When I arrived at Matthew's office, something horrifying happened.
I couldn't believe what he had done.
It felt like I was being stabbed over and over again.
My husband… and his secretary.
He betrayed me.
I trusted him—I believed he would never hurt me the way my own family did.
He stood by me through everything, and I truly thought he loved me.
I truly thought… he wouldn't do what I feared the most.
"I thought."
Such a simple phrase. It sounds real, but in truth, it's just a performance.
Like a whip that continues to sting, even long after the wound.
I had been sensing this for a while.
I started noticing things ever since his best friend, Leslie Velasquez, became his secretary.
But I brushed it off. I thought it was just friendly bonding between longtime friends.
I kept believing him. He told me every day that he loved me.
I held on to that. I believed it.
But it turns out… it was a different kind of "bonding."
And now… my head is spinning with so many questions.
'Why did you do this?'
'Am I not enough for you?'
'Is something missing in me?'
'What do I need to do to be enough for you?'
'Why did you go looking for someone else?'
'You should have told me what I lacked—so I could've filled in the gaps, so you wouldn't have to look elsewhere.'
'Don't you love me anymore?'
So many questions—but none I could bring myself to say out loud.
It felt like he was stabbing the very same wound my family once left me with.
Thoughts swirled in my mind…
'Why does my family reject me?'
'Why do people leave me?'
'Why does even the man I love push me away?'
'Did I do something wrong?'
'Did I commit a sin I don't remember?'
'What did I do to deserve this?'
'Maybe I shouldn't have been born.'
'Maybe I should just disappear.'
'Maybe I was never meant to live in this world.'
'Enough!'
'I can't take this anymore!'
'I'm so tired.'
Tears poured endlessly down my face.
Then Matthew saw me.
"Penny!"
I ran.
I slammed the door and ran straight to the elevator.
Matthew chased after me.
"Penny! Please, listen to me!"
I reached the elevator and hit the button for the rooftop.
"Penny! Penny!"
The doors closed.
And there, in that tiny metal box, I broke down completely.
The pain.
It hurt so much.
'I wish I were dead.'
Yes… maybe it would've been better if I had died.
I reached the rooftop.
I slowly walked toward the edge.
Then Matthew arrived.
"Penny, please step away from there. I'm begging you."
I looked at him and asked,
"Why did you do it?"
"What did I do to deserve this?!"
"I loved you so much—why did you do this to me? What did I lack?!"
"Do you still love me?"
He stood frozen. Speechless. Hesitating.
"So you don't love me anymore."
And with that, I jumped.
"Penny!!!"
This is the end.
No more pain.
No more suffering.
No more pretending.
Maybe… just maybe… I won't have to live this life again.
As I was falling, I saw someone.
My brother.
Andrew.
"Penny!!!"
He caught me, trembling, his tears flowing without end.
"Penny! I'm so sorry I was late."
Why was he apologizing?
Then I saw my blood start to pool on the ground.
I began to close my eyes, slowly.
"Penny!! Please, don't close your eyes!"
My hearing started to fade…
"Penny!!!"
"Pen…"
"P…"
°°°
To Be Continued