When Love Becomes a Cage by Nora

Vinson looked like he had just dashed off a construction site, still clad in his work gear, his face smeared with dust, and breathing heavily.

But he couldn't care less, "What's up with Clyde?"

"What else could it be? It's all about that Rachel!"

Jade clenched her fists, seething with anger.

"Even if Clyde's been a mess, he couldn't have forgotten everything, could he?"

"And that Rachel, knowing full well the situation, how dare she try to step into your shoes?"

She and Eliana started ranting, while I closed my eyes, taking it all in.

Rachel might have fallen for Clyde back in college, and perhaps that's where her resentment towards me stemmed from.

Every time I bought her lunch, making excuses for not wanting it or being unable to finish it, I could see a glimmer of resentment in her eyes.

Back then, I thought she resented her own lack of means or her background.

It never occurred to me that she resented me.

She might have felt I was insulting her with my charity, or that I was just discarding things I didn't want onto her.

bit, this resentment had sharpened into

why she did what she

fleeting

echoed in

years of agony being married to Clyde had brought me. She even overlooked how Clyde

eyes, I deserved

they were too noisy and sent

bed, silent, just watching my hand as the IV

"Vinson..."

"Does it hurt?"

once, then fell silent

my head, replying, "No, they gave

wanting him to see

not hurt? The injection hurt, and it still

at the needle in my hand, I felt an unbearable

because it would be too painful, knowing how much

knew pain was my greatest

when I was

couldn't even offer me the basic respect, thinking everything I did

called out to me, bleeding, I saw Clyde hesitate, but he didn't turn back to

knew he saw