| Body |
I watch as my ex-husband Rowan, who's standing next to me, stares at the love of his life, my sister Emma.
It is still at my father's funeral, yet he can't hold back his feelings anymore.
We were married but instead of two, there were three of us in our marriage. Him, me and the love of his life, Emma, the woman he’s refused to let go for nine long years of our marriage.
It’s honestly sad. The life I have. Living under the perfect shadow that was Emma nailed in the fact that I can never be good enough for anyone. She was my parents' favorite daughter, my husband's love of life. She always comes first in everyone’s mind while I’m left chasing after leftovers of their affection.
I used to harbor a glimmer of hope for my marriage with Rowan, but this also ended when we got divorced three days ago.
“Ava, you okay?” Rowan's deep voice always makes me shiver.
It’s then I realize that the service was over and everyone was leaving.
Shrugging my shoulders I stand up, without looking at him. I know it seems rude but I just can’t look at him. Not when the memory of him staring lovingly at Emma is still fresh in my mind.
“So we finally meet again” Emma’s bitter voice says behind me.
After what happened nine years ago, Rowan and I soon got married, and Emma vanished without a trace since then. Until now, she showed up again at father's funeral.
I turn around to face her. Her face was blotchy and her eyes were red and puffy, but she still looked like a freaking goddess.
I sigh. I so didn’t want to face her right now.
“Not now Emma. Can we just bury father first?”
She smiles then leans in so that I’m the only one that can hear her.
“We will bury him alright but let me tell you that I am here to stay. You also took my family from me all those years ago but no more. I plan to take everything back, including the man that was meant to be mine” she then steps aside and leaves just as the preacher calls us to go to back where the cemetery is.
I’m left shocked at her words but not really surprised.
What she doesn’t understand is that she doesn’t have to take anything back because none of them were mine to begin with. The family she’s talking about worships the ground she walks one. And Rowan? Rowan was and still is her man.
Pushing down the pain that wanted to drown me, I walked to the place that would be father’s final resting place.
I stand a little distance from mother, Emma and my brother Travis. They’re huddled together. Looking at them and me you would think that I was a stranger just attending the burial instead of part of them.
“Dust to dust…” the preacher says as they lower father’s body to the ground.
They then begin to cover his coffin with soil until he is completely buried. Mother’s wails are the loudest as she begs for father to come back to her. Emma and Travis both have silent tears running down their faces as they hold her in their arms.
I wipe my tears away. Since no one cares, I need to be strong for myself.
Once again people flood us to offer their condolences. I accept them mindlessly. It was like I was there but wasn’t at the same time. By the time I come out of it, most people were already dispersed.
And there stood Rowan and his parents.
I stand awkwardly and don't know if I should greet them. When his parents noticed me, they said something to Rowan and left. I breathed a sigh of relief. I was used to them treating me like that because we both know that I wasn’t their choice for their son.
Once they leave, we are left standing awkwardly beside each other. Now that his focus wasn’t occupied by his parents, it was solely on Emma who was standing a few feet from us.
I was about to excuse myself when I hear a screeching of tires. Everything happened so fast. Men with guns opened fire. The minute they started shooting I saw Rowan dive for Emma.
I stood shocked as I watched him protect her with his body.
I can’t believe he abandoned me to protect her. Why was I even surprised? This just proved that I’ll never be his priority. Seeing him protect her with his life completely broke something inside me.
“Watch out!” A man with a bullet proof jacket shouted at me.
He pushed me out of the way, but it was already too late. Something pierced my skin and I fell from the impact of the hit.
|