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.

sharpened into a dagger aimed right

I understood why she did

was for a fleeting moment

at the Patterson family gathering still echoed in

was blind to the tragic death of my parents, to the years of agony being married to Clyde had

her eyes, I

but their words were becoming a blur to me. Warren thought they were too noisy and sent them out to grab some comfort food

silent, just watching my

"Vinson..."

"Does it hurt?"

at once,

my head, replying, "No, they

looked away, not wanting

it not hurt? The injection hurt, and it still hurts

the needle in my hand, I felt an unbearable

me to have children because it would be too painful, knowing how much I feared pain, tears involuntarily streamed

always knew pain was my

I was sick, he'd be by my

he couldn't even offer me the basic respect,

to me, bleeding, I saw Clyde hesitate, but he didn't turn back to look at

he saw Rachel