Jessamyn's face throbbed from the slap, but her heart ached even more from the deep sting of betrayal.
She realized now that her greatest mistake had been ever loving Jerrick. If she had not loved him, if her heart had not been so open and trusting, her life would have been free of such heavy regrets.
She could have fallen for Joar easily, and he would have been her only love, just as she had always wanted.
She had been foolish to trust Jerrick, to believe he wouldn't abandon her. Declaring her love for a gardener boy to the world had seemed so brave, but now she saw it as reckless.
If only she had kept it a secret, like the other noble ladies would keep their romantic affairs a secret, she might have avoided this unbearable situation.
Jerrick's betrayal would have remained hidden, a secret pain she could endure alone, and her life with Joar—the man who loved her most—would have been sweet and pleasant.
