4

I sat on a bench just outside my apartment staring blankly at nothing.

Drifting over the streets but found nothing to hold onto. Nothing was left of me anymore, no place to lay my head, no food, and worst part no money.

A breeze playing with my hair strands, scattering it all over my face but I don't care. it didn't matter anymore.

When I had seen those frantic texts earlier, my heart raced in my chest in a million marathon.

I blinked seeing the figure being withdrawn from my bank account. I opened the bank app hoping it was all a lie, but the numbers remain stubbornly low.

Pete and I, life savings were all gone with nothing remaining.

A cold sweat broke on my forehead, my hands trembled, unable to hold the phone steady.

I knew that when he suggested eagerly to open a joint account for the both of us claiming it was for our future, there was more to it.

But I was so blinded with the delusion of being in love. A very stupid choice to make that I regret so dearly now.

When the staff at the bank told me he had withdrawn everything I tried his number severally but all my attempts went straight to voicemail.

Every damn penny was poofed off from the account. Where would I go now?

I had always learned to survive without caring about that and got too comfortable with Pete being my only family and love.

I felt I didn't need anyone other than Pete, he was everything I had ever wished for.He was a father, mother, sibling and a friend I never had

When I was sick , he was there, on stormy nights, he was there, winter, summer all part of my life. Whether it was a bad day or good day at work, he was always there to cheer me up.

Tears wells up in my eyes, falling slowly on my chick till I can't hold it anymore.

All those memories about the time we had spent together just keeps flooding back.

“Why, why Pete?” I covered my face with my arms sobbing uncontrollably. “ How could you do this to me, after everything we have been through, why did you choose that wrench over me”

The only crime I had committed was just loving him with my whole heart. I didn't deserve any of this. None at all.

After endless crying and regrets I finally managed to pull myself together stumbling into my hotel room.

I closed the door tiredly behind me and collapsed against the back of the door.

There was nothing left with me except the little I had in my private account and my luggage.

Tears blurred my vision, spilling on my trembling hands as I clutched my knees to my chest, curling into myself as if I could make the pains stop if maybe I made myself small enough.

I cried till I was exhausted

My puffy red swollen eyes were visible now. Lazily I stood up and went to the small comfy bed, curling myself to sleep..

*******

I knew I couldn't continue like this, waking up, eating, crying and drifting back to sleep.

The same thing over and over again, not leaving the confinement of my room but I couldn't help myself.

I stared at herself in the hotel bathroom mirror. My hair was already messy and unkempt.

I smelled like old used socks that hadn't been washed for a very long time. Under my eyes were dark circles created from the endless crying.

I couldn't continue to hurt myself with the constant memory of Pete and the sweet memories we had created together.

“ Mph” A scoff sound escaped my lips following a sarcastic chuckle. How lovely.

These days I had occupied myself with the videos we had made together but now I am ready to move on. I guess.

But I wouldn't let him off like that. I had to report the matter to the police, they had to inflict the same pain he had inflicted on me these few days.

I got out of the bathroom after showering, put on blue jeans and a top and headed straight to the police station.

I refuse to be the victim anymore.

A look of disappointment enveloped my face when I heard what the police woman in front of me said.

“ But ma, there must be something you could do,” I said with so much hope in my voice.

“ I'm sorry miss, there's no much thing we can do right now since the evidence you've brought is not enough”

“ What other evidence could you possibly need, he left me on our wedding day, sold my house without my consent, here” I stretched out the papers forward “ there's proof, and here are the bank statements, what other proof do you need”

“ I am sorry but the person in question is your fiance, it's stated that the house belonged to him and the both of you opened a joint bank account. Unless you have a better evidence to claim he is guilty there's only little these can do”

She was right. I bought the house but I had put it in Pete's name.

The day he brought up the matter and I had refused, he created a tantrum about it.

" You don't trust me" Pete's voice echoed in my mind, sharp and cold. " If you truly love me, you wouldn't hesitate"

For days he ignored me. I remembered how the smile from his face varnished.

Pete always does that, claiming I didn't love him when I didn't do what he wanted. He would go mute on me for days and change all of a sudden to a cold stranger.

He wouldn't speak, didn't touch me until out of desperation I finally accepted, he would return back to his sweet side.

Come to think of it, he didn't really love me, he just used me and left me to suffer, taking everything I had little by little.

Tears streamed down her cheeks feeling so helpless and rejected. I stared deep at the busy road waiting for a miracle that clearly wouldn't happen.

I had been a fool all this year, a puppet or tool in his hands. Allowing him to use me as he liked.

But not anymore, wiping my tears I hailed a cab to stop and headed for my hotel apartment to drown myself with regrets again.

I entered the cab “ third avenue” I called for the cab driver resting my back on the car seat.

I was about drifting to sleep when my phone chimed with a message.

“ We need to meet”