Everyone said I was the one Mark Hansen had always longed for, his first love.
So when I filed for divorce, they all criticized me, saying I had forgotten our love, our history.
But only I knew what really happened during the tenth year of our marriage.
That was when he became entangled with a younger woman, someone who looked eerily like me.
"I'm just her personal trainer. What’s with all the drama?" he snapped, dismissing me with the wave of his hand.
In that moment, fury burned inside me. I ripped the wedding ring off my finger and hurled it at Mark. The sound of metal clinking on the floor was oddly satisfying.
“Don’t you dare call me dramatic!” I shouted. “I’m done pretending.”
——
Mark’s face darkened instantly and he lunged forward, grabbing my wrist with enough force to make me wince. His eyes were wild with anger, but I wasn’t afraid.
"What is it now, Jane? What are you trying to prove?"
I didn’t respond, my gaze shifting to Kath Saunders, the woman standing behind him. Her face—a disturbing replica of my own—seemed to taunt me. I walked straight up to her, my heart pounding with adrenaline and slapped her hard across the face.
The sting of my palm against her cheek echoed through the room. Kath gasped, clutching her face, tears welling up in her eyes as she whimpered, “Why would you do that, Jane? I don’t understand...”
Her voice was soft, pitiful, dripping with false innocence. She even had the nerve to step behind Mark, looking at him like she was a wounded little bird.
“Mark, why is she so mean to me?” she sniffed, her lip quivering, playing the victim to perfection.
I could feel Mark’s rage bubbling over as he stepped in front of her protectively, shielding her as if I were the intruder in our marriage.
“Jane,” he growled, “Kath and I have a professional relationship, nothing more! She’s my paragliding student, for God’s sake. Of course, there’s going to be some physical contact! But your mind always goes straight to the gutter.”
I scoffed, unable to believe he had the audacity to lie to my face.
“Oh, I’m the one with a dirty mind?” I said, my voice trembling with anger. “So those pictures I saw? Her clinging to you like she’s your wife? Was that just part of the training too?”
I couldn’t forget the photos I had seen. Kath’s arms draped around his neck, her body pressed close to his, a shy smile on her face. And the way he looked at her... The kind of look that should’ve been reserved for me.
Mark’s expression was cold, distant. He didn’t even deny it.
Instead, he turned back to Kath, who was still rubbing her cheek, her eyes wide with fake tears. He gently cupped her face, his voice softening. “Does it hurt?”
Kath sniffled, leaning into his touch. “It... it’ll be fine if you kiss it better,” she whispered, a pathetic attempt to appear helpless.
And just like that, Mark leaned in, pressing his lips to her cheek, right in front of me. As if I wasn’t even there. As if I didn’t exist.
My chest tightened painfully and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The betrayal, the blatant disregard for our ten years together, was suffocating.
“Mark,” Kath whispered, “Jane’s leaving... should you go after her?”
Without even looking at me, Mark sighed. “No. Let her go. She’ll calm down eventually. She’s not serious about the divorce.”
His voice was laced with arrogance, as though I were just throwing a tantrum. Like I would come crawling back, begging for his love again.
But he was wrong.
I quickened my pace, my heart breaking with every step I took. This was it. The end of us.
People always said I was Mark’s "white moonlight," the woman he cherished. But no one ever saw the other side of the story, how I had loved him—truly loved him—for a decade. Yet now, my love was nothing more than a joke.
We had met in college. He was charming, passionate and relentless in his pursuit of me. I had fallen for him hard and fast, cutting off ties with my family just to be with him. We married soon after graduation and for years, I believed in our love. I believed in him.
But ten years later, here we were. And he had chosen someone else.
Mark had become a paragliding instructor and Kath, the younger woman, was his student. Today was our tenth wedding anniversary. And instead of being with me, he was with her.
"Thanks for practicing with me today, Mark! I don’t know what I’d do without you," Kath giggled, throwing herself into his arms like she had done it a thousand times before.
Shyly, she kissed the side of his face and he didn’t push her away. Instead, he ran his fingers through her hair, smiling down at her.
"Don’t be silly, Kath. You did great today," he said, rubbing her back. “Next time, you’ll do even better.”
“Next time,” she echoed, her face lighting up with excitement.
