Twice Betrayed

"Alright, Dylan, stop provoking him. See you tonight. I'll take Anthony home first."

Emily's voice dragged me out of the nightmare of my memories.

She hung up the call, and the car was instantly swallowed by silence, broken only by the sound of our breathing.

A moment later, she spoke first.

"You must be hungry. I'll take you to a restaurant for something to eat before I drive you home."

Her tone was gentle, as though nothing had happened at all.

It only made me look even more pathetic—eyes bloodshot, body trembling uncontrollably.

"Emily, why are you doing this? You said you'd cherish me for the rest of your life."

The words tore from my throat in a ragged scream. My tears fell uselessly after them.

But this time, Emily didn't wipe them away with heartbroken tenderness like she used to. She leaned lazily against her seat, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

"Anthony, if you'd chosen me the first time around, I probably really would have cherished you forever. But now? You're a divorcee. Why should I stay pure for you?"

After speaking, she casually handed me a tissue, as though granting charity.

I instinctively shrank back, staring at her like she was a monster.

The four of us had been college classmates.

Back then, both she and Jessica pursued me. And I chose Jessica.

Emily congratulated us politely and quietly disappeared from my life.

It wasn't until Jessica cheated on me that Emily appeared again.

Unable to endure the betrayal, I had slit my wrists in despair.

Emily stayed by my side day and night, healing me, pulling me out of hell and back into the world of the living.

Thinking of all the tenderness she had once shown me, I asked helplessly, "If it bothered you that much, then why chase me? Why be with me at all?"

Our eyes met, and in her pupils, I saw my own devastated reflection.

She let out a quiet sigh.

"I thought it didn't matter. But when we started preparing for the wedding…"

Looking at me, she frowned irritably.

"You were too experienced.

"For the wedding photos, you knew how to bargain with the salespeople. When we bought rings, you knew to buy a fake one for the ceremony too. Even today, for registering our marriage, you already knew what documents to bring and what to wear without even checking."

Her expression darkened completely.

"Everything you did kept reminding me that I was marrying a divorcee. Anthony, I can't accept that."

My vision blurred with tears.

When you can't see clearly, you hear even more clearly.

"But I love you. Since you were married to Jessica for one year, I'll indulge myself for one year too before returning to your side. Sounds fair, doesn't it?"

A sudden warmth brushed my face. I blinked hard, and my tears splashed onto Emily's hand.

As though burned, she jerked it away.

"It's not fair! If you cared that much, you could've told me instead of saving me first and betraying me afterward! Emily, I want a divorce!"

I roared the words, feeling as though my soul were being ripped apart.

But she only looked at me calmly.

Not until I had exhausted myself did she let out a mocking laugh.

"We already got the marriage certificate. Whether it's fair or not isn't up to you anymore. As for divorce…"

She lowered her eyes, as though suppressing some emotion.

"Keep dreaming. If you can accept it, then accept it. If you can't, endure it."

The moment she finished speaking, she unlocked the passenger door and shoved it open. Before I could react, she pushed me out of the car.

"The way you are right now is making me very unhappy. Take some time to reflect on yourself."