Once Tortured,Never Forgotten!Chapter 1
By the serene waters of Willow Lake, my wife, Jane Whitman, clad in a wedding dress, embraced Josh Grey, her childhood companion.
An impromptu pastor, a mere onlooker, cried out, "Radiant bride, do you pledge your hand in marriage to him?"
Josh gazed at Jane tenderly. With a coy flutter, Jane lowered her lashes.
The onlookers chanted in unison, "Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!"
I clutched my aching heart and turned away.
——
"Darling, I'm home. The business trip has left me utterly spent."
It had been three nights since Jane's return. As she entered, she dashed straight towards me, her steps light and eager.
Had I not witnessed her embrace Josh in bridal finery just three days prior in Cliffland, her rush towards me might have convinced me of her true love for me.
I sidestepped her with indifference.
Jane faltered, a flicker of displeasure crossing her features. "Honey, why the cold shoulder?
"I see. You must be miffed because my business kept me away too long, isn't it?"
She approached me like a petulant child, arms outstretched for a hug, but I evaded her touch once more.
In the past, her slightest pout would have me orbiting her whims, regardless of my own.
Jane lifted her head, a look of hurt etched on her face. Her eyes were reddening with tears when she stared at me.
"Honey, why treat me coldly?"
She felt wronged as if I had wronged her.
"I'm weary. I think I should sleep early."
I retreated to the study instead of the bedroom because I was unwilling to share her bed again.
Yet, no sooner had I lain down than she followed.
She perched on the bed, shaking my frame. "I brought you a gift, yet you greet me with a scowl?"
Then, she presented me with a beautifully wrapped box, jiggling it. "Ta-da! I got you a watch. Come see if it pleases you."
As she spoke, she unpacked the box.
The watch was a Patek Philippe 5270p, a piece I knew well, valued at around two million dollars.
Why did I recognize it? Because it was Josh's prized possession, and Jane had promised it to him as a birthday gift.
Just today, I had seen Josh's social media post: a photo of him sporting a Patek Philippe 6300a, boasting: [Jane said the Patek Philippe 5270p pales beside me; only the 6300a, a rarity, befits my stature.]
Another image showed the 5270p discarded in the trash, the very one Jane now offered me.