destined to rot in the gutter.”
Η
The comments section was flooded with people tagging me, hurling every imaginable insult. The top–liked comments came from verified accounts–so–called “former colleagues” who recounted elaborate stories of how I had allegedly bullied them at work.
Among them were junior colleagues I had mentored, a struggling young man I’d helped financially, and even a close friend with whom I had once shared takeout meals.
My fingers trembled as I hovered over the collapsed comments section, hesitating to open it, my heart heavy with anguish.
“Don’t look.”
Noman grabbed my hand and held it tightly.
“Violet, they’re not worth it.
I clenched his hand in return, gradually tightening my grip. “No, I want to remember their faces now and their cruelty.”
Just like when the Rivers family fell, those who once praised me to the skies couldn’t wait to tear me apart, using my downfall to paint themselves as victims.
I had learned my lesson back then, yet I still misplaced my trust and gave my heart to the wrong people.
“Ash, am I a fool?”
Noman gently brushed away the tears on my cheeks, his movements as ful as ever.
“Violet, when a flower blooms in the dirt, there will always be pests jealous of its beauty, trying everything to tear it apart. The fault lies not with the flower, but with the vile creatures that seek to ruin it. From now on, I’ll be the wall that lifts you higher. You just focus on growing and blooming.”
“Thank you, Ash,” I said, pulling out my SIM card and tossing it into the trash without hesitation. “You’re right. It’s time for me to say goodbye to the past.”
Whether it was the joy of youth or the salvation I found in despair, none of it should justify Julian’s cruelty toward me.
From partners who once supported each other to strangers walking separate paths, I had already done my part by keeping his infidelity hidden. That alone was more than he deserved.
