My Neighbor's Wife

Chapter 36

She looked forlornly at her shop; as much as she hated this small and dingy house of her she was surely still going to miss it. Shaking her head to relieve herself of such sad thoughts, she turned around just in time to see David along with the carriage he had rented that would take them to the train station. He greeted her with a smile, which she returned albeit forced. He must have noticed this for he grabbed her for an embrace and whispered in her ear that it was all going to be alright, just like she hoped it would. He planted a kiss on her temple and released her while he picked up her suitcase, bringing it inside the waiting carriage. She did not bring much, only some clothes and money that would last them enough for a few months.

She didn't know where they would go, having not planned anything. She had left David to decide for them but she had specifically requested that they live near the sea, taking this as an opportunity to fulfill her dreams. Before she rode the carriage, she went back inside her shop and placed the letter that she had written for Benjamin on the counter, in hopes that he would be able to find it later. Going out, she entered the carriage with David's help, immediately peeking out of the window to take one last look at her shop and the window upstairs as they faded off the distance.

It bothered her greatly that she and Benjamin parted in bad terms. She hated herself for having that unexpected outburst yesterday for it ruined her last day with Ben. But, it was not for no reason; she was truly hurt by his selfishness. It wasn't easy for her to accuse him of thinking only for himself, but this was what she could make out of his actions. Last night, she didn't get much sleep for she was replaying in her head over and over the things he said not only yesterday but all those other times he hurt her. It made her realize that Ben was just using her. He was just using her for emotional support, a replacement when his wife's not around, he was just using her to make himself feel good about Lucy losing an interest in him and turning to another man; he took advantage of her, knowing that she'd blindly follow his every requests and demands. She realized that he didn't love her after all; she was just a convenience for him.

She felt someone reached for her hand, squeezing it tight reassuringly. It was a welcoming gesture for it distracted her from her thoughts. Facing the owner of the hand, she was met with David's worried eyes. She gave him a sad smile and laid her head on his shoulder as she intertwined her fingers with him. She wasn't sure about everything, but it was comforting to have David by her side; he was the only one she was certain about, certain that he wouldn't leave her.
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Benjamin woke up to an empty bed; his wife was not there beside him, which was a usual occurrence now. He grabbed his watch from the nightstand and checked for the time, it says that it was only five thirty in the morning. He was about to roll over to get some more sleep when he thought about Nellie, she was going to leave today! He immediately bolted upright from the bed; he grabbed his jacket while he simultaneously put his shoes on. Once done, he ran from the bedroom down to the bakeshop hoping that he could say his goodbye to her.

He opened the door to Mrs. Lovett's shop and called for her only to be greeted with silence. He checked every room in the house but she was nowhere in sight. It was too late, she already left him. He took a seat at one of the booths in the shop; resting his elbows on the table, he supported his head with his hands. There was a feeling of emptiness inside him, one which he knew wouldn't be filled by anything or anyone but Nellie. He knew that from this day on, nothing would ever be the same. His source of happiness had vanished, he could have prevented it but no, he was actually the one to push her away.

He couldn't allow himself to leave Lucy, because he promised her in their wedding vows that he wouldn't leave her, and he wanted to honor that. But the thing was, he also promised to be always there at his best friend's side, to protect her from everything and now he couldn't do that. He couldn't keep his promise to her because he chose Lucy over the woman who was willing to sacrifice everything for him; only asking for return was that they start anew somewhere where his wife wasn't there.