No Longer Expecting Your Tenderness

On the day we were supposed to take our wedding photos, my boyfriend, Jacob Phillips, suddenly disappeared.

The photographer asked if I still wanted to continue.

Wiping away my tears, I said, "Yes."

When I finished the shoot, I saw that Jacob's childhood sweetheart had posted a picture on social media. It was of the two of them, hand in hand, strolling at sunset. The caption read, "Together forever."

Everyone was waiting to see how the fiancée would react to this joke.

Calmly, I replied with just four words: [Perfect match for betrayal.]

——

After the photos were developed, I went to the cemetery and placed one in front of my mother's tombstone, tearfully saying, "Mom, didn't you always want to see me in a wedding dress? I took these just for you. How do I look?"

Half a year ago, my mom was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage.

Her greatest wish was to see me in a wedding dress, settled down.

Jacob and I had been together for six years and had already scheduled the wedding photo shoot.

But a week ago, my mom had a cerebral hemorrhage, and her condition was very serious.

I asked Jacob to drive us to the hospital.

Just as we were about to leave, he got a phone call. He told us to take a cab and hurriedly left.

Because we missed the critical time for emergency treatment, my mom passed away.

I cried my heart out at the hospital.

But Jacob never showed up.

After the heartbreak, I handled my mom's funeral on my own and went ahead with the wedding photo shoot as planned.

In the end, it was just me in the photos, as I had expected.

Returning from the cemetery, I prepared to pack my things and leave.

With my mom gone, my relationship with Jacob was over, too.

Jacob wasn't home.

I didn't need to guess to know he was with Samantha Brooks.

For the past three years, every time Samantha called, Jacob would drop everything and run to her.

As I finished packing, the door suddenly opened, and Jacob and Samantha walked in.

Seeing me with my suitcase, Jacob asked irritably, "Emily Turner, what's your problem now?"

His tone was full of accusation as if I had done something wrong.

Samantha ran over, smiling, "Emily, it was my birthday last week. I wanted to invite you and Jacob, but I didn't want to disturb you. You're not mad at me, are you?"

I looked at Jacob, feeling sorrow in my heart.

He explained righteously, "Samantha only has one birthday a year. I couldn't not go."

Even though my mom had a cerebral hemorrhage, he didn't care; he just wanted to celebrate her birthday.

Was this the man I loved for six years?

I suddenly couldn't remember what I had ever seen in him.

Fighting back tears, I said, "Do whatever you want. It has nothing to do with me."

With that, I grabbed my suitcase and headed for the door.

Jacob grabbed my hand, angry, "Samantha already explained. Why are you being so petty?"

In his view, I was still upset about that day.

At first, I was, and I hated him.

But after my mom's death, I had come to terms with it.

Trying to reason with him only exhausted me.

I shook off Jacob's hand and coldly replied, "Jacob, show some respect. We are over."

"Over?"

Jacob was both surprised and angry. "Emily, just because I didn't take your mom to the hospital, is it really worth this?"

Samantha, pretending to be upset, said, "Jacob, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have called you that day. Otherwise, Emily wouldn't be mad."

Then she apologized to me, "Emily, it's all my fault. If you want, you can hit me to vent your anger."

As she spoke, she grabbed my hand, trying to make me hit her.

Her disgusting act made me sick.

Every time, she was the instigator, and every time she played the victim, Jacob would always defend her without hesitation.

It had become their unspoken agreement.

And I was the ridiculous spectator.

Just as I was about to pull my hand away, Samantha suddenly leaned back and fell to the ground, crying out in pain.

Jacob, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, quickly went to help her up, asking, "Samantha, are you okay?"

"As long as Emily isn't mad on you, I'm fine."

Jacob glared at me, "Emily, you've gone too far. Apologize to Samantha now!"

Samantha, holding Jacob's arm, smirked triumphantly, like a victor waiting for me to bow down and submit.

She had pulled this stunt many times.

In the past, to keep the relationship, I would swallow my pride and apologize.

But that only emboldened her, making her more unscrupulous.

Even Jacob had come to believe that it was always my fault.

I had had enough of living like this.

"Apologize? No way!"

I grabbed my suitcase and moved to leave.

Even another second looking at them made me want to vomit.

Jacob blocked my way, commanding, "Didn't you hear me? Apologize to Samantha right now!"

Being betrayed by the person I loved the most, all I felt was pain.

Pain so intense it took my breath away.

Pain that made me wish I were dead.

And when I was about to die from the pain, he added, "Why are you being so petty?"

"I said, no way!"

"If you don't apologize, you can forget about the surgery fee for your mom. Find your own specialist to perform the surgery!"

I had been holding back from breaking up with him.

On one hand, I still harbored a shred of hope that Jacob might come to his senses someday.

On the other hand, he had promised to cover the surgery costs.

Jacob was the general manager of Phillips Group, a family business.

I came from an ordinary single-parent family.

Jacob was exceptional. In college, many girls pursued him.

I liked him, too, but I only had a crush on him because our conditions were so different.

I didn't expect that he would confess his love to me in front of all the teachers and students at the school anniversary celebration during my junior year.

I was stunned at that time.

As my mind went blank, Jacob, holding flowers, walked up to me like a perfect prince and asked with a smile, "Emily, will you be my girlfriend?"

The crowd chanted, "Say yes, say yes..."

Tears streaming down my face, I took his flowers.

At that moment, I felt like the happiest woman in the world.

But everything changed when Samantha came into the picture.

He started prioritizing her.

No matter when, where, or what, if Samantha called, he would go to her immediately. Later, I found out they had dated in high school.

Only Jacob's parents disapproved, forcing them to break up.

I had argued with him about it many times and even thought of breaking up.

But for my mom's sake, I endured.

But now, he was using this to threaten me.

My heart bled, and tears rolled down my cheeks. "This has nothing to do with you!"

I pushed Jacob aside and resolutely walked away.

Seeing my unusual behavior, he panicked, grabbing my hand and shouting, "Are you crazy? Without the surgery fee and the specialist I hired, your mom's condition is incurable. This disease is deadly!"