Chapter 2

‘Ouch!’

I groaned as the man and I crashed to the ground with him on me, crushing me under his heavy weight.

‘Ow! I hope I didn’t hurt my baby! Am I bleeding? I don’t think so, but ow, my back and stomach hurt.’ I winced, pressing my hand over my stomach as he rolled off me.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” A masculine voice yelled, and my brows furrowed.

‘Who is he talking to? We are the only ones here. Does he have some kind of psychotic condition? I hope not. I can’t deal with a madman after all that happened today.’ I thought as I stumbled to my feet. Puffy blue eyes glared at me, and I flinched, taking a step backward.

“A-are you ok?” I asked, hoping I could disperse the tension hanging in the air. He probably wasn’t angry that I had saved him. Maybe shocked but not angry, I hoped.

“Why the hell did you save me?!” He barked, taking a step towards me, and I took two back.

“I… I-I couldn’t just let you—”

“You could have! You could have turned away and pretended I wasn’t there but you just had to stick your nose in where doesn’t concern you! Do you know why I wanted to die that you just decided you had the right to stop me? You—”

“Then jump!” I screamed, silencing him.

“The water isn’t going anywhere, so jump! I’m not going to stop you again! I shouldn’t have stopped you before! You’re just like my family and husband! I tried so hard to be a good daughter and wife. I was whatever they wanted when they wanted, even at my own discomfort, and do you know how they repaid me? I got divorced and disowned on the same day! After everything, everything I did. I was nothing to them! Nothing! They wished I was dead!”

Tears poured down my eyes and I wiped it with my sleeve. I didn’t want to rant to a complete stranger but he had no right to yell at me like that. Yes, I shouldn’t have stopped him but I wasn’t the source of his problem that he had to take his anger on.

“You know what? I don’t blame you or them. I blame me. I’m a fool and doormat. I let people walk all over me just because I wanted to please them, yet look at my life now. It’s… useless.” I whispered and slowly walked to the railings of the bridge. I stared at the abyss; my mind was already made up, and nothing was going to stop me.

“It would be better if I just disappeared. No one would miss me if I were gone.” I sighed, closing my eyes and flinging myself forward.

Instead of the rushing of air past my face, arms wrapped around my waist, yanking me before I plunged down the bridge.

“What! What’s going on?!” I gasped as arms wrapped around my torso and held me pressed against something firm and warm.

My eyes fluttered open and I turned stiffer than a mountain; the stranger was hugging me. My face was buried in his chest, and his head was rested on mine. His hug was gentle and warm and my eyes watered. When was the last time I got a hug?

“W-what are you doing? Let go of me!” I insisted, wiggling in his hold, but he held me tighter.

“I’m sorry that I shouted at you. It was wrong for me to take out my annoyance. It was wrong and stupid.” He apologised into my ear, running his fingers through my blonde hair. “And what you went through was terrible. Nobody deserves to go through that, especially someone as kindhearted as you, but I don’t think you should take your life.”

“I-Ironic coming from you. What rights do you have to stop me?” I sniffled, leaning closer to him for comfort. It was shameless, but he was the only thing stopping me from falling apart.

“None, but you’ll only give your family and husband the satisfaction that they were always right about you. They have been controlling you like a puppet all your life, controlling your moves until they decided they had no use for you. It might seem like everything is over, but it isn’t.” He let go of me, resting his hands on my shoulder, and his pale blue, almost grey eyes stared into mine. For a moment, I was hypnotised by the kindness and concern in them. No one had ever looked at me like that before.

“You have been given a chance to live your life on your own terms. No pushy family or ex. Just you. Now is the time for you to live for yourself and find what makes you happy. You deserve to live a long, good life, not one cut short because of toxic people. Do you understand?”

“You… y-you don’t understand. E-everything is a mess. I don’t k-know what to do. I-I… I-I don’t have anywhere to go. I-I… I-I’m hopeless.” I bawled, crying into my hands.

