Chapter 1: Betrayal

"My life is nothing but a tragedy; a single disaster shattered all my hopes." A woman in her late forties, with wrinkles of sorrow on her face, lamented, "Ever since my daughter married that good-for-nothing scoundrel, we've been nothing but his slaves; he doesn't bring a dime to the table, only takes and takes." She cried.

"Can you believe that he was a passenger on that doomed flight a few years back?" One of her companions whispered, suddenly recalling the catastrophe that happened years back.

"Which flight? The one that crashed and burned, killing all its passengers?" A third woman asked, horrified at the memory.

"Yes, that one. Jack was on board. And he lived to tell the tale." The first woman spat, bitterly.

"No way! Really?" The second woman gasped, shocked. 

"Then he must be loaded if he could afford a plane ticket." The third woman agreed..

"I wish he was rich, but he's not; he must have sneaked into the plane as a caterer and got trapped." The first woman moaned, "He can't even recall who his own parents were." 

"I don't know why he's still alive," the first woman, who was Jack's mother-in-law, continued, and the others nodded in unison.

"He's not only draining your family's money," the second woman said, "he's also wasting your time, your life..."

"We're not getting any younger, you know," the third woman said. "We have our own troubles to deal with."

Jack's mother-in-law leaned forward in her chair, her eyes wild. "I know it's cruel to say, but I'm just going to say it: He should have perished on the plane. Then we wouldn't have to suffer with him like this."

A heavy silence fell over the table as the other women absorbed the words.

"I hate to say it," she went on, "but it's the truth. We can hardly survive, let alone someone like him."

The group of women nodded in sympathy.

"He's just wasting away," the third woman said.

"I know it's heartless," the second woman said, "but if he were gone, you'd all be happier."

The women grew quiet again, each immersed in their thoughts. Their conversation had turned sinister when Jack emerged from his room, but they didn't seem to notice his presence.

"He's a real nuisance." Jack's mother-in-law said "I can't stand this nonsense anymore." She added, "He's a walking catastrophe, and I want nothing to do with him anymore." The other women agreed with her.

"He's like a parasite, draining the life out of everyone around him."

"You should relax, stress is not good for your health." The second woman advised.

"I'm going crazy; no, I've already gone crazy. He should have croaked long ago. He's a total liability on us."

Jack didn't utter a word and just walked out of the door. That was when they noticed him, and they were shocked when they realized he heard them.

...

Jack raced his bike through the dark streets, his heart pounding in his chest. He had just finished his last delivery of the day, and he was desperate to find a gift for his wife for Valentine's Day. He knew they were struggling to make ends meet, but he wanted to show her how much he loved her.

He screeched to a halt at a red light, and his eyes fell on a tiny florist on the corner. A glimmer of hope sparked in his mind. She loved flowers.

He ditched his bike and ran into the florist. The shop was a dazzling display of roses, lilies, and orchids, but he knew they were way out of his league.

"Hi, can I help you?" the florist asked.

"I need something cheap for Valentine's Day."

The florist showed him the cheapest options, and he picked a small bouquet of daffodils. He knew they were nothing compared to the other flowers, but they were sincere, and that's what mattered.

He dashed out of the florist with the bouquet in his hand, thinking of his wife's smile. He knew that his mother-in-law hated him because he was poor, like she thought when they saved, but he didn't care. He loved his wife, and she loved him back, and that was all that mattered.

Or so he thought...

He staggered out of the bedroom.

Jack felt a surge of pain and rage as he saw the scene before him. There, in his own bed, was his wife with another man. Tears burned in his eyes, but he clenched his jaw and held them back. He marched up to the bed and slammed the flowers on the nightstand.

"Surprise, honey! Happy Valentine's Day!" He spat out the words, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I see you surprised me too.

His wife, Jenny, gasped, and jumped out of the bed, clutching the sheets to her chest. "J-Jack... I-I can explain," she whimpered.

"There's nothing to explain, darling," Jack said, his voice cold and bitter. "I see you're enjoying yourself without me. You betrayed me."

His wife looked away, unable to face him. Then, she started to laugh hysterically. "Ha! You really thought I was going to spend Valentine's Day with you? You're such a joke!" she sneered. "I only saved you thinking you were some rich guy, but you've been a delivery boy all your life. I wonder how you got on the plane."

Jack felt his heart shatter. His wife's words stabbed him, but he tried to stand tall. "I may not be rich, but at least I have honor," he said proudly.

His wife scoffed. "Oh, spare me, Jack. Wake up! You can't support our family, and you want me to be faithful to you?"

"Darling, I work hard every day to make you happy. And all you care about is money?" Jack pleaded, trying to reach her. He glared at her as his eyes flashed.

"Don't try to teach me. You're just a delivery boy. A nobody!" his wife snapped.

Jack, feeling more wounded than angry, went quiet. He knew his value and didn't need his wife's validation to affirm it. But he couldn't comprehend why she had become so cruel and heartless toward him.

…

"Get out! Now you know there's no reason for you to stay in my house! And never come back!"

"Fine, I'll go, but you'll regret this."