My Boyfriend's Ex Gifted Me Hornets!

Joe looked at me in exasperation, as if questioning why I was making a joke that was wasting everyone's time.

We had been in a relationship for three years. We had broken up before, but we somehow always made up and got back together.

The last time we got into a fight and broke up was when Erica made a huge mess at our engagement party.

Joe had been particularly furious then. He slapped Erica and gave her the cold shoulder.

"Leave, or you're going to regret what I'll do to you."

Back then, Joe grabbed Erica by the wrist and dragged her out to the road.

When he returned, he knelt before me in front of all our relatives and elders, and promised nothing like this would ever happen again.

After that, Joe proved his loyalty to me by deleting Erica's contact and blocking her on all social media.

"I'm twenty-seven, Simone. All I want to do is spend the rest of my life with you. I don't want anybody else."

As he declared his love for me, Joe took out a diamond ring from his pocket called the 'Lover's Eye'. He had designed it himself, and he put it on my ring finger.

I believed Joe in that moment. I had so much hope for the future back then.

However, my hope diminished every time we argued, and now, nothing was left of it.

I ignored Joe and took a cab home.

Our new home was now a complete mess. The air was filled with the strange stench of the hornet wine.

The smell made me retch so much that I lost my appetite for dinner.

Late that night, I woke up from the pain in my swollen arm. The space next to me in bed was still empty.

He promised me he would be home tonight, but he broke his word again.

I sneered. I had no idea why I even thought he would keep the promise.

The next morning, I called Joe's mother, Maria Fulham, to talk about cancelling our wedding.

She was surprised, but did not want to lose a daughter-in-law like me, who was perfect for their family. She tried to talk me out of it.

"Simone, you've already registered your marriage with Joe. Don't be rash about this.

"Besides, your wedding is next month, and we've already sent out the invitations. You should give Joe another chance."

I closed my eyes. My voice choked in my throat, and I had no idea what to say.

It was tempting to tell her that Joe and I had not yet registered our marriage.

Joe and I had planned to register it on the 17th of last month.

However, Erica somehow found out about it. She called Joe before we stepped into City Hall.

"Joe, I was assaulted. I don't want to live anymore!"

Erica cried hysterically about what happened, barely able to breathe between her sobs.

"All I remember was drinking too much the night before, and I woke up in a hotel room. I'm so scared! Am I… Am I dirty now?"

Joe's heart tightened. He quickly comforted Erica and tried to get her to call the police.

"Don't panic. Put on your clothes and check the surveillance cameras. I'll come over right now and go to the police station with you."

I tugged Joe's sleeve and said bitterly to him, "Joe… We haven't registered our marriage yet.

"Can't you tell what's going on? Why are you still so stubborn? Don't you know what Erica's going through?"

He said, "You were molested before as a child, so how can you not understand the pain Erica is going through?"

My mind went blank. Joe's words were like a knife to my heart, and I could hardly breathe.

Joe was the only person I had ever told about being molested by my relative when I was young.

However, he used this information against me to go help another woman.

I watched as my fiancé called a cab without hesitation to go to another woman.

Even though the situation turned out to be a misunderstanding, we never mentioned registering our marriage again.

I thought it no longer bothered me, but the memory still pained me.

"Maria, I've made my decision. The wedding is off!"