Vows of Misfortune

49.

A/N: this chapter is unedited!

***

He stood a few feet away from the bed, unmoving.

"You two can sort your own shit out but I don't want to be involved. I don't want to be caught up in drama anymore. I got married thinking things would be drama-free but the moment I married you my life has been going downhill. I'm sorry for involving you with Varun, but he's happy. I don't want to ruin his happiness. I don't want to ruin my happiness."

I stood up. "Now you're free to be with whoever you want. I'm sick of being the reason people are unhappy."

Romir kissed his teeth, letting out a breathy laugh. He was probably happy that I was saying the words he was thinking. "I'll get everything sorted out tomorrow," I continued. "I'll let my parents know and I'll...send the forms and stuff to you, I guess. You don't need to worry about anything."

"Don't I need to agree to this?"

"This wouldn't be happening if you didn't."

I picked up all the clothes I had thrown on the floor and placed them softly onto the bed. Then, I walked past him and into my room near the bathroom on the opposite wall. I leaned against the closed door and rested my head against it, covering my mouth as I cried.

I hated my life. I hated it so so much.

When I woke up, I was on the floor, leaning against the door. Somehow I had cried myself to sleep at the door. It creaked as I opened it, signalling my awakening. I peered out. The house was unusually dark. There was no sound of water running, sizzling of food or the plates clanging together.

I turned on the hallway light before peering into every other room. There was no sign of Romir. I hesitated before knocking on Romir's door. The door was half open. I pushed it. The bag from before and the clothes that were strewn were all gone.

There was no sign of life in the room.

Romir was gone.

I sat down on his side of the bed and let my hand graze his pillow. I grabbed it and clutched it against my chest, letting my chest rack with the sobs that I'd been so badly holding back. I had told him to get out, pushed him away, was rude to him so that this would be the outcome.

This was what I wanted. But it hurt so bad knowing that all my doubts were true.

He really didn't like me.

***

"Why did you not want to speak to me during your lunch break?"

She was talking about yesterday. "I wasn't in the mood. I'm sorry, Jade." I let my hands cup the hot mug of hot chocolate. We were at a cafe downtown; it was a perfect, small nook for some quiet, deep conversation.

"It's fine, babe." She stretched her hand in the middle of the light oak coloured table, reaching for mine. I placed it in hers and she squeezed. "You know I'm always here for you."

"I know."

"Tell me. What's been going on?"

"I've been a hypocrite," I confessed. Her perfectly drawn blonde-brown brows furrowed but she circled her hand, gesturing for me to go on. "I've been hiding something. I...Romir and I weren't really in love. Not at the start."

"Wait, I'm not following. What do you mean?"

"It was an arranged marriage. We'd made it clear that it was only going to be a marriage of convenience to get over our own personal problems. My parents thought this was what I needed to get over Varun and my mum just wanted to see me happy again."