She cradled the twin girls like prized trophies, her eyes gleaming with smugness as she looked down at me. That woman always had a sharp tongue that could turn black into white.
They'd warned me back in the village: 'Once a man has money, he changes. Go to the city while you can, they'd say. Stick by Jasper's side, don't let another woman enjoy the shade of the tree you planted.'
However, my mother-in-law, Joanne Coleman, had been paralyzed for eight years, and she desired the peace and quiet of the mountains.
And what about me? I was convinced that childhood sweethearts could last, that love could survive any storm. I genuinely thought Jasper would remain faithful.
Not in a million years did I think he'd cheat—let alone with Bianca King, the girl who grew up in the same village as us.
After high school, she had run off to the city and started selling herself.
Before that, she and I were inseparable, best friends who shared everything. I still remember her trying to talk me into her 'plan.'
"What's the point of girls going to college? Ultimately, you'll get a job making three to five grand a month. We're pretty—why not use our looks while we're young? In just a few years, we could earn millions. Then, when we've had our fill, we marry some honest guy. Isn't that perfect?"
Bianca's words reached Jasper's ears that day.
I remembered how furious he had been, his face red, veins bulging as he cursed her.
"You're nothing but a parasite, a maggot crawling in the sewers. Twisted values like yours are disgusting. I don't want Katie being friends with someone like you ever again!"
Who would've thought that same righteous, sun-kissed boy would one day fall for her?
It was all a complete joke—one that not only humiliated him, but me too.
When did I first realize the two of them were together?
When Bianca was two months pregnant.
I could stay there calmly today because over the past eleven months, I had turned every drop of rage into cold, hard reason.
It's still fresh in my mind the day I went into town to see Jasper.
As always, he drew me into bed, clinging to me for over half an hour.
Every time it was over, Jasper would fall asleep almost instantly.
I would quietly gather our clothes scattered across the floor and toss them into the washing machine. Out of habit, I always checked the pockets before washing.
One night, I pulled out a bottle of unsealed folic acid.