He Saved Me, Then Destroyed Me

And just like that, she left.

She didn't even wait for me to throw the water in my hand.

So I threw it at Jeffrey instead, and slapped him across the face for good measure.

He pressed his lips together impatiently. "It was from that game of Truth or Dare last time. Laura lost and asked me to help her out."

"You know how she is—always causing a scene. She's your friend too. What's there to be upset about?"

Right. Before I met Jeffrey, I thought Laura would be my best friend for life.

We'd shared the same pair of jeans, sipped from the same cup of bubble tea with one straw, whispered our deepest secrets to each other in the quiet of the night.

But I eventually realized we had very different definitions of what we meant to each other.

She was bold and outgoing, surrounded by countless friends besides me.

I was quiet and reserved. Besides her, everyone else was just an acquaintance.

We were destined to drift apart.

Until Jeffrey came along.

During that time, the two of us grew closer than we'd ever been.

Until I became the third wheel among the three of us.

She made a scene; he laughed it off. And I spiraled until I nearly lost my mind.

Just like that day.

I didn't care anymore. I smashed everything in that private room, then collapsed in tears, demanding answers from him.

"Jeffrey, do you even have a conscience? I cut ties with my own parents to marry you!"

His voice was flat, but I'll never forget what he said.

"If you had a conscience, would you have cut ties with your parents?"

That sentence was like a knife straight through my heart. It sobered me up completely.

Thinking of this, I looked calmly at the woman's face.

"He's bought plenty of nightgowns like this. If you like them, take them all."

"I don't want them anymore anyway."

The moment I finished speaking, the man let out a cold laugh.

"Jill, one-tenth of the cooling-off period has already passed. I thought it might help you grow up a little."

"Turns out you've just switched to a new game—playing hard to get."

"All this drama, day after day. Aren't you exhausted?"

The divorce was my idea.

On our wedding anniversary, Laura showed up unannounced with all our friends to "celebrate together."

She called it sharing in our happiness.

So what was supposed to be a day for just the two of us turned into a party for everyone else.

In the middle of that party, Laura—emboldened by alcohol—confessed in front of everyone that she had fallen in love with a friend's husband.

Everyone exchanged knowing glances at Jeffrey.

He just smiled and said helplessly, "Stop messing around."

And I flipped the table.

After Jeffrey had smoothly sent everyone away, I screamed at him that I wanted a divorce.

He just looked at me coldly for a long time. Then he agreed.

I moved out of the Farley house. He didn't stop me. He only sneered, "Thirty days. That should be enough time for you to cool off."

My phone chimed—my rideshare was almost here.

"Whatever you say."

I kept my eyes on my phone, not wanting to argue with him.

His expression darkened, then darkened again. Finally, he spoke.

"Get in the car."

"It's our teacher's birthday banquet today. If she sees me show up without you, she'll read into it."

"No need. My ride is already here."

The car had pulled up beside us. I walked straight over, opened the door, and got in.

The moment I shut the door, Jeffrey's car shot past—so close it grazed the spot where I'd just been standing. The driver jolted in his seat and cursed out loud.

"Driving some fancy car like he owns the damn road."

"Miss, you okay?"

I shook my head calmly and said nothing. I just rolled down the window and let the breeze wash over my face.

It suddenly occurred to me—even back when he was too poor to afford an electric scooter, Jeffrey had always been like this.