Chapter 9
Dad couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures and sending them to the family group chat, proudly announcing that I was taking them on vacation to see ocean, adding that we would be having more trips like this onward. I nodded, putting my best smile as he looked at me. His bright smile got my eyes sting with tears.
When we arrived in the beach, the sky was a deep, vivid blue, like something out of a Van Gogh painting. The breeze carried a faint scent of sea salt, mingling with the earthy smell of sand as we approached the beach. My parents walked gingerly over the sand, feeling the shifting grains beneath their feet and marveling at the waves as they rolled in and out.
I found a swing nearby, watching quietly as they strolled hand in hand along the shore. Mom leaned her head against Dad’s shoulder, their figures backlit by the warm
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glow of the setting sun, casting them in a golden light. It was the kind of peaceful moment they deserved after everything they’d been through together, and I felt a tear slide down my cheek, overcome by the beauty of it.
But a warm hand reached out, brushing the tear away. Startled, I looked up, only to find myself face–to–face with Derick. His gaze was intense, his eyes locked on me as if he were memorizing every detail of my face. I felt a chill run down my spine.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded, unable to keep the edge out of my voice.
“Were you following me?”
Derick‘ s eyes widened, a flicker of hurt crossing his face. I knew he hadn‘ t expected that kind of reaction from me. In the past, I would‘ ve been thrilled to see him, welcoming him with such eagerness resemble a puppy to its owner.
Before he could respond, Becky sprang out from behind him, smiling in that fake,
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“helpful” way of hers.
“Gotcha!” She tried to joke. “Well, you forgot to block my other account. I saw everything you posted and of course I had to tell Derick. We catch a first flight as soon as you say you want to go to the sea. We’re here to make things right. Penny, don‘ t let misunderstanding get between you.”
In the past, Derick would‘ ve quickly chimed in with her, but this time, he remained silent. He seemed irritated, turning to Becky and snapping, “Didn’t I tell you not to come? I need to talk to Penny alone.” His voice was sharp, his usual charm gone.
Becky‘ s face fell, but she forced a smile and walked away, clearly trying to keep her composure. Now that it was just the two of us, I instinctively took a step back, wanting to keep some distance between us. But Derick closed the gap, stepping forward, his face filled with urgency.
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“Penny,” he began, “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. I know I messed up. I shouldn’t have avoided meeting your
parents; I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you. And I never should‘ ve carved Becky’s name on the back of the gift you gave me… I was dumb.”
I watched him, numb, as he tried to justify his actions, his words blending into a meaningless hum. It was all too little, too late. His excuses and shallow apologies had
become his usual routine.
“So,” he said finally, reaching into hist pocket and pulling out a card, “will you give me another chance?”
He handed it to me–a “forgiveness pass” I’d made him as a birthday gift the previous year. I remembered how he’d chuckled and called it “childish,” tucking it away in a drawer without much thought. I’d tossed all the gifts I’d ever given him into the trash when I left, and it must‘ ve taken him ages to dig this one back out.
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I took the card from him, and his eyes lit up, filled with hope. But a moment later, I tore it into shreds, letting the pieces scatter in the breeze.
“You want a second chance?” I scoffed,
my
voice low and cold. “That card was for one mistake only, so what exactly do you want forgiveness for? Sleeping with Becky before we got married? Mocking me as a
‘washed–up old woman‘? Or maybe the times you secretly flew out to be with her on holidays while I was left at home? Alone!”
“Don’t you get tired of juggling between two women?” I shook my head, watching as he swayed, his face going pale. He struggled to say anything in response, probably because I’d laid his mistakes bare. I turned to leave, but as I stepped a meter away, I heard him make a sound—a faint plea, almost desperate, trying to
