Gracelyn
For my birthday, my husband and I made plans to go hiking and watch the sunrise.
But a sudden storm hit. I waited all night for him, but he never showed. A flash flood started, and I was stranded on the mountain.
My husband just said something came up and he couldn't make it.
After hanging up, I saw a video of him harvesting wheat on his assistant's Instagram story.
The caption read: "My trust-fund husband looks so hot working in the fields for me!"
I couldn't believe the man in the video, drenched in sweat and cutting wheat, was my husband—the trust-fund kid who'd never done a day of manual labor in his life.
I silently liked the post and commented, "Hard work is something we can all learn from."
The second I posted it, Jackson called, his voice dripping with annoyance.
"Harper! What was that snarky comment about? Are you deliberately trying to embarrass Remi?"
"It's been raining nonstop this year, so what if I'm helping her family with an emergency harvest? A little princess like you could never understand the desperation of a farmer about to lose their entire year's crop!"
"Delete the comment and apologize to Remi. I'll take you to see the sunrise some other time."
I laughed coldly to myself and typed another comment.
"Guess it's time to take out the trash."
The moment I hit send, Jackson called again.
"Harper, are you ever going to quit...?"
I cut him off, my voice ice-cold.
"Jackson, I want a divorce."
There was a stunned silence on his end, followed by an irritated lecture.
"What are you being so dramatic about now? You want a divorce just because I helped Remi with the harvest instead of watching the sunrise with you?"
"Can you stop with the drama? Everyone was rushing to save the crops. I couldn't just stand by and do nothing, could I?"
"Besides, we can see the sunrise anytime. But what if Remi got hurt working in the fields and I wasn't there to help?"
But he didn't know that I was currently trapped on a mountain by a flash flood, all because I had wanted to see that sunrise with him.
Rain hammered down on me, the path ahead completely washed out. I screamed at him in despair.
"Jackson, you're worried about her getting hurt? Can't you hear the storm on my end?"
"I'm trapped on the mountain by a flash flood! The ground is collapsing around me! I could die up here!"
Hearing my screams, his tone finally filled with panic.
"Harper, find somewhere safe. I'm coming to get you right now with a team."
An hour later, I finally saw Jackson wading through the floodwaters, covered in mud.
The moment he saw me, he let out a huge sigh of relief, rushed over, and pulled me into his arms.
"It's okay. You're safe now."
He secured a safety rope to me and led me down the mountain, but the hickey I glimpsed on his neck was a sharp sting to my eyes.
I followed in silence. Just as we were nearing the safe zone, Jackson's phone rang. The ringtone was his assistant, Remi, singing 'Like You.'
He instinctively let go of my safety rope to answer the call.
"Jackson, I fell and twisted my ankle while working. It hurts so much."
Without even a glance back, he quickened his pace, already soothing Remi in a gentle voice.
"Don't be scared, Remi. I'm on my way back now. I'll take you to the hospital."
With the rope suddenly released, I lost my balance and tumbled into the raging current.
Jackson seemed to have forgotten I even existed. As I watched his frantic figure run away, my heart sank into the depths along with my body.
The violent current slammed against me, making it impossible to stand. My body was battered by the rocks and debris swept along by the water.
I distinctly heard the crack of a bone breaking against a large rock, and excruciating pain shot through my entire body.
Water flooded my nose and mouth. I couldn't breathe.
Through my blurry vision, I saw the taillights of Jackson's car disappearing into the distance.
The water was freezing, but not as cold as my heart had become.
I had no strength left to fight. I let the water consume me, and in that moment, any love I had for Jackson died completely.
Just when I thought this was the end, a rescue team arrived, pulled me from the water, and rushed me to the hospital.
When I came out of surgery, my phone was blowing up.
In the company group chat, Remi was endlessly explaining herself to everyone.
"Please don't misunderstand. There's nothing going on between Mr. Taylor and me. He just sees me as a little sister."
"The Instagram post was just a little joke. Thankfully, Mr. Taylor is very forgiving and even rushed over to take me to the hospital."
Nothing going on? A little sister? Was that an explanation? No, it was a blatant boast.
Just as I was turning off my phone, Jackson called, his tone sharp with impatience.
"Harper! What's your problem now? Where are you if you're not at home?"
I looked down at my body, wrapped in bandages, and remembered the feeling of suffocating, the near-death experience. The damn tears started to fall.
"The hospital," I managed to say.
He clearly wasn't expecting that answer. I heard him falter, but I just hung up.
Ten minutes later, Jackson burst in, looking like he'd rushed over.
He stared at me lying in the hospital bed, covered in bandages, and for a moment, he seemed at a loss for words.
"You... How did you end up in the hospital? Didn't I get you out of there?"
I stared at him coldly.
"Whether you 'got me out' or not seems pretty obvious right now, doesn't it?"
He was the one who let go of the rope. He was the one who left me to be swept away by the current. He never even looked back once to see if I was safe.
My words left him speechless. A flash of guilt crossed his face, but he still refused to admit he was wrong.
"Stop being so dramatic. I just see Remi as a little sister. She's a small-town girl trying to make it on her own, and I just want to look out for her. You're the one who's always so paranoid."
I watched his performance with a cold smirk. My look clearly infuriated him, and he angrily pulled a crumpled gift bag from his pocket and threw it in front of me.
"Harper, you're impossible. And after I went to all the trouble of picking out a special birthday gift for you."
I stared at the crushed gift bag on the floor, looking like a piece of trash. A bitter feeling rose in my chest again, and I couldn't control my anger as I screamed.
"Take your stupid gift and get out! I don't want it!"
The color drained from Jackson's face.
I glared at him, my eyes bloodshot.
"I used to think that marrying you was the greatest gift I could ever receive."
"But I don't want it anymore."
"Jackson, let's get a divorce!"