Chapter 2
The elevator in my old apartment building was broken again.
I climbed the stairs to the ninth floor in silence.
Soaked to the bone, I collapsed onto the couch.
Suddenly, a massive bolt of lightning split the sky.
It lit up my face, pale as a ghost.
Memories from years ago came crashing back, drowning me all over again.
When I was sixteen, my mom just walked out on me and never came back.
My dad always said she ran off with some other guy.
He took out all his anger on me.
He worked for the power company, and he always kept wires and electrical tools in his bag.
Whenever I didn't get a perfect score, he'd take out his tools and punish me.
Because electric shocks don't leave any visible scars.
It wasn't until Charles, who lived next door, caught on to what was happening and secretly filmed it as evidence.
My dad was sentenced to fifteen years in prison and still hadn't been released.
Ever since then, I've had this deep-rooted fear of lightning.
Whenever there was a thunderstorm, Charles would drop everything and come running back to me, no matter where he was.
But not today.
I managed a bitter smile, smiling at myself for being so naive.
I mistook a fleeting presence for everlasting love.
Another thunder crashed overhead.
The power went out.
Everything plunged into darkness.
I grabbed my head and screamed.
Suddenly, I heard something at the door.
I fell into a warm embrace.
Charles said, "Baby, I'm sorry I was late. I went out to get you some cold medicine."
His eyes, those soft, charming eyes, brimmed with worry and tenderness.
He held me so tight, like nothing could ever tear us apart.
I didn't know how long it was before the storm finally passed.
I pushed him away, suddenly and without thinking. "What are you doing back here?"
He just gave me a gentle smile.
Like nothing had ever happened.
Charles said, "You're talking nonsense again.
"This is my home. Where else would I go?"
I forced myself to steady my nerves, stubbornly demanding, "When did things start between you and her?"
Charles said, "About half a year ago, we had a fight. I went out drinking and ended up mistaking Violet for you.
"The next morning, she refused the money I offered and instead asked me out."
Charles said it all so casually, like he was just telling someone else's story.
I could never forget it.
That was the first time we gave each other the silent treatment.
I hadn't even finished crying.
And you were already falling for someone else, pretending you were away on business for a whole month.
During the darkest days of my life, you were busy falling head over heels for her.
Thinking about that car ride today, my voice shook as I asked, "Charles, do you really love her that much?
"You love her so much you'd even go into debt just to buy her things and make her happy?"
I knew exactly how much he made; there was just no way anyone could save up much living in Harbor City.
He gave me a long, meaningful look.
He said, "Sorry, I've just been so busy with work that I kept forgetting to tell you.
"I got promoted. I'm now the Executive President for the AP region."
My husband of many years didn't just forget to tell me.
He simply chose not to say anything.
He only let me share his hardships, never his happiness.
Back when we were dirt poor, he was the boy who shared a plate of one-dollar spaghetti with me.
With tears in his eyes, he promised he'd make it big someday.
But after he finally made it big, the very first thing he did was abandon the woman who suffered through everything with him.
All those promises? Just lies.
But the luxury car and mansion Violet drives, those were real.
I stared at the wedding photo on the table, my throat closing up.
"Charles, let's get a divorce," I said.
He just scoffed at me. "Rachel, don't say stuff just because you're angry.
"All these years, you couldn't even be around any other guy.
"Whenever a guy gets near you, you get nauseous, like you want to throw up."
He looked down at me, that confident look in his eyes, like he was absolutely certain I'd never have the guts to walk away from him.
But the truth was, the Charles I couldn't let go of was the sixteen-year-old boy from my memories, not that cold, thirty-two-year-old stranger standing in front of me.
He reached out and patted me softly on the back.
He said, "Alright, alright, so I just cheated once in our marriage.
"If you hadn't started that argument with me, none of this would have happened."
His tone made it sound like everything was my fault.
He added, "You've become so difficult these years. Maybe you should take a good look at yourself.
"And you should learn how to be sweet to me like Violet does."
His words left me frozen for a while.
He used to say I was the cutest thing in the world when we first started dating.
Now he said I was moody and impossible to deal with.
But I never changed. Not once.
What exactly changed between us?
Suddenly, Charles's phone started blaring some loud anime theme song.
That was totally Violet's style.
Charles said, "That's it. Tomorrow's her birthday. I'll break up with her after that."
He cut our conversation short and headed out to the balcony to take the call.
I could hear Violet asking him to sing her a love song.
A little later, she wanted him to tell her a story.
Those were the things he used to do for me on stormy nights, just to help me get through the thunder.
He indulged her every request, always gentle and never once losing his temper.
Every time he called her "baby," it hit me like a slap, so loud and clear.
I couldn't stop the disgust rising inside me.
It turned out, all those "I love you" he used to say were just empty words.
Was it really that hard to love just one person?
But I turned down so many guys who had way more to offer than him.
For ten years, my heart belonged only to him.