Split Sides

That's Why It's Called a Mirage

This chapter and the previous one were made to mark a year since that person I once loved returned to stab me in the back with their new lover. I haven't forgotten that and I have never forgiven their treachery after all I gave them and all the words and promises they made me. In previous pieces I have discussed my ex in different ways; for this one I've decided to tackle that usurper who replaced me. Tristan, don't you worry; the day will come when you'll regret ousting me and pushing them to turn on me.

"Hear ye, here ye," you call out!
"Hear ye, my fair maiden!
Here I come, to slay this monster
That holds you as prisoner
And denies you your rightful love!
"Here I come, to set you free
So that you and I can live
In the sunshine of love and glory
And live happily ever after!
"My fair maiden, don't you worry," you say,
"Here I come, to be your knight in shining armor,
To release you from all that ails you,
And save you from those who wish you ill!"

"Argh!" I scream in pain,
When you strike your burning sword of justice
Deep into me;
The heavenly lights favoring you
In your heroic quest to set her free
From what she said was
My evil clutches.
"You don't understand," I plead in distress,
"It's not what you think it is!
I only hold love and care for her!
And I'd never dare
To lay even a cursed finger
On her troubled self!"
But you refused to listen,
You didn't want to hear me.
Still you smote your burning sword,
Your face bearing contempt and hatred
For me, who you made as your enemy.
Once you had your chance, you took her away
And left me gravely wounded,
Barely grasping for my life
As you two rode off into the sunset.

Safe at last, you two were,
At home, where forever after can truly begin.
I must imagine it went well for you
But that was only the beginning,
The beginning that was a glorious age for you two,
All full of that love and affection and undying loyalty
That composed the dreams you two had.
She was your queen and you were her king,
And together you reigned in peace and harmony,
Casting me out as a vanquished rival
From a backward time, full of savagery.
That was the narrative you told yourselves
And nobody would challenge you,
Like her friends who knew the truth
But chose fealty over honesty.
So your narrative kept going,
Accepted as the natural truth,
Safe in the false sense of security
Of your distance and superiority over me.

And this narrative held without question,
Like bricks held together without concrete,
Which was tall and sturdy
As long as there was nothing to test it.
But something did come to do so,
And out of all people it was
The fair maiden you rescued in the first place
From what you believed
Were my evil clutches.
She burrowed into your heart
With harrowing tales
Of the horrors and cruelty she endured
During her time with me.
I bet awful words like "abuse" and "neglect"
Were used to describe her time with me.
And you believed it, you took it all in,
And who can blame you?
She was in distress, you came to her rescue,
And you judged me as the villain
Because I was standing between her and you.
So you destroyed me and played your part
To be her knight in shining armor.
And you won, that was The End,
"And they lived happily ever after",
At least, that's what you thought.
Until one fine day,
She told you she was going away for a while.
It was urgent and she must've told you
She didn't want to but she had to.
So she said she loves you and kissed you
And promised to be back as soon as she can,
And you waited patiently,
Safe in your love and trust for her.
But oh, I pity you, poor fool.
An enemy you are, but still a fool!
Because it never crossed your mind
That those sweet words she parted you with
Were the exact same words she told me,
Her first love, whom she promised her love to first,
Whom she also promised forever after with,
But whom she sold out for you
And manipulated you to replace me.
You refuse to see it, you condemn my honesty,
And you sink deeper into
Your fanatical devotion to her
Because you couldn't truly fathom
How someone so innocent, so kind and so warm,
Could take you in and ruin you
Like the serpent in the Garden of Eden.

But you see, I was once like you.
She called out for help, she was in need,
And I responded to her pleas without hesitation,
Fighting those who meant to do her harm.
Keeping her safe, giving her shelter,
A place for her to find the love
That she'd been starved from.
Indeed she was grateful, indeed she promised me love,
And she made me think she would be
The person I'd walk hand in hand with
To wherever the future brought us.
She gave me a new purpose, a new reason for being,
And gave me her word
To work feverishly to live the life
We've always wanted for ourselves.
But as it sadly turned out,
She promised me all these things and more
Only to sell me down the road
In favor of you, my sudden replacement,
Disposing of me as if I was
A unwanted old dress
And promptly forgotten since.
You could never imagine
The burning sense of hurt and betrayal she pulled off
With her sweet talk and lofty promises.
I believed in her and I paid the price,
And no doubt so will you,
However deep in denial and hubris you are.
For you see,
What she did and said to me,
She did and said to you as well,
And I can see the unfolding horror
As she will do and say the very same things,
To spin you from her hero to her villain
And get the next knight in shining armor
To destroy you for standing
Between her and him.
No amount of protests and pleading
Would ever change his mind or hers
When all your kindness and affection
Can be twisted into controlling behavior.
And all you're left with is the flood of shock
As he cuts you down with his burning sword of justice
And steals her away from you,
Her previous knight in shining armor.

You come to me, all broken and humbled
At how your arrogance and pride
Has blinded you from the pernicious power
Of her serpentine tongue.
You never thought she'd do it
Just as I never thought so too.
But she got you right where she wanted.
You had the love she sought
Like drugs to a junkie,
And so she lured you in,
Feeding you sweet nothings and false promises
To take what she wanted and suck you dry
Until you have outlived your usefulness,
So she turned on you and got the next man
To destroy you, her poor hapless victim
To start the whole cycle once more
For her own perverted sense of pleasure.
So you come to me, seeking solace and help,
But who are you, I'd like to ask?
Remember, you mocked me and denigrated me?
Called me evil and a threat to her well-being?
You may be defeated just as I once was
But you're still an angry, poor, stupid fool
Who has to live with the humiliating fact
That he has become the very enemy
He once fought and brought down.
You thought she would be your romantic oasis
But again, you angry, poor, stupid fool,
That's why it's called a mirage.