Maybe Love is An Unexpected Injury

After ten years of relentless devotion, I, a child brought into the Laird family to be groomed as a future son-in-law, finally married their daughter, Tina Laird.

But after we got our marriage certificate, she canceled our wedding ceremony and even brought her male assistant along on our honeymoon trip.

We argued, and she brushed me off, saying I was being jealous and unreasonable.

And when a riot broke out, she left with her assistant, abandoning me in a foreign country in chaos.

Stranded, I endured a month of torment and horror in that hellish place.

I came to see the truth about myself – and about Tina.

Even when she later tried to apologize with everything she had, I knew there was no going back.

——

On the day I returned home, my family’s spokesperson, Vincent Frost, immediately organized a press conference to present my ordeal to the world.

The camera zoomed in on every injury, every bruise that marked my body.

He lifted my ragged shirt to reveal the scars crisscrossing my legs.

“Mr. Hayes has been through a harrowing experience, one that we deeply regret. Let this be a reminder to everyone: Safety should always be the priority when traveling abroad.

“Don’t put yourself and others at risk by seeking out dangerous places, creating unnecessary burdens for our rescue teams.

“Today, on behalf of Laird Corporation, I’m announcing a 50 million donation to the affected area, and I hope the public will not blame Mr. Hayes further.”

After the impassioned speech, Vincent and Tina, who looked every bit the stunning power couple, led me to take a photo together.

I, still battered and bruised, hid in the shadows behind them, appearing no better than a ragged dog.

The cameras flashed, and it all came rushing back – flashes of explosions and chaos.

I reflexively crouched down, hands clutching my head, as tremors coursed through me.

Tina stepped in front of Vincent protectively, casting me a look of disdain.

“What kind of stunt are you trying to pull now?” She wrinkled her nose, as if repelled by the stench coming from me, and dismissed the reporters with a wave.

“James, don’t be ungrateful,” she hissed.

“This mess is of your own making. You insisted on going to dangerous places for the thrill of it, so you missed your chance at rescue.

“Vincent almost got killed in an explosion trying to find you. When you got trapped, he coordinated with the embassy nonstop to get you out.

“And now he’s doing everything he can to clean up the negative attention your mess has caused for Laird Corporation. You should be grateful.”

I clutched my head, staring blankly at the bloodstains dotting the floor, feeling nothing inside.

They’d left me to die, and yet they twisted everything, blaming me entirely.

Their scheme was flawless: shifting the narrative, casting me as the one at fault.

And maybe, in a way, Tina was right.

Loving her was my own damn fault.

So, from now on, I would never entangle myself with her again.

My silence only fueled Tina’s anger.

She shoved my shoulder roughly, as if we were kids again.

“Enough. The reporters are gone, so cut the act. Everyone knows how arrogant and difficult you can be, James.”

Once, I had been arrogant, unrestrained, headstrong.

But this last month had stripped all that from me.

The man who had loved Tina Laird no longer existed.

He had died in the war-torn streets of a foreign country, betrayed by the woman he loved.

The person who returned home was nothing more than a hollow shell, drained and numb.

A staff member, unable to watch any longer, handed me a blanket.

I flinched instinctively but quickly ducked my head and climbed into the car.

Vincent slid seamlessly into what had once been my seat up front, and all traces of me – my basketball pillow, the couple keychain – had been erased, as if I’d never been there at all.

Vincent turned around and, with a smirk, tore open a bag of chips.

The Tina I’d once known, who wouldn’t allow a single crumb in the car, now barely batted an eye.

The smell of the chips reached me, and my stomach growled.

Starvation clawed at me, and I found myself swallowing hard.

“Learned to put on a pity show, have we?” Tina sneered. “I bet that jealous streak of yours is impossible to fix.”

She tossed the bag of half-eaten chips in my face.

Crumbs showered me, but it was nothing compared to what I’d already endured.

I didn’t care. I knelt on the car floor, frantically grabbing the scattered chips and shoving them into my mouth.

Vincent covered his mouth in mock surprise.

“Ew, are you serious? Gross,” he sneered.

Tina pulled the car over, glancing back at me.

“James, Vincent bought you real food. If you keep up this pathetic act, get out! You’re making us all sick.

I looked up at Tina, still clutching the handful of chips.

They couldn’t understand. When you’re starving, you’ll get on your knees for a moldy piece of bread, you’ll take beatings just for a clean sip of water.

When it’s life or death, love doesn’t matter anymore.

Ten years of love couldn’t compare to this handful of chips.