Chapter 5: Broken
1447 Words
-William-
She is married...
I could hardly believe what I had been told. Married? It didn’t make sense. Vanessa and I had promised ourselves to one another before I left. This couldn’t be true, and my eyes must have reflected my disbelief and shock.
“Will...”
“Where is she?” I demanded.
“William, you—”
“Where?” I rose from my chair, not caring if I was making a scene. I needed to see her. I needed to hear this from her own lips. “Tell me now!”
“In Bridgewood. She married a lord.”
“A lord? But she is not a lady!”
“William, there are things you need to know—” I didn’t stay to listen. I had to find her. I didn’t care how I looked. I had to see her before I lost my mind. I went to my horse, freed him, and mounted quickly, setting off without hesitation. Fortunately, Bridgewood was the next town over, so the journey wasn’t too long.
When I arrived, people stared at me just as they had when I returned home, but I paid them no mind. I had to find Vanessa—the woman I had waited seven years to come home to and marry. I approached the first person I could find and showed him her picture. He glanced between me and the picture with a puzzled expression.
“Do you know where I can find her?”
“Lady Vanessa?” he asked.
So it was true—she was a lady now. My heart raced as I nodded. The man pointed in the direction behind him, and in the distance, I saw a magnificent estate. It was partially hidden by trees, but its grandeur was unmistakable. How had Vanessa married a lord, when she had owned so little and had no title? This lord was clearly wealthy, not at all of low status.
I thanked the older man I had encountered and then urged my horse into a fast gallop. I was desperate to reach her. I needed to speak to Vanessa and understand what was happening. As I rode over the white gravel leading to the grand stone staircase, I slowed my horse.
I could hardly believe she actually lived here. It couldn’t be true. This must be another Vanessa, not mine, I thought as I dismounted and began walking up the stairs. Standing before the two large wooden doors, I hesitated. It can’t be real, I told myself, before raising my hand and knocking. After a moment, an older man opened the door, looking at me with disbelief.
“Yes?” he inquired.
“I... I need to see Lady Vanessa,” I said.
The man scrutinized me, clearly unimpressed. He shook his head. “Her ladyship does not accept visitors today. Try again tomorrow.”
He moved to shut the door, but I placed my hand against it, pushing back to prevent him from closing it.
“Sir! You cannot just barge in here!”
Ignoring him, I stepped through the door and into what could only be described as a palace. The grandeur of the house was overwhelming, and my footsteps echoed through its vast halls. The servant, or whoever he was, tried to stop me, but I brushed him aside.
“Vanessa!” I called, my voice reverberating through the house.
“Sir! I told you,” the man insisted. “She does not accept any visitors!”
I ignored him as he grabbed my arm. Just then, I heard that familiar, soft voice I had longed to hear for seven years, amidst the battles against the cold and the Flesh Eaters.
“Alfred, what is going on? What is all this noise?” Vanessa called out as she descended the stairs.
My heart nearly stopped at the sight of her. Her long hair cascaded down her back, shimmering with an almost ethereal quality. She wore a deep red dress adorned with red emeralds, matching her red lips perfectly. She was just as I remembered her—perhaps even more beautiful with age. I, on the other hand, had grown rougher.
As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she paused, her eyes widening in shock when she saw me. I understood her reaction. I hadn’t written to her during my absence. I feared that the man I had become in that cold, desolate place would not be the one she remembered or loved.
“Will,” she whispered.
“Vanessa...”
She glanced at her servant and then back at me, confusion and concern etched on her face.
“What are you doing here?” she asked.
I stared at her, feeling confused, then around at my surroundings before turning back to her. “I... I wanted to see you. I just returned.”
“I can see that, but you should not be here,” she replied.
What? I couldn’t make sense of her words. Did she not want me here? That couldn’t be right. The Vanessa I knew would never say such things.
“Vanessa—”
“You need to go, Will. And do not come back.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, my voice rising in disbelief.
“I’m telling you to leave. I’m glad to see you’re alive and well, but you can’t stay here.”
“Vanessa...”
“You heard me, Will. Go!”
“No!” I said firmly.
“Will,” Vanessa sighed, clearly exasperated. “I told you to leave.”
“Sir—”
“I’m not going anywhere. Have you forgotten what we promised each other before I left?” I inquired, desperation in my voice.
She looked down, avoiding my gaze. “We were just kids,” she said softly.
“We weren’t just kids. We were in love.”
She glanced at her servant, who seemed bewildered by the exchange, but I paid him no mind.
“Vanessa,” I said, my voice filled with emotion. “I love you.”
“Will,” she said, shaking her head. “You cannot say that. I’m married.”
My heart shattered as she revealed the ring on her finger: gold with diamonds encircling a central red ruby. No... it couldn’t be... I knew she saw the shock in my eyes, but she did not look away this time.
“I’m married now. To a good man.”
“But... we promised each other...”
“Will, you were gone for seven years. Do you really expect me to wait that long?” she asked.
“Yes! I waited for you. I had no one else!”
“Maybe that was because you were stuck in snow and ice with only men.”
Why was she speaking so coldly? She had always been kind and smiling. How had she changed so much?
“Vanessa, I fought for us. I did everything I could to return. You knew I’d be gone for a long time.”
“Not seven years! I got a better offer,” she told me.
“What?”
“You might not have known this about me, but... the aunt I stayed with after my mother died was actually a lady. A distant relative, but she was my only family after my mother passed. She made sure I was well cared for and secured a good position in life. She wasn’t poor either, and she taught me everything a lady should know.”
I was stunned. Who was this person before me? Vanessa had always believed in love, not in money or status.
“With her help, I found myself a lord. I couldn’t have done better. I no longer have to live in the mud or marry the son of a carpenter. I’m a lady now.”
The ground seemed to vanish beneath my feet as I listened to her. I just... couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t her. It felt like some cruel joke or a terrible deception.
“I love you,” I whispered.
“No, you don’t, and I don’t love you. I never did. Now you need to leave. Goodbye, Will.”
She turned away, not even glancing back, as she walked up the stairs and out of sight.
“It’s not her,” I whispered to myself, but it didn’t change anything. I was escorted out of the house, but I didn’t resist this time. The door slammed shut behind me, leaving me heartbroken and confused. As the shock began to wear off, anger surged within me… I would never be fooled again!
- Writer
