Betrayed Vows

It was my third wedding anniversary with Derek Palmer.

He rented a yacht and threw a grand party for me.

Three years of living together day and night, I fell in love with this man.

He was in high spirits that day, drinking until he was completely wasted, a rare sight for him to lose control like that.

"Mr. Palmer, I saw you with your old flame the other day. Aren't you worried Lynn will find out?" someone teased nearby.

My hand froze on the doorknob.

"What if she finds out? She's got her own past, hasn't she? Eight years tangled up with some guy, who knows if they hooked up or not?" Derek's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Pain stabbed my heart, and tears blurred my vision.

I chased my "old flame" for eight years, but nothing ever happened!

Besides, when Derek proposed, he said he didn't care about my past.

Was this his true feelings spilling out after too many drinks?

"I only married her to secure the inheritance."

"Come on, Mr. Palmer, you've fallen for her, haven't you? Why else treat her so well?"

"I just made her fall for me. I'm about to divorce her. If she refuses to let go, even at the cost of her life, then she really loves me!"

I couldn't see Derek's face, but his voice sounded gleeful.

After holding it in for so long, I finally heard the truth.

2

I thought back to the past.

When I transferred schools, I was bullied, and Asher Palmer appeared like a ray of light, protecting me.

I fell for him at first sight.

That sparked an eight-year chase.

But Asher didn't feel the same, and eventually, I got tired.

Then Derek came along, proposing marriage, and I agreed just to spite Asher.

After the wedding, Derek was endlessly patient with me, and we started our married life like a sweet young couple.

I once thought I was the luckiest person in the world.

I truly loved Derek, and I believed he loved me too.

Now I realized it was all a setup, a façade.

Three years of tender moments and passionate nights were all fake!

His acting was so good, it was a shame he didn't go into showbiz.

He wanted me to prove I'd rather die than divorce. I could do that.

Because I was really dying, but not for love of him...

If he wanted to play this game, I'd play along.

I slipped away from the party quietly and returned to the villa.

That villa was Derek's wedding gift to me, meant to symbolize his eternal love.

Every corner held memories of our three years together, each spot decorated by my own hands.

I pulled a thick stack of photos from a locked cabinet in the study, snapshots of all our happy times over three years.

I cut them to pieces with scissors.

My heart felt like it was being ripped apart, pain spreading through every inch of my body.

Tears fell uncontrollably.

Suddenly, I nicked my finger with the scissors.

I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.

After crying for who knows how long, a message popped up on Derek's computer. "Derek, can you come over tonight? I miss you."

2

I clicked into the chat history, my hand trembling on the mouse.

If hearing those words earlier left me with a sliver of hope, seeing this was a death sentence.

It was Derek's chat with his ex-girlfriend. He didn't say anything too outrageous, but he let her flirt.

"Today I went back to the beach from our memories, with the same person by my side. I'm so happy. I wish it could always be like this."

That was the caption on his ex's social media post, paired with a photo.

She gazed at the man with love in her eyes, while he was just a figure from behind, holding her hand.

On his wrist was the watch I gave him last month.

So when Derek told me he was working late, he was actually traveling with his ex.

I scrolled through her social media.

She was a small-time influencer with a decent following.

"First loves always part because of misunderstandings. After three years, we're finally back together. Wish us luck."

"I want a beach wedding because that's where I first met him. The beach means so much to me."

Below were comments from fans wishing them well.

So this was why Derek wanted to divorce me?

The blows kept coming, and my heart went numb.

Suddenly, my phone rang. I thought it was Derek, noticing I'd left the party.

But it was Asher. "I saw Derek with his ex. He's cheating on you."

I listened quietly, then shot back, "This has nothing to do with you. Stop trying to stir trouble between us."

"Lynn, I regret it... After you left, I realized I've loved you all along..."

I hung up.

Late affection was worth less than dirt.

When I gave him my heart, he didn't care. What good was his regret now?

3

I didn't delete Asher from my contacts.

He sent me a video.

It was blurry, but I could make out two people kissing passionately in a car.

The woman's wavy hair fell over Derek's shoulders, and he squinted, clearly enjoying it.

The video was only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

Hearing about it was one thing. Seeing it was another.

I yanked the pearl necklace off my neck, and it snapped.

The beads clattered in the quiet night.

That necklace was Derek's proposal gift, custom-made overseas, one of a kind.

When he put it on me, his eyes sparkled like stars.

"Lynn, thank you for marrying me. I'll love you forever..."

I treasured it, wearing it almost every day.

Now our marriage was like that necklace.

Broken.

Derek came home late at night, wrapping me in his arms as usual.

He noticed I was trembling, drenched in cold sweat.

"Lynn, what's wrong?"

His panicked voice rang in my ears as I drifted in and out.

I thought mockingly, no need to act so convincing.

I woke up in the hospital, the air thick with the smell of antiseptic.

Derek was asleep by my bedside, dark circles under his eyes showing he hadn't slept all night.

I traced his sharp features with my hand, my heart aching with bitterness.

I saw him cheat with my own eyes, so why did I still feel attached?

"Lynn, are you feeling better? You scared me last night."

Derek woke up, looking at me with concern and worry. "Are you hungry? I got you some chicken soup. Drink it while it's warm."

I watched him carefully hold the soup, blowing on it and testing the temperature before bringing it to my lips.

It was as if everything I heard and saw last night was just a dream.

"Lynn, why are you crying?" Seeing my tears, Derek fumbled in a panic.

It was hard to believe a man so good to me was plotting against me.

"Derek, I saw the divorce papers on your computer. You want to divorce me?"