Lies of Love: A Betrayed Heart1

When my childhood sweetheart, Jameson Reed, went bankrupt, he took my hand and asked, "Will you love me forever?"

I nodded but wondered, "What does forever really mean?"

Later, he made a comeback.

I traveled across the country to surprise him, only to find his wedding photos with someone else on a giant screen.

That day, he held my hand and said, "Didn't we promise forever?"

I finally understood that losing was the true forever.

*****

I clock out at six.

By six-thirty, I had grabbed some discounted groceries.

I was home cooking by seven.

At nine-thirty, I was on a train with a thermos of soup, traveling across the country because Jameson said he missed my soup.

We hadn't seen each other in over a month.

His company was at a crucial moment, recently landing a big deal.

I saw our shared account balance growing and convinced myself to visit him as a celebration of making it through our toughest times. Finally, we no longer had to scrimp and save, counting every penny.

I thought, "With him signing this big contract, we can already afford to buy a house and get married. In the precious and costly city of Veloria, we will have our own small home."

These thoughts in my mind prompted me to impulsively buy the cheapest train ticket, preparing to give Jameson a surprise.

I arrived early but felt lost on this unfamiliar street.

I went to the company address I knew but was turned away by the security guard.

Jameson didn't answer the phone.

It started drizzling outside again.

I sheltered at a bus stop with my thermos.

A wedding car parade passes by.

I began to envy and thought, "It would be wonderful if our wedding car were this nice."

Before I had a chance to marvel, I was splashed halfway up my body by dirty water from the roadside.

I stood there staring for a while. I had no choice but to wipe myself with a tissue.

I thought, "Well, it's a happy day, so I won't blame you."

I braved the rain and ducked into a nearby store, only to be blinded by a large screen in the mall displaying.

The caption read: [Congratulations to Mr. Jameson Reed and Ms. Sophie Brooks on their wedding!]

Jameson was in a wedding suit, just as I'd imagined.

But beside him was a completely unfamiliar face.

My first reaction was to laugh. "This person really looks like Jameson."

But those familiar features were unmistakable.

Jameson got married today.