2nd Chance

Chapter 8: Illusions

When Jake arrived in Houston, he immediately made a scene over the phone.

 "How could you do that to me, Victoria? You didn't even bother to come and see me off. Do I mean that little to you?" His voice was sharp, dripping with accusation.

"Jake, I did come. I was just a minute late... You went inside before I could catch you. I called your name, but you didn't turn around," she explained, her voice cracking under the pressure of trying to make him understand.

"Excuses," he snapped, cutting her off. "Stop wasting my time. I have better things to do now, I'm heading to my place."

Victoria felt a sharp sting in her heart. She could hear the disdain in his voice. He was deliberately cruel, feeding off her desperation. What he didn't know was that during that call, she was lying in a hospital emergency room, struggling with a high fever that had worsened. She wanted to tell him, to make him understand why she had been late, but she was too afraid of how he would react. Just then, a doctor appeared by her bedside.

"How are you feeling, Miss?" he asked, his voice gentle but concerned. 

Jake heard it over the phone and immediately lashed out. "Are you serious, Victoria? The moment I leave, you're already with some guy? No wonder your brother's girlfriend treats you the way she does, and your brother won't stand up for you. You don't deserve love," he spat, his words venomous and cruel.

Victoria's heart clenched, and she tried to explain. "Jake, I'm at the hospital. I'm sick, I...""Excuses again!" he interrupted, his voice growing louder. "You were just fine at the airport, weren't you? Don't lie to me."

"But I... you said you didn't see me..." she whispered, trying to piece her words together, feeling weaker by the second.

"You're always making up stories, trying to cover your tracks. Who was that guy, Victoria?" he demanded, his jealousy flaring without any basis. 

"Jake, no, it's not like that. I was with Martha, she was feeling unwell, and we both ended up here..." she tried to reason, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Fine. I'm letting it go this time, but don't think I'll forget this," Jake replied coldly, as if he were doing her a favor. Then, he hung up, leaving Victoria clutching her phone, the line dead but the pain still echoing in her ears. For the next year, their relationship continued in this toxic cycle. 

Jake kept Victoria on a leash, giving her just enough to make her stay, but never truly committing. While Victoria spent her nights crying over the distance and yearning for a love she thought was real, Jake was out in Houston, living a different life. He partied, met other women, and indulged himself, knowing that Victoria was too entangled in her own emotions to see the truth. Their calls became infrequent, and when they did talk, Jake was distant, uninterested. Yet Victoria clung to the hope that he still loved her, convincing herself that things would change. 

Then, one night, her phone rang, and the screen lit up with Jake's name. It was past midnight. She stared at the screen, her heart pounding, a mix of hope and dread filling her chest. What could he want at this hour? Victoria hurriedly slipped on her slippers, her heart racing as she stepped outside to take the call. Seeing Jake's face after so long, she instinctively smiled, but that joy quickly faded when she saw the state he was in. Jake was crying, his face twisted with grief.

"Jake... is everything okay?" she asked, her voice trembling with concern. Through choked sobs, he managed to say, "Vic... my mom, she... she died."Victoria's heart broke for him. Without a second thought, she said, "I'm coming, Jake." She didn't even wait for him to refuse or ask her not to. She was determined to be there for him, to comfort him in his time of need. In a rush, she told her brother a quick lie, saying she had received a job offer and needed to move immediately. Within three days, she left her job, her apartment, and everything she knew, packing her bags to move in with Jake. 

She sacrificed it all, just to be by his side. When she finally arrived and saw him in person after a year of separation, all the emotions she had been bottling up surged to the surface. She burst into tears and rushed to hug him, holding onto him tightly as if he might slip away. But Jake stiffened, his hands awkwardly pushing her back. "Behave yourself, Victoria," he said sharply. "If someone sees us, it'll look weird."His words stung like a slap, but Victoria bit back her pain, stepping back and forcing a smile. She had come all this way, and she was determined to make things work. He took her to his place, and she settled in, trying to ignore the ache that lingered from his coldness. 

The very next morning, she woke up early and began to clean. The house was a mess, cluttered and untidy, and she busied herself, scrubbing the kitchen, vacuuming the floors, putting things in order. She needed to distract herself, and cleaning gave her a sense of purpose. Jake watched her from the bed, misinterpreting her actions entirely. In his eyes, he had found the perfect arrangement—a woman who would cook, clean, and serve him without complaint. It was as if he had finally gotten everything he wanted. He lounged comfortably, expecting everything to be handed to him, while Victoria silently worked away, thinking she was helping him through his grief. But while she thought she was showing love and support, he saw only convenience. As she continued to care for him, Jake's sense of entitlement grew, and he became more and more accustomed to taking her kindness for granted. Victoria, on the other hand, was still trying to convince herself that this was love, and that her sacrifices would be worth it in the end.