Rhythm of Heartbreak

Prologue: Inner Turmoil

Jess paused and stared at the indigo sky, feeling as if life itself had drained from her. She touched her warm face as she inhaled the sea breeze carrying a salty scent, combined with the distant scent of sun and sand. Welcome to my life, she thought bitterly. She tilted her chin and watched the beach bathed like a golden glow, stretching endlessly. The city's tall buildings looked like giants, their glass walls reflecting the fading light adding effect to the scene, the laughter of people doing various activities adding to the liveliness around her. Her gaze fixed on the horizon, where the setting sun cast long shadows that slowly deepened into darkness. The beauty of the scene was starkly contrasted by the turmoil inside her, a raging storm she couldn't escape.

She hadn't realized pain could cut so deep. Even as a child, Jess had felt the sting of abandonment, the cruel indifference of a family who should have nurtured her, and loved her but instead, they cast her aside. Her youthful heart grappled with the weight of being unwanted, all those years her questions were left unanswered, and her worth was constantly in doubt.

The sharpness of her mother's disapproval had etched itself into her soul. Jess had grown up believing she was never the daughter she desired, Kris's coldness fueling a simmering self-loathing that made Jess fade into the shadows, where the darkness became her refuge.

Silent tears had been her only solace, and she had long lost count of the times she'd cried herself to sleep. Even now, as she remembered those moments, a weak smile tugged at her lips. She had taught herself to be stronger, to put an armor on and she was a fool to even think that nothing could ever hurt her anymore that she had moved beyond any pain. The person who had shattered her heart was someone she had loved beyond measure.

Jess's gaze shifted to a nearby billboard, its glaring lights highlighting the face of the man who had betrayed her. Tears welled up again, spilling down her cheeks despite her best efforts to hold them back. Her heart ached as she bit her lip, trying to silence the cries that threatened to escape. Her voice quivered, barely a whisper. "Why..." It was a question filled with all the heartbreak she could no longer contain.

For several minutes, Jess stood there, letting her sorrow flow uninterrupted. She was oblivious to the curious glances of passersby, lost in her world of pain. When she finally looked up, the sun had vanished completely. The streetlights cast a stark, unforgiving glow, and the billboard's smile seemed to mock her. Jess's fists clenched, her tears drying as she recalled every moment of betrayal, every ounce of effort she had poured into loving him.

The realization hit her with crushing clarity: she had been a fool. She had given everything, offering her soul for his fleeting happiness. She had allowed herself to be deceived by a hope that he would love her back, by a delusion of reciprocated feelings.

In an instant, the bitterness ignited into a fierce anger. Despite the cold wind on her face, Jess felt a flush of heat surge through her. She bowed her head momentarily, fighting to cool her rage, then lifted her face with renewed purpose. Her eyes were no longer filled with tears but were steely, determined.

Pointing at the billboard, her voice rang out with fierce conviction. "Shaun Hays! I will never forgive you! Mark my words, I won't rest until you come crawling back and beg for forgiveness. I will make you pay for what you've done!"

She paused, her voice steady with determination. "That is a promise!"