7

Jayson:

“What have you done to yourself?” I whispered again, my voice barely audible in the quiet room.

My heart was breaking as I stared at Betty lying motionless on the hospital bed. Her face was pale, her lips almost colorless, and the sight of her in that condition made something twist painfully inside my chest.

Knowing that I was responsible for it only made it worse.

If I had not fallen in love with Jewel, maybe Betty would still be fine. If I had not chosen to spend my birthday celebrating with Jewel instead of staying at the office, maybe Betty would have waited for me to come home before making the decision to ask for a divorce. Maybe she wouldn't have left that night. Maybe none of this would have happened.

What was I supposed to tell her father?

How was I supposed to look Marcus in the eyes and explain what had happened to his daughter?

On our wedding day, Marcus had pulled me aside and spoken to me privately. I could still remember the seriousness in his eyes when he held my shoulder and said;

“If you've ever found a reason to hurt her, please bring my daughter back home.”

I hadn't understood the weight of those words at the time.

I thought I had everything under control.

I had convinced myself that if I simply made Betty understand that I didn't love her, she would eventually give up on the marriage and return to her father's house.

The contract between our families would remain intact, and everyone would move on with their lives.

That was what I had told myself.

But instead of ending things quietly, I hurt and humiliated her.

And now she was lying unconscious in a hospital bed because of it.

The door suddenly opened, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I turned around and saw Marcus walk in with his wife, Eleanor. She was Betty's stepmother, but that distinction had never mattered to her. She loves Betty like her own daughter from the moment she became part of their family.

Marcus had an envelope clutched tightly in one hand. His face was etched with worry and anger, and the moment his eyes landed on me, I saw the accusation burning in them.

I instinctively stood up and took a step backward.

Eleanor didn't even look at me.

She rushed straight to the bedside and reached for Betty's hand, tears immediately filling her eyes as she gently stroked her daughter's hair.

“My baby...” she whispered, her voice breaking.

She leaned down and kissed Betty's forehead before turning toward me. The pain in her eyes quickly turned into anger.

“What did you do to her?” she asked, sounded broken.

I swallowed hard.

Before I could answer, Marcus threw the envelope at me.

It hit my chest and fell to the floor.

“I warned you,” he said, his voice shaking with rage. “I warned you never to hurt my daughter. How dare you?”

I didn't bother picking up the envelope. My hands were trembling at my sides as I stared at him.

“You both signed divorce papers without informing us, and you couldn't even stop her from leaving?” Marcus continued. “I trusted you to take care of my daughter. I gave her to you, and this is what you did!”

“Marcus...please let me talk to him.” Eleanor sobbed.

She faced me.

“You could have just told her you didn't love her anymore!” Eleanor cried, turning toward me. “You could have told her the truth instead of allowing things to get this far.”

I closed my eyes for a moment.

This is exactly what I feared and it came true.

How was I supposed to tell them that I never loved their daughter?

How could I explain that the pregnancy had been a mistake? That the affection they had seen between Betty and me was nothing more than an act we had perfected for the sake of our families?

Every memory of Betty smiling beside me suddenly felt different.

Every time she held my hand in front of our parents.

Every photograph we took together.

Every time she pretended everything was fine.

She has playing her part while I was playing mine too

“My daughter is lying there because of you!” Marcus shouted. “Why couldn't you tell me you never wanted her anymore?”

“She asked for a divorce herself,” I snapped before I could stop myself.

The moment the words left my mouth, Marcus raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

He crossed the distance between us in seconds and grabbed the front of my shirt, pulling me toward him.

“Why wouldn't she ask for a divorce when you were busy cheating on her with your so-called best friend?”

My eyes widened.

For a moment, I couldn't speak.

How did he know?

“You think I wouldn't find out?” Marcus snarled. “You cheated on my daughter.”

The door opened before I could respond.

Thalia, my mother, entered with George, my stepdad, and the moment they saw Marcus holding my collar, George's expression changed.

