Mistakenly Devoted to Fleeting Years, Memories Hard to Let Go

I stumbled upon old chat messages on our wedding anniversary between my husband and his childhood sweetheart.

The words on the screen hit me like a blow to the chest.

[I’ve never seen someone so easy to fool.]

[All I did was give her a hand when being bullied and she clung to me like a puppy.]

[She’s an orphan, you know, desperate for love.]

[How could I ever fall in love with her? It’s just a game. Once I’m bored, I’ll end it.]

I once believed he was the light pulling me from the depths of the abyss, but in the end, he was the one who shoved me headfirst into hell.

He had no idea that while he generously lavished resources on his childhood sweetheart, propelling her toward success, I used every last bit of my savings to secure a burial plot for myself.

After I was gone, he completely lost his grip on reality.

***

“Miss Taylor, the burial plot you reserved earlier—the contract is ready. Whose name would you like to put as the primary holder?”

Millie Taylor paused, her voice steady as she responded, “Mine.”

The voice on the other end hesitated, clearly taken aback, but quickly regained composure. “Alright, Miss Taylor. When would you like to come in and complete the formalities?”

“Two weeks,” she replied calmly. “I need time to settle everything here first.”

After hanging up, Millie took a deep breath, her fingers swiping through her phone to book a flight to New Zealand two weeks later.

The television hummed in the background, still broadcasting Elliot Hemsworth’s interview. As the show neared its end, the host brought up the burning question everyone had been dying to ask.

“Recently, Mr. Hemsworth’s grand gesture of filling the city sky with fireworks for Mrs. Hemsworth went viral online. Viewers are captivated by the love story between you and Mrs. Hemsworth. You’ve been together since school days, enduring a long romance that led to marriage. Could you share your story with us today?”

Elliot smiled faintly, his almond-shaped eyes glowing with an emotion so deep it almost seemed to reach out of the screen. His gaze locked with the camera, intense and profound, as if he were speaking directly to Millie on the other side.

“We’ve been together for ten years, weathering every storm. She’s the one who has stood by me through it all. I love her with all my heart.”

Cheers erupted from the audience as soon as the words left his mouth.

Millie averted her eyes, her lips curling into a bitter, knowing smirk.

The fireworks across the city, the hand-in-hand walks.

It was all a lie.

A lie to keep another woman happy.

Three months ago, Millie had already uncovered Elliot’s secret affair. The woman in question was none other than Hilary Pascal, the rising star of the film industry, the new queen of cinema. Hilary was also the same Haley who had once made Millie’s life a living hell.

Millie would never forget Haley’s face.

The memories came flooding back, unstoppable. How Haley had led the others to isolate her, how she had falsely accused her of theft and tormented her with cruelty.

They had thrown basketballs at her head, smeared glue on her chair, stuffed dead rats into her desk and tossed her backpack into the trash.

The stench of that unknown liquid pouring over her head, the biting cold of winter nights, came rushing back like a relentless nightmare.

Millie suddenly clutched her abdomen, taking a deep breath to steady herself, trying to suppress the surge of nausea that twisted inside her.

But her body betrayed her, trembling uncontrollably.

Before she could gather herself, she felt a warm, familiar embrace from behind, a breath too hot against her ear.

“What’s wrong, Millie? Are you feeling unwell?”

The sickly sweet scent of perfume overwhelmed her senses. Millie subtly slipped from Elliot’s hold, shaking her head as she distanced herself.

Elliot leaned forward, his lips curving into a smile. “Are you upset?”

She turned her head away, offering nothing in return.

Elliot seemed unfazed. He reached into a gift box, pulling out a delicate, expensive necklace, his attempt at appeasement. “I didn’t forget. It was just a late business dinner. Don’t be mad, alright?”

He placed the necklace in her hands, his voice soft but carrying an unmistakable edge of insincerity.

“Happy birthday, my dear wife.”