Swamp Murder

Swamp Murder. 35

Zhan's Pov.

I watch as Wang walks away, his footsteps growing smaller with each step. My chest tightens, my knees buckle, and I collapse onto the cold ground. I want to scream until my throat is raw, cry until my body is empty of grief, but all I do is sit there, lips quivering, fingers digging into my skin as if holding on to something that's already gone.

The world blurs. The weight of it all presses down on me, suffocating. My body moves on its own, carrying me to the bathroom. I strip off my clothes with trembling hands, step under the shower, and let the cold water crash against my skin.

The chill steals my breath, but I don't move. I sink to the floor, my arms wrapping around my legs, pulling them close to my chest. Droplets roll down my face, mixing with the tears I refuse to acknowledge. My teeth chatter, but I don't turn the water off. The pain inside me is deeper than this cold, heavier than the water pooling around me.

I close my eyes, letting the sound of the shower drown out the silence. But no matter how hard I try, I can still hear his voice.

I push myself up from the cold bathroom floor, water still dripping from my skin as I grab a towel and wrap it around me. My limbs feel heavy, my chest hollow, but I force my feet to move. Back in my room, the silence is deafening.

I sink onto the edge of the mattress, my fingers absently reaching for the ring on my hand. The metal is cool against my skin, a stark contrast to the warmth of the memories it holds. My mind drifts back to my last conversation with Dre.

"Are you insane?" he hissed, his eyes blazing with disbelief.

I had met his glare with quiet defiance. "I'm sane," I had answered, voice steady. "But even if I wasn't, I'd still marry him."

Dre's words cut through the air like a blade, sharp and unforgiving.

"I told you to stay the fuck away from the likes of Wang, but you went ahead and married him anyway." His voice dripped with anger, his eyes burning with something between frustration and disappointment. "What did he promise you?" he hissed.

I exhale slowly, steadying myself before meeting his gaze. "Dre," I say, my tone a quiet warning. "I love Wang, and he loves me." The words come out firm, and unwavering because they are true.

Dre scoffs, shaking his head as if I've lost my mind. "Nothing good will come out of this," he spits. "They will use you and toss you aside. That's what people like Wang do."

His words hit me harder than I expected, but I didn't let it show. Instead, I tighten my fingers around the ring on my hand, letting its presence around me. He's wrong, I tell myself. Wang isn't like that. He's different. He chose me.

Dre shakes his head, exhaling slowly. "I told you, you wouldn't come out clean. You thought I was joking."

"Wang loves me, and you're just jealous," I snap, my voice sharp, defensive.

Dre barks out a laugh, the sound cold and humorless. "Jealous?" He shakes his head again, this time in disbelief. "I enjoyed the sex. It was transactional, with no hard feelings. But I'm telling you this because you're a good guy, and you've been through a lot."

My stomach knots. Sex. Transactional. The words echo in my head, but before I can process them, Dre pulls out his phone. He taps the screen, and a video begins to play.

The moment my eyes land on it, my breath catches in my throat. My heart plummets, a sinking weight dragging me down.

No...