Devoted Love
The village of Willowbrook, nestled among endless fields and oaken groves in the heart of rural England, breathed quiet serenity. The evening wind whispered through the leaves, and dim streetlamps cast faint light on the narrow lanes. Emily clutched her handbag as she approached the café where her birthday celebration was meant to be held. But instead of cheerful chatter, she heard the treacherous murmurs that made her heart twist in knots.
“Skip this whole party,” drawled Daniel, leaning close to the ear of Lucy, Emily’s best friend. “Come to my place. Emily won’t be back till late anyway.” His voice dripped with smugness.
“Oh, right,” Lucy replied with a mocking laugh. “And when she does turn up? Am I supposed to jump out the window?”
“Why jump?” Daniel slid an arm around her waist, his tone oozing confidence. “If you say yes, I’ll kick Emily out. She doesn’t belong in my life.”
Emily froze as if struck by lightning. She knew Lucy—never one to shy away from sly flings—but Daniel? Three years together. Three years waiting for him to slip a ring on her finger. They lived in his new flat, bought with a mortgage. The repairs, the bills, the debts—all fell on her shoulders. She’d thought it temporary, believed a registry office wedding was just a formality. But now the truth crashed over her. To him, she was just a convenience, a bridge over financial troubles. There would be no future. No marriage.
Six months ago, her mother had passed away. Daniel’s coldness had shocked her then. He hadn’t come to the funeral, hadn’t lifted a finger to help, just tossed out an indifferent remark:
“Sell off whatever’s left. You know I’ve got the mortgage and renovations. Maybe your relatives can lend you something. Once you sell the house, you’ll sort yourself out.”
“Sort yourself out”—the words had cut like a knife. But she’d excused him: stress, thoughtlessness. She’d even admired his brooding silence. “A man who keeps everything inside would never betray you,” she’d boasted to her friends. Lucy had laughed along, hiding her true intentions. Now the truth was out, and Emily, choking on the pain, frantically waved down a passing taxi. The car stopped, and she flung herself inside, slamming the door.
“Faster, faster!” she cried, as if fleeing a chase.
Before the car even moved, Daniel’s call flashed on her phone.
“Where are you? I’m left standing here like an idiot—everyone’s asking for you! What happened?” His voice oozed fake concern.
Emily switched off the phone and hurled it out the window in rage. Tears streamed down her face; she sobbed like a child robbed of everything. The car sped on, and in her despair, Emily suddenly realized she hadn’t given a destination.
“Where are we going?” she asked, voice trembling.
“Home,” the driver said calmly.
Emily glanced around—they were racing down a dark country lane, far from the city.
“Home? Where?” Her pulse spiked with fear.
“Want me to name the address?” His voice held a mocking, threatening edge.
“Stop! Now!” Emily shrieked, panic surging.
“Right here, in the middle of nowhere?” The driver laughed. “What exactly are you going to do?”
“I’ll call the police!” she blurted before remembering her phone was gone. She’d told this stranger everything—about the betrayal, about her pain. He knew no one would come looking for her. Leave her in the woods, and that would be it.
Groping for the door handle in the dark, desperation swallowed her whole. “Let it be what it will be,” she thought. “If he kills me, the pain will end.” Silent, resigned tears fell.
The car screeched to a stop. The driver wordlessly opened her door.
“Get out.”
“No!” A fierce will to live flared inside her. She wouldn’t surrender without a fight.
“Don’t be daft, Emily,” the driver’s voice softened. “We’re here.”
She lifted her eyes and went still. Standing before her was James, her old schoolmate—the one who’d left for the city after graduation and built a career somewhere grand.
“James?” she whispered in disbelief.
“Who else?” He smiled, warm and familiar.
“You… drive a cab now?” she asked skeptically.
James laughed. “A cabbie? Hardly. Saw you waving like you were about to throw yourself under the wheels.”
“I thought…” Emily faltered, feeling foolish.
“I know everything,” James said, pulling her into a gentle embrace. “Useful ride, that. You’ve never been so honest before.”
Emily laughed, her tears drying, her heart lightening. She stood at her doorstep in Willowbrook, and the world stopped crumbling.
“I came back because of you,” James murmured, tracing her fingers with his own. “So glad you never married him.”
Sometimes, life’s greatest betrayals lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.
