The moon hung low over Ithaca, casting its silver glow across the quiet streets.
"What a night." Jace pushed open the door to his apartment as he walked inside.
Inside Jace's modest apartment, the hum of the refrigerator was the only sound accompanying his footsteps as he climbed up the stairs.
He had just returned from his second shift, weary but content. For the first time in weeks, he had saved enough for a surprise gift—a silver bracelet for his wife, Jade.
"Jade?" He called out, his voice echoing faintly. He placed the bracelet box on the kitchen counter and walked towards the bedroom.
The door was ajar, and the faint sound of laughter floated through. Jace's brows furrowed. It wasn't like Jade to have visitors this late.
As he pushed the door open, the sight before him stopped him cold. Jade, his wife of three months, was in the arms of his best friend, Great.
The sheets tangled around their bodies did nothing to hide their betrayal. Jace's breath hitched, his mind struggling to process what he saw.
"Jace," Jade gasped, pulling the blanket over herself. Great, unbothered, sat up with a smirk.
"Guess the cat's out of the bag," Great said, his tone filled with mockery.
Jace's hands clenched into fists. "You… you betrayed me," he said, his voice trembling with anger and disbelief. His gaze darted to Jade. "And you… How could you?"
Jade didn't meet his eyes. "You're never around, Jace. Always working, always tired. You didn't even make that much money. Great… he was there for me."
"Spare me your excuses!" Jace roared, taking a step forward. Great stood, his posture cocky.
"Relax, man. It's not like she loved you. Hell, the baby isn't even yours," Great sneered, throwing the words.
The air seemed to leave the room. Jace stumbled back, his vision blurring. "What?" he whispered. The world tilted, and his knees threatened to buckle beneath.
"Yeah," Jade said, her voice softer, almost pitiful. "I'm pregnant, Jace. But it's Great's child. I… I was going to tell you."
The world seemed to darken around him, walls closing in as his chest tightened. He staggered out of the room, his chest heaving. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think. Everything he had built, every belief he had held onto, crumbled.
"Jeez, how could you betray me?" His fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white; without another word, he grabbed the nearest object and hurled it against the wall, the crash echoing like thunder.
""What are you mad at Jace?" Jade snapped. "Don't act like you didn't see this coming. I tried to love you, but Great gave me what you couldn't." Her eyes locked with Great's as she said.
"You aren't just good enough for me." Jade rolled her eyes at him, and Jace staggered backwards.
"If you don't mind, please leave us." Great muttered.
"Aren't you supposed to be my best friend? How could you?" With a shaky voice, Jace asked; he wanted to know why the most important people to him would be so shameless.
"Jeez, what more do you want to see? You'd receive our divorce letters tomorrow; please sign and send them back. I'm done." With her eyebrows furrowed, Jade said.
Without another word, Jace walked out of the house and into the streets.
Why in God's name would everything turn against him?
Hours later, Jace found himself at a bar, drowning his sorrows in cheap whiskey.
He couldn't go back to that apartment, couldn't face Jade or Great. As he downed his third shot, his phone buzzed. It was his mother, Laura.
"What now?" Jace muttered, answering the call.
"You good-for-nothing!" Laura's voice screeched through the speaker. "I told you to send money, and you haven't. What kind of son are you?"
Jace pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mom, I—"
"Don't 'Mom' me! You're a disgrace, just like your father."
The words stung more than they should have. Jace had grown up under Laura's constant criticism, but tonight, her venom felt particularly sharp. "I'm trying, okay?" he said, his voice breaking. "I'm doing my best."
"Your best isn't enough; others got something better, and what did I get? A useless, good-for-nothing fool as a son. I was probably cursed in my previous life." Laura spat before hanging up.
Jace slammed his phone onto the bar counter. The bartender glanced at him, sympathy in his eyes. "Rough night?" he asked.
Jace laughed bitterly. "You have no idea."
With a thud he dropped the cup he was holding and walked out of the bar, his mind wandering. A suffocating numbness crept over him, and at that moment he wished the earth would swallow him.
Just then a van screeched to a halt beside him. Before he could react, the doors flew open, and masked men dragged him inside. He fought back, but they overpowered him, pinning him to the cold metal floor.
"What do you want?" Jace demanded, his voice hoarse.
One of the men leaned closer, his breath hot against Jace's ear. "To end you."
"What the hell, let me go!" He shouted.
He struggled. A strong fist slammed into his stomach; he doubled over, coughing.
"Shut up!" The van door slammed shut, and the vehicle jerked forward. Jace felt the bump and turn, his mind racing with questions.
Who were they? What do they want?
When it finally stopped, he was dragged out and thrown onto a cliffside overlooking Taughannock Falls. "Sir, we've got him. No worries; he'd be gone by morning." One of the men said over the phone.
"You should've stayed in your place," one of the men said, looking at the guy after he went off the phone, pointing a gun at Jace.
"Wait, who wants to kill me? Jade? Great?"
"What a pity he didn't even get to know his real father before he died." One of the men hissed at him.
"What do you mean? My father is dead. Please let me go. I don't even know you guys." Jace's eyes were already as red as wine as he peed, but all he could hear was laughter.
"Maybe when you get to hell, you'd get to ask around, and you'd know who your actual father is. Such an unfortunate guy."
"Please, I…" Before he could finish his sentence, the trigger was pulled, and Jace's mind went blank. The pain was sharp and immediate, a fiery agony that spread through his chest.
He fell backwards, his body tumbling down the rocky slope towards the water below.
"No, I can't die. I don't want to die yet… God, if you exist, please save me. I must come back and make them pay!"