I stood there, watching them. She was younger, more energetic, with a face that reminded me too much of my own. But all I felt was exhaustion—exhaustion and a growing emptiness that I couldn’t ignore anymore.
Chapter 2When I got home, my hands trembled as I began packing my few belongings into bags. The numbness in my chest was almost comforting—it was better than feeling anything at all. My phone wouldn’t stop buzzing with calls and messages, but I ignored most of them. Finally, I glanced at the screen, overwhelmed by the flood of notifications.
[You’re divorcing Mark? Are you out of your mind?] One friend’s text screamed at me. [People used to say you two were the perfect couple! If you divorce him, no one will believe in love anymore!]
Another message came through, this one from an old college friend. [Jane, be real. Has Mark ever treated you poorly? You’ve been married for years. Is divorce really the answer now?]
I could only shake my head at the absurdity of it all. They didn’t understand. None of them did. Even my parents had called earlier, their voices full of concern and disapproval.
[Jane, honey, you’re not too old yet. Have a baby and everything will go back to the way it was. A child will fix things.]
A child... I thought bitterly. My hand unconsciously moved to my stomach. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t bring a child into this broken mess of a marriage. I didn’t want to.
Just as I was lost in my thoughts, the front door swung open, slamming against the wall with a crash. Mark stumbled inside, his eyes bloodshot, his breath reeking of alcohol. He staggered towards me, rage flickering in his eyes when he saw the half-packed suitcase on the floor.
“What the hell are you doing, Jane?” he slurred, his voice thick with anger.
I didn’t answer. Instead, I took a deep breath and looked at him, my eyes filled with the exhaustion of a decade of love gone wrong. “Do you even know what today is?” I asked quietly.
Mark frowned, his brow furrowing as he tried to remember. His face remained blank.
I smiled sadly, the weight of his forgetfulness crushing my heart. “It’s our tenth wedding anniversary, Mark.”
For a split second, his expression froze and I saw a flicker of guilt cross his face. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by his usual arrogance.
“Anniversary? So what?” he muttered, yanking off his tie and tossing it aside carelessly. “We’ve been married for years, Jane. You really think missing one stupid anniversary is a big deal? We’ll celebrate another time.”
Before I could respond, he moved closer, his hands roughly grabbing at my shirt. His eyes were glazed over, his touch cold and indifferent, like I was nothing more than an object to him now.
“Mark... stop,” I whispered, feeling the bile rise in my throat. His breath was a sickening mix of tobacco and another woman’s perfume. Kath’s perfume.
His grip tightened as he buried his face into my neck, the stench of him making me gag. The room began to spin and without warning, I shoved him off me and ran to the trash can, vomiting violently.
Behind me, Mark cursed, his voice incredulous. “Are you kidding me? You’re actually disgusted by me now?”
I wiped my mouth, my body shaking with nausea and anger. He was furious—furious that I wasn’t playing along with his charade. Furious that I wasn’t willing to be his wife in name only while he lived a double life.
“You’re gonna regret this, Jane,” he spat, his voice venomous. He grabbed at my clothes again, more forcefully this time, his hands pawing at me with no concern for my feelings.
My body tensed and for a brief, agonizing moment, I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen. My stomach clenched and I gasped. The baby. It was as if even this tiny life inside me sensed the danger, the threat.
“Stop!” I screamed, shoving him away with all the strength I had left. “Get away from me!”
He froze, stunned by my sudden outburst. I straightened my crumpled shirt, my eyes blazing with fury. Then, without thinking, I slapped him hard across the face. The sound of my palm connecting with his cheek was deafening in the silence that followed.
Mark stared at me in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock and betrayal. He had never seen me like this before. He had never seen me so broken, so done.
“Jane...” he whispered, his voice low, dangerous. “You’re really something.”
I said nothing. I just stood there, my chest heaving, waiting for him to leave. And he did. With one last furious glance, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him so hard that the walls shook.
The sound echoed through the empty house, leaving me alone in the deafening quiet. I sank to the floor, my hands shaking as I pulled my knees to my chest.
Half an hour later, my phone buzzed again. I glanced at the screen and saw Mark’s latest social media post. He had uploaded a picture of himself paragliding, the wind in his hair, a carefree smile on his face. The caption read:
“Grateful to have paragliding when I’m feeling down.”
