I pushed myself up, ignoring the pain, and ran to the edge of the pool. The water rippled where the necklace disappeared.
Without thinking, I climbed over and jumped in.
Cold water swallowed me whole.
I opened my eyes, searching, my chest burning as I dove deeper and deeper.
I didn’t know how long I’d stayed there. Maybe minutes. Maybe hours. All I knew was… I couldn’t let it go.
…
The moment I found the necklace, my body was already at its limit. The cuts on my skin burned when the pool water soaked into them, the pain sharp and constant, but I still held on. I clenched my teeth and kept searching until my fingers finally closed around it.
When I climbed out, I was shaking so hard I could barely stand. I dragged myself to the edge, pulled myself up, and collapsed on the ground, gasping for air.
The necklace was still in my hand.
I tightened my grip on it, water dripping from my fingers. Memories hit me all at once. The day I pawned it. The way he held my hand and promised me he’d take care of me for the rest of my life. That he’d only love me.
What a joke.
A broken laugh slipped out of my mouth.
I kept laughing, but tears came out at the same time. My chest hurt so much I couldn’t breathe properly.
When I got home, I fell sick.
High fever. My whole body felt heavy, weak. Even getting up to pour water felt impossible. I just lay there, staring at the ceiling, half-conscious.
Then the door opened.
Bernard was back.
Before I could even react, he grabbed my arm and pulled me up.
“Get up,” he said coldly. “You’re coming with me.”
I thought… maybe he noticed. Maybe he saw I was sick. Maybe he was taking me to the hospital.
So I didn’t resist. I followed him.
But halfway through the drive, something felt wrong.
“Bernard,” I said weakly, holding onto the seat. “This isn’t the way to the hospital. Where are we going?”
He let out a short, annoyed laugh. “Hospital? You’ve got some nerve. You haven’t even cleaned up your mess and you’re thinking about a hospital?”
My mind was slow. Foggy. I didn’t understand.
Not until the car stopped.
A bridge.
High. Dark. Cars passing below, lights flashing.
And at the edge… Ingrid stood there.
My heart dropped.
Bernard dragged me out of the car and pulled me forward. The wind was strong, cold against my face. Ingrid saw us and stepped back, panic on her face.
“Don’t come any closer!” she cried.
“Ingrid, stop this,” Bernard said quickly, his voice tense for the first time. “Don’t do anything stupid. I brought her here. Naomi’s here to apologize. She’ll clear everything up online. No one’s going to hurt you.”
Apologize?
I froze.
“No,” I said immediately, “I’m not apologizing. Why should I? I didn’t do anything.”
They were the ones who cheated. They were the ones who humiliated me. Why should I be the one begging?
Ingrid lowered her head, her shoulders shaking. “Of course you don’t need to apologize. I’m just… worthless anyway. Everyone’s laughing at me now. Maybe it’s better if I just die.”
Bernard’s face changed instantly. “Don’t say that!”
He turned to me, anger flashing in his eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you?! It’s just an apology. You really can’t do that?”
My chest tightened.
“Bernard,” I said, my voice trembling despite myself. “Ten years. We’ve been together for ten years. Doesn’t that mean anything to you?”
I wasn’t just asking for myself. I was asking for the one who already died once. The one who loved him until the very end.
He paused.
Just for a second.
Then his expression went cold again. “Are you going to apologize or not?”
So that was my answer.
I had no choice.
A tear slipped down my face. I clenched my teeth. “Fine. I’m sorry. Miss Ingrid, I’m sorry. I’ll fix it right now.”
My hands shook as I took out my phone and posted a public statement. Clearing her name. Taking all the blame.
When I finished, he didn’t even look at me.
He walked straight to her, “Ingrid, you hear that? It’s done. Come down now, don’t scare me like that again.”
Then he reached out and pulled her into his arms.
Careful. Gentle.
I stood there, watching. My chest felt empty.
I pushed myself up slowly, using the railing for support.
Ingrid walked over to me, still holding Bernard’s hand. She reached out and grabbed mine.
“Mrs. MacAllister,” she said softly. “Thank you.”
Her grip tightened.
Then she leaned closer, her voice dropping so only I could hear.
“As a woman, don’t you think you’re pathetic?”
My head snapped up. Anger rushed through me. I tried to pull my hand away.
But she held on tighter then she dragged me back with her.
“Ah!” she suddenly screamed.
My foot slipped and the world tilted.
Everything happened too fast.
Bernard rushed forward, reaching out. His hand caught hers.
Only hers.
Not mine.
For a second, our eyes met.
Then I fell.
The wind roared in my ears. Lights blurred. My mind went blank, then flooded with memories. Every moment. Every promise. Every lie.
In the end…
He chose her.
My body hit something hard below.
A black SUV passing under the bridge.
The impact knocked the air out of me instantly. Pain exploded through my entire body, sharp and unbearable.
Then everything went dark.
...
When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital.
So I didn’t die.
The fall wasn’t as high as it felt. The bridge wasn’t that tall, and I hit the roof of the SUV before rolling onto the ground. Lucky, they said. If you could call this lucky.
Three ribs broken. Every breath felt like something stabbing into my chest.
“Honey, you’re finally awake.”
Bernard rushed over the moment he saw me. He looked tired, eyes slightly red, like he hadn’t slept properly.
“For a second I thought…” he stopped, then let out a breath. “Good. You’re fine now. Ingrid’s been blaming herself this whole time. She couldn’t even eat, and said she felt guilty seeing you like that.”
I stared at him.
So that’s where he’d been. Taking care of her.
I slowly pulled my hand away from him. “With you around her all the time, I’m sure she’ll live a long life,” I said quietly.
His expression darkened. “Do you have to talk like that?”
I didn’t answer.
“Ingrid works under me,” he continued, his tone turning colder. “She’s alone in this city, no one to rely on. Of course I’m going to look after her. And don’t forget, if it wasn’t for you, she wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
There it was again.
My fault. Always my fault.
I closed my eyes. I didn’t have the strength to argue anymore. What was the point? He already chose who to believe.
His phone rang.
