ManyWriters

I had been in a secret relationship with my childhood sweetheart, Garrison, for three years.
I had always been looking forward to the day he would propose.
But after waiting for three years, what I got instead was a blank check from him. He said, "Delia's back. I can't let her know about your existence. As long as you're willing to leave the country, you can fill in this check for any amount you want."
Only then did I realize that I had always been a stand-in for his true love, Delia.
Heartbroken and devastated, I refused to accept his attempt to pay me off and turned to leave.
The next day when I opened my eyes, I found myself in a foreign country.
Three years later, when his life with his true love had become a mess, he remembered me and sent someone to bring me back.
But when he saw the wedding ring on my ring finger, he cried his eyes out like a madman.

Half Storm, Half Scar

Garrison's gaze was filled with despair and dread as he looked at me, his voice becoming hoarse.


He reached out to touch me, but abruptly withdrew his hand just before making contact.


I struggled to swallow the pain welling up inside me, tears falling from the corners of my eyes as I softly said, "Garrison, before I met my husband, every day I spent abroad was pure agony."


"My ears were damaged when those people beat me after I was caught trying to escape. My left ear is completely useless now, and I can barely hear anything with my right."


"The scars on my body are from when they took out their anger on me by whipping me."


"I also have severe stomach problems from being forced to eat rotten food every day."


Whether or not he was listening, I recounted everything that had happened back then.


Garrison's entire body trembled, tears falling uncontrollably from his eyes and landing on my shoulder, feeling hot against my skin.


"Please stop, I'm begging you to stop..."


Chapter 7