I stared at the screen, feeling my heart shatter all over again. The comments were flooding in, but the one that caught my eye was from Kath.
“Don’t worry, Mark. You’ll always have me. Paragliding heals the soul.”
The words burned in my chest like acid. I threw the phone across the room, my breath coming in ragged gasps. They had everything in common. Shared hobbies, shared passions, even a connection I could no longer deny. And what did Mark and I have now? Only the bitter remains of a broken home.
I felt the ache in my heart intensify, a pain so deep it left me gasping for air. But it was nothing compared to the cramping in my abdomen. I placed a hand on my stomach, whispering through the tears, “You came at the worst possible time.”
I stood up shakily, grabbing my bag and throwing on a coat. I couldn’t bear it anymore—the thought of carrying his child when his heart belonged to someone else. My feet carried me, almost against my will, out the door and towards the hospital.
At the front of the hospital, I hesitated, staring at the cold, sterile building before me. Could I really do this?
Inside, the doctor’s voice was firm but gentle. “Jane, have you really thought this through? Given your condition, this might be your only chance to have a child.”
Her words hung in the air like a death sentence. I thought of everything Mark and I had gone through together—living in that tiny, freezing apartment, eating instant noodles because we couldn’t afford anything else. The promises he had made to me back then, vowing to give me the best life possible. And he had, for a while.
But promises meant nothing if they weren’t built on love and loyalty.
“I’ve thought it through,” I said, my voice steady despite the tears in my eyes.
The doctor sighed, giving me one last look before nodding. I was wheeled into the operating room, the cold sterile lights overhead blurring as the anesthesia took hold. When it was done, I felt hollow, like a part of me was missing.
As I left the hospital, still weak and pale, a furious voice cut through the cold night air.
“Jane! Stop right there!”
Chapter 3I turned around, my heart sinking as I met Mark’s furious gaze. His face was dark with rage, his eyes burning with an intensity that made my skin crawl. He stormed toward me, his jaw clenched so tightly it looked like he was ready to snap.
"Get in the car, Jane," he growled through gritted teeth.
Before I could react, his hand clamped around my wrist and he dragged me to the car, shoving me inside with a force that made my body ache. My breath hitched as I struggled to free myself, but his grip was unrelenting. He slammed the car door shut, locking it as he rounded the car, his eyes never leaving me.
Once inside, he turned to me, his face red with anger, his hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His voice, when he spoke, was low but sharp, like a blade slicing through the thick silence between us.
"Who gave you permission to abort the baby, Jane?"
His question, filled with venom, cut through me. His voice dripped with outrage, as if he were the victim in all of this, as if he hadn’t betrayed me first. My stomach churned with a mix of anger and exhaustion.
"Who gave me permission?" I repeated, my voice trembling but defiant. "Who gave you permission to cheat on me? Who gave you the right to break our marriage and still expect me to carry your child?"
Mark’s face hardened, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I’m your husband. I have every right to question you."
"Husband?" I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. "Is that what you call yourself? A husband? You've been parading around with that girl and you expect me to stay here and play the doting wife?"
His anger flared again, but before he could respond, my hand brushed against something in the car seat. I looked down and felt my stomach drop. There, hidden between the cracks of the leather, were a condom wrapper and a pair of false eyelashes. My hand shook as I picked them up, the weight of the betrayal crashing down on me like a tidal wave.
Mark noticed immediately, his face going pale for a split second before he scowled, his voice defensive. "Jane, it’s not what you think. I haven’t... I haven’t used that."
"Not what I think?" I asked, my voice rising as I held up the evidence. "How long, Mark? How long have you been lying to me? And don’t you dare say it’s nothing!"
He opened his mouth to respond, but the words seemed to die on his lips. His eyes flicked to the side, avoiding mine and I knew. I knew he had no defense. My body felt weak, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't do this anymore.
"Enough." I pushed open the car door, stepping out onto the sidewalk. "I’m done, Mark."
As I turned to walk away, I heard him slam his fists against the steering wheel, shouting something incoherent behind me. But I didn’t look back. Not this time.
