Chapter 156: The Past
"No need, just worry about yourself. We ain't drinking anything from someone who can't even get their own life together."
Amelia's words cracked me up so much I almost slid under the table.
"Cut to the chase, my time's precious. I don't like Daniel either, but we've been neighbors for over twenty years and even had some rumors about us. Now, being in the same room with the chick who betrayed Daniel for too long is just not cool." I glanced at my watch, pushing her to get on with it.
Zoe stayed calm, head down.
Just as I was about to lose it, she finally spoke up.
Before she even said a word, tears started rolling down.
But these tears were different from before.
These tears seemed real, straight from the heart.
"Your tears ain't gonna work on me. Time's ticking. If you don't talk, I'm out." I brushed off my sleeve, which was spotless, and made a move to leave.
"I grew up with John." She blurted out.
I wasn't too keen on chatting with her, but if it was about John, that was a whole different ball game. Over the years, I'd always been curious about her past with John.
"John and I grew up in the same hood. Back then, his dad worked for my dad and was super tight with our family. He even personally oversaw the renovation of our house. John and I were tight from a young age. When we were twelve, we promised to be together forever. We didn't get love back then; we just liked each other and didn't wanna be apart.
When my folks found out, they hit me for the first time and locked me in a tiny dark room for a day, saying I was worthless. His family, on the other hand, didn't blame him but pushed him to spend more time with me. His dad often sent me stuff through John, openly or secretly. When I was fifteen, my dad got into trouble and went to jail, and our family assets were seized. Overnight, we lost everything. My mom and I were homeless, standing by the roadside. It was John who used his money to rent a small room for us, giving my mom and me a place to crash.
When his dad found out, his mom came to warn us to stay away from John, saying someone like me wasn't good enough for him. When John found out, he fought with his parents. His dad didn't wanna waste any more on us, so he got some bad dudes to harass us daily, forcing us to move. Wherever we went, those guys followed. Until one time, I was almost assaulted in a corner, and we had no choice but to move again.
On the day we moved, his mom came and showed me a video of his dad beating him. He was all banged up, even bleeding from his head. His mom begged us to let John go. She said she knew it was unfair to us, but she had no choice. Our whole family wasn't as important as John. My dad's situation was so serious that they couldn't let John get involved."
The story wasn't long, but it hit me right in the feels.
'This world is so harsh. Too many people ditch emotions and morals for their own gain. When interests clash, they don't mind kicking someone when they're down, protecting themselves while grabbing more benefits.' I pondered.
Zoe's mood was super low, stuck in that unforgettable past. Her eyes, always misty and sad, were now full of pain.
"Didn't John look for you?"
"I don't know. I came to Sunhaven in my senior year of high school. Helen and I barely went out unless we had to. During that time, I felt so low and scared. I hid every day like a rat in the gutter, not even daring to stand in the sunlight.
One day, it was pouring, and I didn't have an umbrella. Everyone else had left, and the janitor said he was locking up. I had no choice but to run in the rain. It was coming down so hard that day. I was freezing and scared, and I slipped into a puddle, hurt my leg, and couldn't get up. I just sat there in the mud, crying. Daniel found me, carried me home, bought medicine, and bandaged my leg.
He was like a light in my life, not just lighting me up but pulling me out of the abyss. From that day on, I swore to be with him. I knew about his thing with you and knew it was wrong, but I just wanted to hold onto him, to rely on him. Because besides him, I couldn't find any other salvation. Jane, you've never been in such a desperate situation, so you can't understand my feelings.
I know you blame me, hate me, but..."
"Stop." I couldn't take it anymore and had to cut her off. "Zoe, if you came here just to tell me this, I'm sorry, but I don't have the time to listen. Your hardships are your own business. We can feel for you, but that's not an excuse for being a homewrecker and betraying Daniel. Don't come to me again. I have nothing to say to someone like you."
I stood up to leave, but Zoe grabbed my sleeve, not letting me go, begging me to hear her out a bit longer. "Wait, since you're already here, listening a bit more won't hurt. I think you'll be interested in what I have to say next."
I didn't believe her and didn't want to listen. I shook her off and tried to leave, but Amelia wasn't having it, kept giving me the look, and pulled me back to sit down. "Listen, she went through a lot to stop you. Don't disappoint her."
"Fine, Amelia's pleading for you, so go ahead. But if you keep talking nonsense, I'm out."
Zoe's chest heaved, clearly upset by my words. I thought she might leave, considering how Daniel had spoiled her over the years. But surprisingly, she didn't. Instead, she swallowed her anger and kept going.
"Daniel was good to me at first. I really thought spending my life with him would be nice. But after the first six months, he was always distant. When there were others around, he treated me like a queen, pampered me, trusted me, and loved me. But when it was just the two of us, I often couldn't feel his presence.
We got together on his birthday. He drank a lot, and I deliberately seduced him. Because he was drifting away from me, I was worried he would leave and never be mine again. But..." Zoe's eyes turned red, and the tears she had just stopped started flowing again. She kept wiping them with the back of her hand. Lillian, feeling soft-hearted, handed her a tissue.
Zoe pressed the tissue to her eyes, choking out a thank you.
"But he spent half the night calling your name. He was so drunk, yet he still remembered you. Jane, you don't know how much I hated you then. I wanted to kill you. Without you, he would be mine alone. Don't blame me for always trying to harm you. I was just crazy jealous. He liked you. The one he truly liked was always you. I hated you so much."
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