Mark’s eyes darkened as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a wad of cash. He threw it at the boy, the bills scattering across the sidewalk. "Here. Take this and get lost. And don’t ever come near her again."
The boy stood frozen, his fists clenched, but I stepped between them before things could escalate further.
"Enough, Mark!" I shouted, my voice breaking. "I’m done with this. I’m done with you. Just leave!"
Mark’s face contorted with rage, his hands shaking as he threw his glass onto the pavement, shattering it at my feet. "Fine! Don’t ever come back, Jane! Don’t you dare come crawling back to me!"
With that, he turned and stormed away, disappearing into the night without a backward glance. I stood there, staring after him, my whole body trembling with the weight of everything that had just happened. My ankle throbbed where the glass had hit it, but the pain felt distant compared to the hollow ache in my chest.
The boy bent down to pick up his broken camera, still glaring in the direction Mark had gone. "Are you okay? That guy’s out of his mind."
I nodded weakly, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on me. "I’m sorry about your camera. I’ll find a way to pay you back."