(Freya's POV).
My hands were still shaking slightly as Jason led me into the car. He was so attentive to putting on the safety harness for me and making sure I was comfortable.
As he got into the car, he quickly got a bottle of mineral water for me and I drank it carefully.
"Slow down," he reminded me when he saw my hands shaking as I held the bottle.
"Thank you," I said in a low voice. I handed the bottle back to him.
"Feeling better already?"
"Yes. Thank you for helping me. I don't know what would have happened to me without you." I clutched my hands in my lap. Feeling so helpless.
"What the hell is going on? Why are you on the streets alone this late? Where's Devan?" he asked with a worried look.
I couldn't answer Jason's question because I didn't want him to know what was going on in my marriage. He was Devan's friend.
"Freya? Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine," I replied wryly.
"It's okay if you don't want to answer. I won't force you to talk."
I nodded. "Sorry," I whispered.
"I'm taking you home, then. Dev must be worried about you."
Worry? That was impossible.
He never loved me at all, so why would he care about me? Let alone worry about me.
I smiled bitterly. Even if it was him, he'd probably drive off without any intention of helping me from the drunks. Seeing me suffer was his greatest desire.
I glanced at Jason who occasionally looked at me as if to make sure I was comfortable.
"Have you been drinking?" I asked him because I could smell alcohol on his body. I wondered if he had just returned from the bar he frequented.
"Oh, no. Don't worry. I've never driven drunk," he informed me. I was a little relieved to hear that.
"But I smell alcohol on you."
"Oh, this is...." He touched his clothes with a chuckle. "My friend was drunk and he called me. I picked him up and just came back from his house. Right when I saw you being harassed by those drunks."
"Oh."
"Freya, don't lump us in with them."
I was surprised when he chuckled at me. Making me rush to apologize to him. "No, sorry. That's not what I meant. I'm just worried that you're driving drunk. It jeopardizes your safety."
"Correction. Our safety." And he smiled again. “And don't worry, I'm not mad, Freya.”
A few minutes passed, and Jason's car stopped right in front of the house. I rushed to get out, but Jason quickly ran out of the car and helped me.
"Oh, I forgot to ask about your leg. What's wrong?"
"It was hit by a broken glass. I accidentally dropped it and it hit my leg."
"You'd better be more careful."
I nodded again. "Um. You don't have to help me, Jason. I'll go in by myself. You can go."
"You don't want me to walk you into the house?"
"Yes, I can go by myself. Thank you for helping me, Jason."
"My pleasure, Freya. I'm glad I could help you."
"Be careful on the road," I said with a gentle smile.
Jason smiled back before getting into the car. Just then, I was startled when I suddenly heard the sound of the gate being opened. I reflexively turned to look behind me and saw Devan standing there with a cold stare.
"D-Dev...."
"Oh, Hey buddy!" exclaimed Jason. He got back out of the car when he saw Devan appear.
"What are you doing here?" asked Devan. He rejected Jason's hug and pushed him away coldly.
"Me? I brought your wife home safely."
"What do you mean?" asked Devan. He immediately glanced sharply at me.
I bit my lip with an uneasy feeling. I was afraid that Devan would get angry like last time when Eric tried to help me.
"You should ask Freya directly."
"Why don't you tell me directly? Seeing as you're still standing here," he said in a cold tone.
I swallowed my saliva with difficulty. I hoped there would be no more fights.
"I just came back from my friend's house. And I accidentally saw your wife being harassed by drunks on the side of the road. I helped her and took her home," Jason told me, "You should be more careful with your wife. She's a beautiful woman, Dev. A lot of men like her."
I widened my eyes when I heard Jason's last words. I was so surprised that I didn't dare to look Devan in the eye.
"Uh, Jason. It's getting late, you should go home."
"Alright!"
Upon seeing Jason get into the car, I hurriedly grabbed Devan's wrist and invited him inside. When we were inside the house, he coldly brushed my hand away.
"Is what Jason said true?" he asked suddenly.
I was surprised when he asked me that. I thought he wouldn't care and just ignore it.
"Yes. Some drunks tried to hurt me," I answered honestly. I looked at him to see what facial expression he was showing me, but there was only a look of indifference on his face.
"It wasn't you who teased them?"
"What?" I stared at him in disbelief. Shocked and disappointed by his cruel attitude. I had too many expectations about him.
"Why be so surprised, isn't that what you're good at? Teasing men with your cheap tricks."
"Dev, enough! You're too much. You don't even know the fear I feel when they try to hurt me. At least have a little sympathy for me as a fellow human being."
"You don't even deserve it," he said rudely and walked away from me.
I could only watch his departure with disappointment. Squeezing my chest that felt tight. Even under these circumstances, she was thinking negatively of me. Did I not exist in his heart? Not even a little bit?
If I have to go through a miserable marriage like this with him until the end, I probably won't be able to endure it. It's too painful for me to face alone. I don't even have anyone in this world anymore.
The marriage that I thought would be the beginning of my happiness was instead the beginning of my misery. And that's from the person I love.
"Does loving him have to be this painful?"