Soon, the police arrived with a few officers in tow. As they entered, under the piercing gaze of Devin and Elma’s subtle, cutting look, I stood firm in my identification. At that moment, Devin was taken away. Ignoring the hatred burning in his eyes, I met his glare without flinching. The wedding was ruined, and I had achieved my goal.
After giving my statement, I collapsed at the door of my house, struggling with my thoughts all night. Memories of the past seven years replayed in my mind, lingering longer than I anticipated. The irony was that as I sifted through those memories repeatedly, I couldn’t find any evidence that Devin ever loved me.
In truth, if I examined it closely, Devin’s infidelity was entirely traceable. From the very beginning of our marriage, I was aware that he harbored feelings for someone else. Just because he had promised, “I’ll forget her; give me some time,” I believed in him. I thought that if I worked hard enough and held on long enough, he would eventually notice me. But the reality was that Devin couldn’t forget her, nor was he ever willing to. The girl he had missed out on in his youth became his permanent scar.
The longer time passed, the more he missed her. At first, he managed to suppress those feelings, but everything changed when Elma returned to America and made her mark in the entertainment industry. Seeing her shine on stage was a turning point for him.
From that moment on, he no longer bothered to hide his emotions. After getting drunk, he would cry and repeatedly call out Elma's name, declaring his love for her and expressing his regrets. Each time the geological exploration team set out, he would write suicide notes, each one a greeting and blessing meant for Elma. He would inscribe her name at the highest and most dangerous locations during their expeditions.
He secretly took photos of those places, printing them out to gaze at day and night. He loved Elma to the core. I considered divorce more than once, but every time I brought it up, he would look at me with fragile, sensitive eyes, promising he would change, insisting that our child couldn't grow up without a father. Each time, I found myself moved. I wanted to believe that he would truly change, so I tolerated, retreated, and indulged him again and again. But in return, he mysteriously vanished.
A year ago, Devin disappeared during an exploration operation that should have been completely low-risk.
The exploration team searched the mountain but couldn't find him. Everyone assumed he had met with an accident and even held a farewell ceremony in his honor. But I still couldn't believe it; I refused to give up on finding him. While caring for Briana, managing his parents, and continuing the search, I found myself utterly exhausted. I fantasized about the day he would return, discovering that I had handled everything well, and he could hold me in his arms, forgetting the past and helping me stabilize our small family.
But I never imagined I would wait a whole year only to find out he was getting married. Hot tears streamed down my face, forcing me to confront my reality. I took a deep breath and wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. If Devin couldn’t let go, then it was time for me to do so. You can't force feelings.
Unfortunately, Devin was not convicted of bigamy. He and Elma hadn’t obtained a marriage certificate and insisted that they hadn’t been living together. In the end, he was released. As soon as I stepped out of the police station, Devin rushed forward and grabbed my arm.
"Loraine! Don’t be crazy!"
My injured hand was yanked unexpectedly, causing me to gasp in pain. But Devin didn’t seem to notice at all. His expression was filled with hostility and disgust.
"Loraine, are you sick?!"
"Yesterday was the day Elma and I had our wedding. Are you satisfied with this mess?!"
"Do you have any idea what kind of situation Elma and I are facing because of you?"
"Why didn’t you wait for me to explain? Why are you being so stupid?!"
"Has your temper hardened after not seeing you for a year?"
Devin didn’t bother to lower his voice, quickly drawing everyone's attention, including Elma's.
She approached, exuding confidence in her high heels, a spring breeze in her demeanor.
"Riggs, don’t blame Loraine; she just misunderstood."
"We can clear this up if we explain it to her."
Devin seemed to soften instantly at Elma's sweet voice. Even his eyebrows relaxed, showing a warmth I hadn’t seen in a long time. After disappearing for a year, the first thing he did was marry his first love. When he finally saw me again, he was cold, and his first words were to tell me not to lose my mind.
Elma’s words seemed to dissolve all of Devin's hostility and impatience toward me. For a moment, it felt utterly absurd. I struggled to suppress the emotions threatening to erupt as I opened my eyes.
"Devin, you really aren’t human."
"Am I the crazy one, or are you? You disappeared for a whole year! When you finally returned, you abandoned your wife and daughter to marry another woman."
"What do you expect from me? Should I bless you with a smile?!"
The weight of my collapsing emotions became too much to bear. Without waiting for his response, I shook him off and turned to leave.
I decided it was time to let it go. But Devin and Elma were unwilling to let me move on. The next day, as I arrived at the company, I spotted two familiar figures before I even entered. Suppressing the whirlwind of emotions inside me, I walked straight in.
The moment Elma saw me, she rushed over with enthusiasm. I frowned and turned to the side, but she used too much force and stumbled several steps, almost falling.
"Elma!"
Devin quickly wrapped his arms around me, concern etched on his face as he looked at me with discontent. Before he could place the blame on me, I jumped in first.
"What’s going on?"
Devin finally remembered the reason for his visit and cleared his throat. "I need you to take wedding photos for me and Elma."
"I want the highest and most expensive ones in your store."
"We’ll need three sets, so please prepare them."
I stared at him in disbelief. He had always insisted that weddings and wedding photos were a hassle, and he never agreed to do any of those things with me. But now, he was promising everything to another woman. A deep bitterness spread from my heart to the tip of my tongue, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
Before I could respond, Elma suddenly grabbed my hand. A chill shot through my palm, and I instinctively pulled back, but she was quicker. She yanked my hand forward, raising it in front of Devin.
"Oh my God, Riggs, look!"
"Why are her hands so covered in scars, like maggots? It’s so scary!"
"Her hands are a mess. Can you even take a good photo for me?"
As soon as Elma raised my hand, Devin instinctively recoiled, his expression shifting to one of disgust at the sight of my wounds. Elma’s voice was loud enough to echo throughout the office, drawing the attention of many colleagues.
In an instant, blood rushed to my head, and I yanked my hand back violently. "Let go!"
Elma refused to release her grip and even tried to pull me closer. The tugging on my old wound sent a sharp pain radiating through my hand, causing me to gasp. My body felt weak, and I wanted to struggle, but out of the corner of my eye, I saw Devin instinctively protecting Elma. The numbness and pain in my heart stunned me for a moment.
Suddenly, my arm was yanked hard. The suffocating pain sent my mind into a blank haze. By the time I realized what was happening, I was right up against Elma.
"Ah... Loraine, why are you being so vicious?!"
"Elma is a star! Do you want her to end up like you, with your broken hands?!"
"If I hadn't stopped you, what else would you have done? Would you have killed her?!"
Devin scolded me coldly but gently lifted Elma, as if she were fragile. I ignored the pain in my heart and desperately clutched at his trouser leg. "Devin... take me to the hospital... my hand..."
As soon as my voice broke through, louder voices drowned me out.
"Riggs, is my hand broken? It hurts so much..."
He stood rigid, looking at me as if I were nothing more than trash. "You have to pay for the abuse you've caused. This is the price you pay for your viciousness."
"There’s been a lot of public opinion swirling outside. The only way to silence it is if you take this wedding photo for us."
"I’ll give you one week. You can figure it out on your own."
"When the time comes, you’ll still take the photos for us."
With that, he turned away, no longer bothering to glance back. My eyes filled with tears, blurring my vision, yet I continued to stare at their retreating figures. I wanted to engrave this moment in my memory—Devin's indifference and his cold determination.
The heartache was overwhelming, but I knew I needed to wipe away any lingering feelings.