“Marcus,” he warned.

Marcus shoved me away roughly.

“Mr. Harrington, let's talk outside,” Thalia said calmly, though concern was evident in her voice. “The doctor said Betty needs as much rest as possible.”

Marcus looked back at the bed.

His anger didn't disappear, but the sight of his daughter seemed to remind him where he was.

Eleanor was still crying.

Marcus walked over to her and gently wrapped an arm around her waist.

“Come on,” he whispered. “Don't worry, she'll be fine.”

Eleanor nodded, though the tears continued falling.

My mother came toward me and wrapped her arms around me, but I barely reacted. I couldn't understand why everyone was acting as though I committed some unforgivable crime.

Yes, I regretted letting Betty leave alone that night.

Yes, I blamed myself for what had happened to her.

But she asked for the divorce.

She chose to leave.

I didn't force her out of the house.

We have always known what this marriage was. It was a contract between two families, nothing more. I told Betty from the beginning that my heart belonged to someone else and that it was Jewel.

Betty knew.

She chose to stay anyway.

So why was everyone acting as though I deliberately destroyed her life?

We eventually walked out of the room.

Before leaving, I glanced back at Betty one last time.

She looked so small beneath the white hospital sheets.

For a brief second, guilt tightened around my chest again.

Then I looked away and pulled the door shut behind me.

The moment we stepped into the hallway, Marcus turned toward George.

“I want to get something straight, George.”

“Man, calm down,” George sighed.

Marcus's eyes narrowed. “Don't tell me to calm down.”

George was Marcus's best friend, but he was also the reason I was standing in this mess. He had been the one who convinced my mother that marrying Betty was the right thing to do. He helped create this entire situation, and yet everyone seemed determined to make me the only villain.

I used to look up to George like a father.

Now I couldn't even understand why he had chosen to push me into a marriage with someone I didn't love for the sake of our families.

“What do you mean by that?” Marcus demanded. “My daughter is lying in that hospital room because of your son!”

“I understand you're angry,” George replied, keeping his voice controlled. “But right now, Betty needs us to be there for her. This isn't the time to start pointing fingers.”

“My husband is right,” Thalia added. “No one is to blame for what happened.”

Marcus stared at her in disbelief. “No one is to blame?”

He released Eleanor's waist and stepped toward Thalia.

George immediately moved in front of his wife.

“Marcus, calm down.”

“No!” Marcus shouted. “My daughter is fighting for her life, and you're telling me nobody is responsible?”

“I'm not saying—”

“Your son was with another woman on his birthday,” Marcus interrupted. “He was celebrating with Jewel while my daughter was sitting at home. She found out, and she asked for a divorce!”

George's eyes shifted toward me. “Is that true?”

“Yes,” I answered.

I wasn't going to lie.

“I made it clear from the beginning that I love Jewel. Betty knew that. She knew exactly what she was getting into when she agreed to stay in this marriage.”

Eleanor covered her mouth as fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

I continued, my voice firm. “She chose to stay. Whatever is happening to her now isn't something I asked for. Our relationship was never real beyond the contract and besides that contract is fucking over.”

Marcus stared at me as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

“Yes,” my mother said coldly. “Betty knew about Jewel. She chose to stay, and whatever is happening to her now, she has to take responsibility for her own decisions.”

George slowly turned toward his wife. “Thalia, listen to yourself.”

“What?” she asked.

“I can't believe you're saying this.”

Marcus clenched his fists. “You're all talking as though my daughter doesn't matter.”

Nobody answered.

Marcus's gaze eventually settled on me.

“Do you even realize she's pregnant?” He stepped closer. “Explain that to me. Explain how your dick ended up inside my daughter. Did she force herself on you?”

“Marcus…”

“Or did you force yourself on her?”

“It was a mistake,” I said quickly. “I was drunk that night and that was all it was.”

The words had barely left my mouth when Eleanor stepped toward me.

Her palm struck my cheek with enough force to turn my head sideways.