I dragged my suitcase down the street, heading for the nearest hotel. The pain in my body from the procedure still lingered, but it was nothing compared to the ache in my heart. When I reached the hotel counter, I handed over my card, only to have it handed back to me with a frown from the clerk.
"I’m sorry, ma’am, but it seems your card has been frozen."
Frozen. Of course. Mark’s way of trying to force me to come crawling back. I bit down on my lip to hold back the tears of frustration. I pulled out whatever cash I had left in my purse, but it wasn’t enough for even one night. I sighed and stepped back out into the night air, my mind racing with what to do next.
"Miss, excuse me," a voice called out, making me pause. I turned to see a young man with a camera slung over his shoulder. He looked nervous but earnest as he approached. "I... I know this is out of the blue, but would you mind participating in a quick street photography shoot? We’re doing a project and I can pay you for your time."
My initial reaction was to say no, but the truth was, I needed the money. I gave him a weak smile and nodded. "Sure."
As we wrapped up the shoot, the boy came over, beaming as he scrolled through the photos. "Wow, you have such a natural elegance. You could be a model, honestly. Has no one ever tried to recruit you?"
His innocent enthusiasm struck a chord in me and for a moment, I remembered who I used to be—before the years with Mark had worn me down. Before I had stopped believing in myself. I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say a word, I heard Mark’s furious voice behind me.
"Get away from her!"
I barely had time to react before Mark barreled into the boy, shoving him aside so hard he nearly fell. The camera hit the ground with a loud crack, the lens shattering into pieces.
"What the hell are you doing?!" I screamed, rushing forward, but Mark wasn’t listening. His fists were clenched, his entire body trembling with rage. The boy scrambled to his feet, glaring at Mark as he dusted himself off.
"Are you insane?" the boy shouted, pushing Mark back. "I didn’t do anything to her!"
Mark ignored him, his attention solely on me. His eyes burned with a mix of jealousy and something darker, something twisted. He grabbed me roughly, his hand gripping my arm so hard it hurt.
"Is this what you’re doing now?" he hissed, his face inches from mine. "You leave me and within days, you’re running around with some boy who looks barely out of school? Is this who you are, Jane?"
"Let go of me!" I struggled to free myself, but his grip only tightened. "He’s just a photographer! You don’t get to accuse me of anything after what you’ve done!"
He sneered, his eyes flicking to the boy, then back to me. "I’ve done? You think what I did compares to this? To you parading around with someone else?"
Before I could respond, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face. The sound echoed in the street and for a moment, everything was still. Mark’s face snapped to the side, his cheek red and swelling. He turned back to me slowly, disbelief in his eyes.
"Don’t you dare," I said, my voice trembling with anger, "don’t you dare accuse me of the things you’ve done. He was doing his job, nothing more. But you—" I pointed at him, my finger shaking. "You’re the one who broke this. You’re the one who destroyed everything we had."
Mark’s eyes darkened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He threw it at the boy, the bills scattering across the sidewalk. "Here. Take this and get lost. And don’t ever come near her again."
The boy stood frozen, his fists clenched, but I stepped between them before things could escalate further.
"Enough, Mark!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "I’m done with this. I’m done with you. Just leave!"
Mark’s face contorted with rage, his hands shaking as he threw his glass onto the pavement, shattering it at my feet. "Fine! Don’t ever come back, Jane! Don’t you dare come crawling back to me!"
With that, he turned and stormed away, disappearing into the night without a backward glance. I stood there, staring after him, my whole body trembling with the weight of everything that had just happened. My ankle throbbed where the glass had hit it, but the pain felt distant compared to the hollow ache in my chest.
The boy bent down to pick up his broken camera, still glaring in the direction Mark had gone. "Are you okay? That guy’s out of his mind."
I nodded weakly, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. "I’m sorry about your camera. I’ll find a way to pay you back."
He shook his head, his anger softening as he looked at me. "Forget it. I can get another one. You, though... you should get out of whatever mess that guy’s pulled you into. No one deserves to be treated like that."
I smiled faintly, though the bitterness in my heart threatened to overwhelm me. "I know," I whispered. "And I will."
As I turned to leave, the weight of my decision settled in. It was time to rebuild my life, time to find the person I had lost in the years with Mark. It was time to chase my own dreams again.