Chapter 177 Promise Me Something

Chapter 177 Promise Me Something
Jane's POV

"Until I turned eighteen and could finally get away. Six years of walking on eggshells, never knowing when he'd show up or what mood he'd be in." I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand. "Some days he'd just stare at me like he was seeing a ghost. Other days he'd be cruel, calling me names, saying I'd end up just like my mother—though he never explained what that meant."

David was quiet for a moment, processing. "Jane, did your mother ever mention anything about Thomas? Any problems between them? Any secrets?"

"That's just it—she never said anything bad about him. She'd get this happy look sometimes when his name came up. "

"What about other family members? Anyone else who might know what happened?"

I shook my head. "Mom's parents died when I was little. She didn't have siblings. And Thomas... I don't even know if he has other family. He always seemed so alone."

"Earlier at the store, he said I was just like my mom, born to seduce men," I continued, my voice barely a whisper. "Do you think... do you think my mother did something? Had an affair maybe?"

David immediately cupped my face, his eyes incredibly serious. "Jane, listen to me. Whatever happened between the adults in your life, it had nothing to do with you. You were a child. And even if your mother made mistakes—which I doubt—that doesn't define who you are."

"But what if—"

"No what-ifs," David interrupted firmly. "The you I know is kind, gentle, and so strong. You're not responsible for anyone else's choices or pain." His thumb gently brushed my cheek. "As for your mother, from everything you've told me about her, she sounds like she was loving and devoted to you. Thomas's words are nothing but vicious slander."

"But why would he change so suddenly? There has to be a reason..."

"Maybe," David acknowledged. "But that's his burden to bear, not yours. You were an innocent child who lost her mother and then had to endure years of emotional abuse from someone who should have protected you."

I bit my lip, still uneasy. "He said you'd dump me eventually, that I'd just play with your feelings like she did..."

"Silly girl," David said, his voice tinged with helpless affection. "Is our relationship really so fragile that it can't withstand a few crazy words from him? I chose to get engaged to you because I love you—the real you, not some twisted version he's created in his mind."

"But what if there's truth to what he's saying? What if I am like her in ways I don't understand?"

David leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead. "Then I'll love those parts of you too. Jane, I've seen you at your best and your worst. I've seen how you care for others, how you work hard, how you worry about hurting people's feelings. If that's what being 'like your mother' means, then she must have been an extraordinary woman."

Looking into David's sincere eyes, the stone in my heart gradually settled. But then I remembered Thomas's final threat. "But he said 'you just wait and see.' What if he comes after us again? What if he tries to ruin our wedding?"

David was silent for a moment, then his expression grew resolute. "If he dares to come back, I won't let him hurt you even a little bit." He took my hand, his fingertips tracing the ring on my finger. "I'll protect you, protect our home, and our upcoming wedding."

"But what if he knows something? Some secret that could—"

"Jane," David interrupted gently but firmly. "Even if he does know something, it doesn't change how I feel about you. Nothing he could say would make me love you less."

I nestled back into his embrace, listening to his steady heartbeat. "You're right... it never made sense how he just flipped like a switch. Maybe it's time I faced the past properly and found out what really happened."

"We could start by going back to your old neighborhood," David suggested thoughtfully. "Talk to neighbors who might remember your family. Maybe visit your mother's grave—sometimes being there helps memories surface."

"I haven't been back since I left," I admitted. "I was too scared of running into him."

"You won't be alone this time. I'll be right there with you."

"What if we find out something terrible? What if my mother really did—"

"Then we'll deal with it together," David said simply. "Whatever the truth is, it can't be worse than the uncertainty and fear you're living with now."

I looked up at him, feeling a mix of terror and hope. "You really think we should investigate?"

"I think you deserve to know the truth. And I think Thomas's power over you comes from these unanswered questions. Once we know what really happened, he can't use it to hurt you anymore."

"Okay," I whispered. "Let's do it. Let's find out what really happened after Mom died."

David smiled and pulled me closer. "Good. From now on, whatever happens, don't bear it alone. Tell me, and we'll face it together. I ought to have struck him more fiercely—should’ve let him feel it."

I couldn't help but laugh through my tears, playfully hitting his chest. "Don't say that. What if you got hurt? Your ribs were already red earlier—I was terrified."

"It's nothing serious," David smiled dismissively. "As long as you're okay, a little injury doesn't matter." He placed my hand on his chest. "Jane, I know Thomas has left deep scars on you, but I'll do everything I can to help heal them. We'll uncover the truth about what happened back then, and our future will be beautiful—we won't let his darkness contaminate even a fraction of it."

"Promise me something," I said quietly.

"Anything."

"Promise me that if we find out something bad about my mother, or about me, you won't look at me differently."

David was quiet for a long moment, then he tilted my chin up so I had to meet his eyes. "Jane, I promise you this: no matter what we discover, no matter what secrets come to light, my love for you will not waver. You are not your mother's mistakes, and you are not Thomas's victim anymore. You are the woman I chose to spend my life with, and nothing—nothing—will change that."

As I looked into his earnest eyes, I felt something shift inside me. For the first time in years, I felt ready to face the truth, whatever it might be.