I can't seem to understand why Anne tries to pull me away from the cliff. I just really don't understand. After all that's happened, after everything that has been done, why pull me now?
Me and Anne are married. We've been together for 5 years and has been strong ever since. I worked as a journalist for a morning paper and Anne worked in a diner five blocks away from our home. We lived simply as we could, and happily as anyone can. I thought so, at least.
We were an amazing couple. Someone would always say, "I wish I had a love story like the both of you!" And we would always say that it wasn't really that special and such, that we are just so madly in love at each other. I was madly in love with Anne. I don't know if she is, with me.
There are just times where you would always think that something is going to last forever, you know? And you would wonder about it for hours, for days, for weeks, for months, and even for years. But like every story, life gives you more shit than you can ever handle. And as for me and Anne? We had more of that shit wherever the hell it came from.
One fine day, when I was at work. I received an email from a friend. It said that there was something that we had to talk about and I should meet him in a coffee shop in Boston. It said that it was urgent for us to meet. And that I have to be there, like seriously be there. And so, I did. I packed up. I told Anne that I was leaving for the afternoon to go to him. I drove with coffee on my side as I think of news to put on the next morning at my weekly column in the newspaper. I saw my friend Matt standing just a few meters away where I parked my car. We greeted each other like we haven't seen each other for ages and headed inside.
"I saw her with another man, Rick." Matt said to me.
I was shocked, though. To actually think that Anne would be cheating on me is insane. We've been together for five happy, steady and joyful years. I can't possibly believe what Matt was saying to me.
"I don't know if she told you that she was going somewhere but, last time that I went to Brooklyn, she was there with some guy." I let him talk but I had doubts on my mind.
"They went inside a motel, Rick. I don't know what to think at that time. I really thought that I should speak to you immediately after I saw them together." he said.
"But she was always at work, how could she be there?" "I don't know, Rick. Didn't she said she was going somewhere for the time being?" And then I remembered that time when Anne said that she and her friend would go to Atlanta for a little chat with their old friends. That's when my mind felt so disturbed.
"When did you exactly caught them, Matt?" I asked, desperately.
"Last week of September." he replied. "Fuck. I need to go."
"Where?" "Back at my place." then I rushed to my car and headed straight home.
I arrived at around 6 o' clock in the afternoon. Anne was there, alone. I thought I was going to witness something upsetting once I head home. I acted calmly, kissed her on the forehead as usual, asked her about her day at work and other stuff, then I told her that I would go to our bedroom and change clothes. As I got inside our bedroom, I locked the door silently so Anne wouldn't hear. Her cellphone is always on her cabinet and it never went anywhere on the house. I never tried to open it because I knew that she wasn't talking to anyone, at least as I think so now. And so I rushed to her cabinet, and found her phone.
"Did you like it?"
"You are so hot, I loved it."
"Can I come by some other time?"
"Sure, whenever Rick is out."
My heart was crushed. Everything that I thought of was a lie. From our marriage, to her love for me... It was all a lie. The time that Anne asked to go out with her friends was on the last week of September. I told her that I would be missing her and can't wait to be with her again. I was so stupid. I'm so blinded by my love for her. I put her cellphone back to where it was and unlocked the door.
She invited me for dinner, but I refused. Instead, I went to the cliff by the end of the road.
It was where we swore to love each other for better or for worse. It was where we said, "Till death do us part." I'm standing by the edge of the cliff, crying. "Where have I gone wrong?" "Have I never given her what she wanted? What she needed?" "What did I do to make her do this to me?"
After an hour, Anne came to where I was. She asked if anyone saw me and someone told her that I was headed here.
She was begging me to step away.
"Why are you doing this, Rick?"
"You damn know why, Anne."
"I've seen the messages on your phone. And you've been doing it on my home, huh? When you guys had fun somewhere else, you decided to do it in my own house? Is that what you're gonna give me, Anne?"
"You mean, you.."
"Yes! I know about your dirty little secret, you whore!" And I started crying again.
She rushed to me, and tried to pull me away from the cliff. And as she draws closer, I hugged her, and stepped near the edge of the cliff.
And as I close my eyes, I dragged her down with me.
I can't seem to understand why Anne tried to pull me away from the cliff. I just really don't understand. But what I understand is this:
I was madly in love with Anne. But Anne never loved me.
