From Grave to Glory

It had been a decade since we were married. I led a group of men to excavate Jackie's first love's grave. Everyone around us praised him for being a loyal man. He never forgot his first love though she'd already died ten years ago.

He'd go to the cemetery and celebrate her birthday all by himself every year. Yvonne's name was always at the top of his contact list. I was not angry at all. Instead, I was glad I married someone so loyal.

But then, another deathday came.

I saw a photo of him kissing the supposedly dead Yvonne in Lutecia when I went through his phone.

I went to the cemetery, my phone in hand showing the photo.

I was shivering as I demanded answers.

He snatched the phone away and looked at me icily. "Are you mad, Wisteria? She's already long dead, and you're trying to sully her name with this?"

I looked at the photo on the headstone. She looked a bit like me, and I laughed until tears streamed down my cheeks. "Yeah, she's dead. So, tell me, how'd a dead woman spend 150 grand on the card my dad gave you?"

Jackie grabbed my wrist. Impatiently, he scolded, "What is wrong with you? Why are you digging up Yvonne's grave? Are you out of your mind?"

His grip was so strong, I thought my bones were cracking, but that pain was nothing compared to what my heart was going through.

He used to lose sleep just because he raised his voice at me. Now, he was scolding me for another woman.

I flung his arm away and jabbed a finger at Yvonne's photo.

My voice was shaking so much, it was breaking. "Tell me, how'd she come back to life and go on a vacation in Lutecia with you?"

That surprised Jackie. A hint of panic flickered in his eyes, but then he shoved me off like a bristling cat.

I slammed into the headstone, and the pain made me gasp sharply. He pointed a finger in my face and growled, "You stalked me, Wisteria? I thought you were just childish, but you're worse than that! You checked my schedule behind my back?"

I held the headstone as I struggled to get back up. Jackie was twisting the story, and all I felt was bitter sadness. Before this, I couldn't stop telling my friends how loyal he was for keeping his dead first love in mind for so long.

Yvonne's pictures were everywhere in his study.

He said he could not bring himself to throw them away, so I cleaned the frames whenever I could. I thought, 'A man this loyal won't betray me.'

During Yvonne's deathday, I gave him time to remember her. Now it felt ironic. His loyalty was a sham. I was the clown in his circus show.

He did not go to the cemetery.

He was in Lutecia, going through luxury stores with Yvonne.

"I don't need to stalk you to find that out!" I sneered and shoved the phone in his face.

The photo showed him with an arm around Yvonne's back as they shared a deep, loving kiss. They were so in love, it was an eyesore to me.

The moment he saw the photo, all the color drained from his face. Then, he snatched the phone out of my hand and smashed it against the ground.

"You're evil! She's already long dead, and you faked a photo just to make me forget all about her? You're this insecure even when Yvonne is already dead?" He grabbed my wrist with an iron grip.

"She lives on in my memory, and so what? You can't even tolerate this one little detail? We've been married for a decade! I can't believe you would stoop so low! How could you?"

The sliver of panic in his eyes was replaced by fury. All of a sudden, my whole marriage felt like a joke. My tears could not stop coming anymore. "We're getting a divorce, Jackie."

He froze for a moment, then he shoved me into the car. My forehead crashed into the door's frame, and the pain nearly took me out.

"The pressure's killing you. You've gone mad! This is your mind playing tricks on you! I'll call the hospital! You need medical attention! You'll see how ridiculous you've been once you feel better!"

There was not a shred of warmth on his face. That killed what was left of my hope. I'd given him all my love for ten long years, and it was a lie. It was an act he kept up for so long.

Now, I would make him pay for everything he did and then some, bit by bit.