I crossed hastily through the house's wide playground.I tried to walk as fast as I could, but it was challenging as my feet sank deep into the snow.Running wasn't feasible in such awful ground conditions.My vision was blurry from bitter tears, and I felt an overwhelming urge to vomit and scream, but I refrained, especially the latter, not wanting Jack or any of the kids to see me that way.I slipped away into the vast forest, walking aimlessly, just wanting to be far from people for a while. I didn't want to talk or listen to anyone, especially Jack.I just needed to wallow somewhere with no exit or at least calm down, whichever came first, as I no longer cared about what happened to me.Unintentionally, I found myself at the place where I used to hide when I felt the same unpleasant sensation deep in my soul. One so vile and repulsive that it made me not even want to keep living.At times, I fervently wished to be dead so that at least everything would stop.The bare branch-like t

We had to wait a short while at the bus stop across the highway.Thankfully, my backpack felt light, carrying only the dirty clothes from the previous day. Otherwise, I would have grown weary standing there under the darkening sky.Throughout the entire journey back home, I fell into a deep sleep on Jack's comfortable shoulder. Despite having secured the window seat this time, I didn't get a chance to glimpse the scenery due to my exhaustion.I felt his fingers gently caressing the back of my hand in colorful, vibrant dreams that felt almost too real to believe. Before me was a different world, where I lived carefree with Jack, our children, my mother, and the kids from the foster home.I wasn't entirely sure why the setting was a beach I'd never visited since I'd never ventured beyond Ellijay. All I could distinguish was that we were running around in the warm sand, laughing and tumbling to the ground amid laughter.It was unquestionably a good dream, the best I'd had in years, and I

Despite telling him that everything would be fine, even after comforting him for a long while, Jack continued to maintain a distant attitude toward me.I had tried to smile a bit and engage in trivial conversation while we had breakfast, but it had been in vain. I could easily tell that something truly serious was bothering him.Some issue unknown to me tormented him, enough to make him lose the joy that characterized him. However, I chose not to ask about it, convinced that he would tell me on his own when he was ready.He left after brushing his teeth, leaving me entirely alone in that place but with a little money he had given me to buy whatever I fancied, which was almost negligible at that moment.So, I occupied myself by keeping my mind busy washing our clothes, organizing every corner of the place, cleaning the accumulated dust, but by the time everything sparkled perfectly, it was well past noon.I quickly showered in that spectacular bathroom, dressed in the first clothes I f

To my surprise, we managed to sleep deeply in that huge bed, wrapped up under the warm covers.My dreams were confusing, wandering through incomprehensible lights and colors, accompanied by the same words in a whisper that repeated over and over, causing me a bit of discomfort.To my bitter surprise, upon waking up, I remembered absolutely nothing of what I had heard, let alone what little I had glimpsed.The radiant sun had mischievously slipped through the room's windows, compelling me to abruptly open my eyes. I scanned the room, hoping to find Jack by my side, but he was nowhere to be seen.I got up, puzzled, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hands, and lazily yawned as I made my way to the kitchen, where I found the handsome guy dressed in a suit, sitting at the dining table reading the newspaper.He was enjoying breakfast, completely oblivious to my presence.Standing in the middle of the room in total silence, I watched as he sipped a cup of coffee and took a bite of his toas

"I have something important to announce!" he exclaimed, grabbing the champagne glass from his mother's side, leaving her flabbergasted as he lifted it up in the air, sporting a mocking smile. Unfortunately, I couldn't help but chuckle quietly at his playful antics."What is it, dear?" Victoria asked, clinking her glass with his, eagerly anticipating the news.Jack winked at me, signaling that he was ready for whatever would come out of his mouth, while his mother resigned herself completely, letting her surgically altered face rest on her hand, expressionless at Jack's actions, perhaps because she was starting to suspect his plans."Vico..." he murmured, earning a delighted gaze from his fiancée. Kind and as charming as ever, he took one of her hands and caressed it so tenderly that I felt a pang of jealousy seeing them."I'm not going to marry you, Vico," he said. "I don't love you. I'm in love with Lucy, and no matter what you do, my feelings for her won't change. So, I prefer we ca