA asked him to help. He even
dropped the water he’d bought for me. But I
didn’t blame him. It’s good to be kind, right?”
“Ashley, just give up. You’re only making him.
miserable.” I hadn’t expected her to deliberately
fall down the stairs. I hadn’t expected Jason to
show up right at that moment. He’d rushed to
Melissa’s side, not even glancing at me. She
sobbed in his arms, her tears staining his shirt.
He’d comforted her, whispered reassurances,
completely ignoring me. When I finally got a
chance to speak, he’d cut me off. “Ashley, why
do you have to cause so much drama?” I’d
wandered the streets for hours, his words
echoing in my mind. Was I selfish? Crazy?
Hateful? Then the car had hit me, and
everything went black. When I woke up, I was
someone else the Ashley Jason had created
in his mind. Selfish, crazy, delusional. And, most
importantly, no longer in love with him. I looked
Jason in the eye. “But Jason, in this world… I don’t love you anymore.” My love had built a pedestal for him. And he didn’t deserve it.
- 19.
I woke up to the smell of breakfast. Chad was in the kitchen, cooking. “What’s the occasion, Mr. Davis? What’s got you slaving away in the kitchen?” He jerked his chin towards the front door. “The day the asshole got what he deserved.” Jason had knelt outside all night. I hadn’t gone back out. I’d dragged Chad
—
who
was still ready to fight inside, slammed the door, and gone to bed. In separate rooms, of course. I sat at the kitchen table and took a bite of his French toast. “And also the day Mr. Davis burned breakfast.” Chad rushed over, trying to snatch the plate. “It’s burnt? Don’t eat it! I’ll make you more!” I dodged him. “No, it’s fine. Don’t waste it.” He looked skeptical. “Really?” I held it out to him. “Try it.” He leaned in, and I quickly kissed him. He froze, his ears turning
12:40
<
red. “Ashley!” I patted his cheek. “Yes, I heard
you. No need to shout. Louder than your
confession last night.” Chad mumbled
something, then pulled me close and kissed me.
“I thought you’d forgotten. After the accident,
you… you forgot so much. I thought I was going
to have to take care of you forever.” I poked hist
chest. “Never. I might have forgotten myself,
but I didn’t forget you.” In a time when I didn’t
even recognize myself, I’d still trusted him.
completely. He grinned, satisfied. “Finally
getting smart.” He ruffled my hair. “Worth the
wait.” Something twisted in my chest. “Chad,
how could you be so blind? Falling for someone.
like me?” He chuckled. “My vision’s perfect. I
knew you were worth waiting for.” I laughed.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re the best.”
(Jason’s POV)
I
Lately, I kept seeing this girl everywhere. In
class, at the gym, even at my part–time job. It
was supposed to be “accidental,” but she was
<
terrible at pretending. It was annoying. Other
girls had liked me before, but none had been so
blatant, so lacking in any feminine subtlety. I
figured she’d get bored eventually. I deliberately.
spent time with Melissa, hoping she’d take the
hint. I saw the hurt in her eyes, and she
disappeared for a while. I was relieved, figuring
she was just like that, giving up easily. “She’s a
rich girl. Never had to work for anything. Not
like us,” Melissa had said. Her words irritated
- me. I made an excuse to avoid Melissa’s subtle
hints about getting together. I didn’t have time.
for a relationship. I had to take care of my
family. Thankfully, Melissa was understanding.
She never brought it up again, instead focusing
on helping me. Then, disaster struck. My mom’s
condition worsened, and we needed huge
amount of money for her treatment. Just when I
thought all hope was lost, the girl reappeared. “What do you want?” I’d asked. She’d shook her head. I’d scoffed inwardly. Was she playing coy? “Let’s date,” I’d said. I knew what she wanted, and I resented her for pretending
<
Otherwise. But i nao no choice. I needed the
money. She didn’t get along with her family, so
she was always clinging to me. But I was busy. I
didn’t have time to babysit her. She started
visiting less, and I thought she’d finally matured.
Then I found out she’d been harassing Melissa.
I confronted her several times, but she always.
denied it, leaving with tears in her eyes. I was
glad when she finally stopped, but then I saw
her at the nursing home, talking to another guy.
Chad. Her childhood friend. They came from
similar backgrounds. If it hadn’t been for me,
they probably would’ve been together. I was a
guy; I knew the look in his eyes when he looked
at her. She talked to him nonstop, rolled her
–
eyes at him things she never did with me.
How could she? Claiming to love me, while
flirting with someone else? She thought I was
drunk that night, but I wasn’t. A possessive.
rage, one I hadn’t realized I was capable of,
consumed me. When I found out she was
pregnant, I felt a strange sense of relief. Now
we had to be together, didn’t we? “Ashley,” I’d
said my voice cold “are you trying to get rid of
<
12:41
said, my voice cold, “are you trying to get rid of
me?” Everything falling apart. I didn’t even
was
know what I was saying anymore. I think I was losing my mind. When she signed the divorce papers, it hit me – I was losing my mind. How could I let her go? I couldn’t. But it was too late. I fired Melissa, leaking information about her shady dealings and embezzlement. She couldn’t find another job and left town,
disgraced. I couldn’t bring myself to change her contact name in my phone. Then, one night, drunk, I called her, only to find the number disconnected. Later, I heard she’d married Chad. A lavish wedding. That’s when I finally understood: I’d lost her. The rain outside was relentless, mirroring the ache in my chest. It was my fault. All my fault. I’d pushed her away. I’m sorry. Next time, please, don’t let us meet
again.
(The End)
