Urban Romance

Thunder split the sky, and rain poured down in sheets. I stood there in the downpour, watching her sever every bond between us, all for a worthless man.

My cheek burned where she had slapped me, but the pain was nothing compared to what tore through my chest. "Lindy…"

I opened my mouth, and rain poured in. 

I wasn't blaming you. I wasn't strong enough to save you.

…

As expected, I was driven out of that small room that had once given me warmth.

I had no money and no belongings. Aside from the clothes soaked through by rain, I had nothing. I found shelter beneath a bridge and curled into a corner, shivering. Then, the fever hit.

In my haze, I slipped back into my previous life.

Jonathan was drunk and grabbed Lindsey by the hair before slamming her head against the wall. She screamed and begged as her body was thrown around like a rag doll. 

I hid inside a cabinet, watching throug

The moment I saw Lindsey rush out of the bathroom with her hand over her mouth, squatting by the roadside and retching, I felt like the sky was about to collapse.

I knew it. The tiny life that had just begun to take shape inside her was me. With this child's arrival, her life would be completely locked shut.

I didn't even have time to process that thought before another piece of terrible news hit me. Jonathan had started hitting her. 

It could be because the food didn't taste good enough, or simply because he lost money and was in a bad mood. Sometimes, when he looked at her and felt irritated, he would slap her across the face.

Lindsey had already begun thinking about leaving. However, the sudden pregnancy crushed all her courage.

In my previous life, it was because of me that she endured Johnathan's repeated abuse. Night after night, she wiped away her tears and chose to stay when

Johnathan wiped the wine from his face. He didn't lose his temper. Instead, he looked wounded. "Yelena, if you hate me this much, then hit me. But please don't insult my feelings for Lindy."

"That's enough!" Lindsey shouted. Her pride had taken a hit.

She was the queen bee of the vocational school. Tonight was supposed to be her moment to show everyone how happy she was. Instead, I had turned it into a public mess. 

She grabbed my arm and dragged me out of the dance hall, all the way into the back alley.

It was the first time she had ever truly lost her temper with me. She shoved me hard. I stumbled backward and fell to the ground, my palm scraping against loose gravel. Blood seeped out immediately.

"What are you trying to do, Yelena?" Lindsey stood over me, chest heaving, looking down at me.

"Who do you think you are? What right do you have to interfere? What right do you have to ruin everything for me? You're my best friend. Do you think I'm some idiot you can toy with?"

I sat on the ground and looked up at her. Tears poured down my face, streaked with dust. "I don't want you to get hurt."

I cried, "Lindy, I don't want you to get hurt!"

Lindsey froze. Looking at my tear-streaked face, her heart softened. She let out a sigh and was about to reach down to pull me up.

"Lindy." Johnathan caught up to us. Red wine still dripped from his clothes. He looked disheveled, yet he maintained that gentle, devoted expression. "Don't blame it on Yelena. She's still young. She doesn't know better."

He took off his suit jacket and draped it over Lindsey's shoulders. "It's cold. You'll catch a chill."

Lindsey's hand stopped in midair. Then, she slowly pulled it back. 

She turned toward Johnathan. The light in her eyes grew brighter. "Johnathan, I'm sorry," she apologized softly.

"It's all right. As long as you believe in me." Johnathan took her hand.

At that moment, I knew I had lost. Lindsey turned around and followed him away. She didn't look back even once and left me alone in the dark alley.

…

After that, Lindsey went to a small clinic and had the sleeve tattoo on her arm removed just because Johnathan said he didn't like them. 

There was no anesthesia. The smell of burning flesh filled the room as the laser scorched her skin. She sweated through the pain, bit her lip until it bled, but didn't make a sound.

Just because Johnathan said women should take care of the house, she stopped riding her motorcycle. She even stopped drinking with the guys. Instead, she began learning how to cook, her hands slowly filling with burn scars.

I watched the fearless girl who rode motorcycles fade away, piece by piece. She was turning into the timid, ordinary woman from my memories.

Johnathan owed money to loan sharks. He told Linsey he had been scammed while trying to buy her a birthday gift.

She believed him and decided to sell her beloved motorcycle.

I stopped her outside the dealership. "You can't sell it, Lindsey. This is your life. You said as long as you're here, the bike stays."

I clung to the wheel, crying and making a scene.

"Yelena, let go." Lindsey's face was pale, her eyes exhausted. "He's in trouble. I can't abandon him."

"He's lying to you. He gambled the money away," I said.

"Shut up!"

In the middle of our argument, Johnathan arrived. When he saw me hugging the wheel, a flash of malice crossed his eyes. 

He walked over, pretending to break things up, but secretly pinched my arm hard. He leaned close and whispered, "You little bastard. I'll destroy you for trying to ruin my plans."

Something snapped inside my head. I grabbed a wrench from the ground and swung it with everything I had.

Johnathan didn't dodge. The blow landed squarely on his head. Blood poured out as he screamed and collapsed.

"Johnathan!" Lindsey screamed. She rushed over and shoved me away. Then, she slapped me hard across the face.

My lip split open instantly. My ears rang. I covered my face and stared at her in disbelief.

Lindsey held Johnathan, his head covered in blood. She then turned to look at me like I was a stranger. "Get lost."

She clenched her teeth, every word cutting deep. "Yelena, get lost. The biggest mistake I ever made was calling you my friend."

Thunder split the sky, and rain poured down in sheets. I stood there in the downpour, watching her sever every bond between us, all for a worthless man.

My cheek burned where she had slapped me, but the pain was nothing compared to what tore through my chest. "Lindy…"

I opened my mouth, and rain poured in. 

I wasn't blaming you. I wasn't strong enough to save you.

…

As expected, I was driven out of that small room that had once given me warmth.

I had no money and no belongings. Aside from the clothes soaked through by rain, I had nothing. I found shelter beneath a bridge and curled into a corner, shivering. Then, the fever hit.

In my haze, I slipped back into my previous life.

Jonathan was drunk and grabbed Lindsey by the hair before slamming her head against the wall. She screamed and begged as her body was thrown around like a rag doll. 

I hid inside a cabinet, watching through the crack, clamping a hand over my mouth so I wouldn't make a sound.

"Stop hitting. Please, stop…

Chapter 5