What he said was nice and appealing to think about, but reality wasn’t so easy. It was me, my baby, against the big, wide world. How was I going to survive with no experience when I couldn’t differentiate my left from right?

“Hey, now don’t cry. I didn’t say everything would be easy.” He panicked, patting my head as I tried not to sob.

“Good things don’t come easy, but the reward after putting in so much effort is always worth it. And most of the time, our brain projects things bigger than they actually are. You’ll find a way through it, and I can help you. Just make up your mind that you’ll live. You’ll create your own happiness and proof them for your sake. Life is worth living, and yours is too valuable to toss away because of idiots that can’t value you.”

‘I guess he’s right. Life is valuable. Not just mine, but the one in my womb. I have to live for me, for it… for us. I will be the mother I never had, and my son or daughter will be so loved. Our lives won’t be perfect, but they will be amazing. I’ll be free from my parents and Bruno, and my baby will never meet them. Everything will turn out well if I just have faith and put in work.’ I sniffled and wiped my face with my hands.

“Are you ok now?” The stranger asked, and I nodded.

“T-thanks for the advice. I’ll take it.” I replied, giving him a small, grateful smile. “I hope you’ll take it too.”

His face turned gloomy the second my words left my mouth, and his entire body slacked. The tired, crushed man I had saved was back.

“M-mine is a different. I don’t deserve to live.” He sighed, dropping his hand from my head and running it through his dark brown hair.

“If you jump, I’ll jump.” I said, and his jaw dropped.

“Are you crazy? You can’t do that!” He yelled, staring at me like I was, well, crazy. Bold of him to say that. Wasn’t he the one that convinced me not to jump some minutes ago?

“Well, you can’t do that either. If I live, you live,” I insisted, crossing my hand over my chest.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I am. What happened to the whole speech of life is valuable and stuff? Isn’t yours valuable too?”

“No. It was, but now, it’s not worth anything.” The man sighed; his eyes were cast to the ground and his shoulders slouched more.

My heart bled for him. What could he have done that made him think like that? Could he have… no way! Was I talking to a…

“Did you kill someone?” I whispered, pressing my hand to my mouth.

“What! No!” he exclaimed, snapping his gaze to me. “I did something stupid, but not that stupid. I hurt a lot of people.”

“It doesn’t matter. You’re living whether you like it or not.” I grabbed his arm, wrapping mine around it and holding it to my chest with all my might.

“W-what… what are you doing?” He stuttered as a little blush coated his cheeks, and he tried to yank his arm out of my grip. I held on like my life depended on it because his did.

“I can’t give motivating speeches now, but I can blackmail you. We die together. If you jump, I jump, and my blood is in your hands.” I smirked at him, and his gaze narrowed at me.

“You’re stubborn.” He grunted, frowning at me.

“You’re stubborn too.” I giggled. I wasn’t joking; if he jumped, I jumped, so he had to not jump because I was afraid of doing so.

“Fine, you win. I won’t jump.” He huffed.

“Good, now go back and make amends, alright?” I beamed, letting go of his arm and patting his shoulder.

“It’s not like I have a choice, but I’ll do it for you.” He grinned, pushing a strand of his hair out of his face.

Oh wow, how had I not noticed how handsome he was? Maybe it was because I was too blinded by sorrow a few moments ago. Though it had gotten quite dark, he was really handsome and from the moments I spent pressed against him, he was built.

“I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Sebastian.” Sebastian said, stretching out his hand to me.

“I—”

A car screeched to a halt at the end of the bridge and I winced at the sudden bright light and sound.

“Sebastian!” The lady cried as she and a man jumped out of it.

“Bianca!” He yelled and ran to her. She jumped on him, brawling her eyes out and telling him how they where looking for him and hoping he hadn’t done something to himself.

‘Is that his girlfriend? Aww so cute. I’m glad I could save him for her.’ I smiled as he and the other guy tried to console her but I wasn’t as happy as I thought I would be. I wanted something like that, true love.

But that wasn’t for me. I had tried love once and it almost killed me. Never again. I turned my back on the trio and walked away.