Ten Years of Marriage, Ruined By Lies

I turned around, my heart sinking as I met Mark’s furious gaze. His face was dark with rage, his eyes burning with an intensity that made my skin crawl. He stormed toward me, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he was ready to snap.

"Get in the car, Jane," he growled through gritted teeth.

Before I could react, his hand clamped around my wrist and he dragged me to the car, shoving me inside with a force that made my body ache. My breath hitched as I struggled to free myself, but his grip was unrelenting. He slammed the car door shut, locking it as he rounded the car, his eyes never leaving me.

Once inside, he turned to me, his face red with anger, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His voice, when he spoke, was low but sharp, like a blade slicing through the thick silence between us.

"Who gave you permission to abort the baby, Jane?"

His question, filled with venom, cut through me. His voice dripped with outrage, as if he were the victim in all of this, as if he hadn’t betrayed me first. My stomach churned with a mix of anger and exhaustion.

"Who gave me permission?" I repeated, my voice trembling but defiant. "Who gave you permission to cheat on me? Who gave you the right to break our marriage and still expect me to carry your child?"

Mark’s face hardened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I’m your husband. I have every right to question you."

"Husband?" I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. "Is that what you call yourself? A husband? You've been parading around with that girl and you expect me to stay here and play the doting wife?"

His anger flared again, but before he could respond, my hand brushed against something in the car seat. I looked down and felt my stomach drop. There, hidden between the cracks of the leather, were a condom wrapper and a pair of false eyelashes. My hand shook as I picked them up, the weight of the betrayal crashing down on me like a tidal wave.

Mark noticed immediately, his face going pale for a split second before he scowled, his voice defensive. "Jane, it’s not what you think. I haven’t... I haven’t used that."

"Not what I think?" I asked, my voice rising as I held up the evidence. "How long, Mark? How long have you been lying to me? And don’t you dare say it’s nothing!"

He opened his mouth to respond, but the words seemed to die on his lips. His eyes flicked to the side, avoiding mine and I knew. I knew he had no defense. My body felt weak, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't do this anymore.

"Enough." I pushed open the car door, stepping out onto the sidewalk. "I’m done, Mark."

As I turned to walk away, I heard him slam his fists against the steering wheel, shouting something incoherent behind me. But I didn’t look back. Not this time.

I dragged my suitcase down the street, heading for the nearest hotel. The pain in my body from the procedure still lingered, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. When I reached the hotel counter, I handed over my card, only to have it handed back to me with a frown from the clerk.

"I’m sorry, ma’am, but it seems your card has been frozen."

Frozen. Of course. Mark’s way of trying to force me to come crawling back. I bit down on my lip to hold back the tears of frustration. I pulled out whatever cash I had left in my purse, but it wasn’t enough for even one night. I sighed and stepped back out into the night air, my mind racing with what to do next.

"Miss, excuse me," a voice called out, making me pause. I turned to see a young man with a camera slung over his shoulder. He looked nervous but earnest as he approached. "I... I know this is out of the blue, but would you mind participating in a quick street photography shoot? We’re doing a project and I can pay you for your time."

My initial reaction was to say no, but the truth was, I needed the money. I gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Sure."

As we wrapped up the shoot, the boy came over, beaming as he scrolled through the photos. "Wow, you have such a natural elegance. You could be a model, honestly. Has no one ever tried to recruit you?"

His innocent enthusiasm struck a chord in me and for a moment, I remembered who I used to be—before the years with Mark had worn me down. Before I had stopped believing in myself. I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say a word, I heard Mark’s furious voice behind me.

"Get away from her!"

I barely had time to react before Mark barreled into the boy, shoving him aside so hard he nearly fell. The camera hit the ground with a loud crack, the lens shattering into pieces.

"What the hell are you doing?!" I screamed, rushing forward, but Mark wasn’t listening. His fists were clenched, his entire body trembling with rage. The boy scrambled to his feet, glaring at Mark as he dusted himself off.

"Are you insane?" the boy shouted, pushing Mark back. "I didn’t do anything to her!"

Mark ignored him, his attention solely on me. His eyes burned with a mix of jealousy and something darker, something twisted. He grabbed me roughly, his hand gripping my arm so hard it hurt.

"Is this what you’re doing now?" he hissed, his face inches from mine. "You leave me and within days, you’re running around with some boy who looks barely out of school? Is this who you are, Jane?"

"Let go of me!" I struggled to free myself, but his grip only tightened. "He’s just a photographer! You don’t get to accuse me of anything after what you’ve done!"

He sneered, his eyes flicking to the boy, then back to me. "I’ve done? You think what I did compares to this? To you parading around with someone else?"

Before I could respond, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed in the street and for a moment, everything was still. Mark’s face snapped to the side, his cheek red and swelling. He turned back to me slowly, disbelief in his eyes.

"Don’t you dare," I said, my voice trembling with anger, "don’t you dare accuse me of the things you’ve done. He was doing his job, nothing more. But you—" I pointed at him, my finger shaking. "You’re the one who broke this. You’re the one who destroyed everything we had."

Mark’s eyes darkened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He threw it at the boy, the bills scattering across the sidewalk. "Here. Take this and get lost. And don’t ever come near her again."

The boy stood frozen, his fists clenched, but I stepped between them before things could escalate further.

"Enough, Mark!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "I’m done with this. I’m done with you. Just leave!"

Mark’s face contorted with rage, his hands shaking as he threw his glass onto the pavement, shattering it at my feet. "Fine! Don’t ever come back, Jane! Don’t you dare come crawling back to me!"

With that, he turned and stormed away, disappearing into the night without a backward glance. I stood there, staring after him, my whole body trembling with the weight of everything that had just happened. My ankle throbbed where the glass had hit it, but the pain felt distant compared to the hollow ache in my chest.

The boy bent down to pick up his broken camera, still glaring in the direction Mark had gone. "Are you okay? That guy’s out of his mind."

I nodded weakly, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. "I’m sorry about your camera. I’ll find a way to pay you back."

He shook his head, his anger softening as he looked at me. "Forget it. I can get another one. You, though... you should get out of whatever mess that guy’s pulled you into. No one deserves to be treated like that."

I smiled faintly, though the bitterness in my heart threatened to overwhelm me. "I know," I whispered. "And I will."

As I turned to leave, the weight of my decision settled in. It was time to rebuild my life, time to find the person I had lost in the years with Mark. It was time to chase my own dreams again.