I Hurt Myself For Love

Benedict Cole’s undercover mission had failed. Only his twin brother, David Cole, returned.

I was devastated, nearly driven to madness over losing my husband.

Holding Benedict’s police badge, I tried to slit my wrists nine times, but I was always rescued just in time.

As my consciousness faded on my tenth attempt, I overheard a conversation between my mother-in-law, Helen, and David.

“El has tried to commit suicide for you ten times now. How long are you going to keep this act up? This woman is head over heels for you. Just stop lying to her already!”

David’s expression hardened as he flatly refused.

“David took a bullet for me. It is only right that I take care of his wife.”

“El’s from the countryside. She’s tough. Once Melissa becomes pregnant and has a child to live for, only then can I reveal that I am actually Benedict.”

The bathtub was dyed red with my blood, but the pain in my heart was far greater than the sting of my wound.

It turned out that it had all been a lie, a deception meant only for me.

My grief-stricken suicide attempts for love were nothing short of a clown’s tragicomedy.

My mother-in-law, Helen, sighed.

“Your ‘death’ has destroyed her! She looked so pale these past few days, and she has lost so much weight. When she finds out the truth, she will never forgive you! Sweetheart, you two are legally married. There are other ways to repay your brother. Melissa still has me to look after her—”

Before Helen could finish persuading Benedict, he cut her off.

“Mom, you don’t get it, so stay out of it. El’s grief is temporary. I’ll get her the best doctors to treat her mental illness. If that doesn’t work, we’ll try electroshock therapy. Once we get her through this rough patch, the suffering will stop. When Melissa gets pregnant and everything is back on track, I’ll tell El the truth. El’s a sensible girl. She loves me too much to let me go. She’ll understand why I had to do this.”

The water in the bathtub rose past my nose. The pain in my chest was so intense that I struggled to breathe. I let go of Benedict’s police badge in my hand and watched it drift in the bloody tub. I knew his badge number by heart. However, at this moment, it felt like a cruel and piercing betrayal.

The shower head fell, and the loud crash brought Benedict running.

He frantically gathered me into his arms. His anxious attempts to bandage my wound made me feel dazed.

I called out softly, “Ben...”

Benedict stayed in character so well and only let out a soft sigh.

It killed any hope I had left.

“El, you’re doing it again. It’s me, David.”

He looked at me with a mix of frustration and reproach.

“Benedict is gone. Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Stop being so reckless. You’re soaked. Let me get