Reborn, No More Scapegoat

Jake Carter called and asked to meet. We settled on the small hometown diner we used to hit up.

He couldn't look me in the eye the entire time, and we didn't exchange a word during the meal. It wasn't until we were about to leave that he finally pulled a property deed from his bag.

"This is for you," he said. "I accept my defeat. Consider it compensation for your emotional distress. Your name is already on it."

I didn't bother with polite refusals. I took the deed, mumbled a quick thanks, and got up to leave.

Jake scrambled to his feet, calling out from behind me with the one question he'd been burning to ask all along. "If you loved me back then, why did you let Brenda get to me first?"

I turned around, looking him in the eye for the first time all day. "Are you really going to pretend you never knew how I felt? You were just playing dumb the whole time."

"I-I'm sorry," he stammered. "Can we still get dinner together tomorrow?"

"Forget it. I don't need your apology," I said blandly. "You were a victim in this mess, too. As for dinner, don't bother. I'm resigning from the company tomorrow, and it's best if we don't see each other again."

The iron wire ring I once treasured as proof of love had turned out to be a cage. Stepping out of the diner, I threw the rusted ring straight into the trash.

From now on, I would live for myself.

Every time Brenda Carter slipped away to meet her secret lovers, she told her husband, Jake Carter, that she was staying over at my apartment.

This time, after calling her dozens of times with no answer, the furious man marched to my place.

Heavy, frantic pounding rattled my front door as Jake yelled at the top of his lungs, "Open up, Jessica Kemp! I know you're in there! Every time you go out to wild out, you drag Brenda into your mess.

"She's an innocent girl. How could you have the heart to drag her down into your gutter?"

He didn't stop, his voice echoing down the hallway.

"You took her to that bar where she drank that roofied cocktail and got assaulted, and she ended up pregnant. Her reputation is ruined! Do you have any idea what that kind of trauma does to her?

"Every time you had an abortion, Brenda was the one holding your hand! When you got in deep with loan sharks, Brenda bailed you out! She has been nothing but a loyal friend to you, so why won't you just leave her alone?

"I've turned a blind eye for a long time out of respect for her friendship with you, but if you don't clean up your act and stop harassing her, don't blame me for what comes next. Open this door right now and let her out!"

His voice was booming, drawing the attention of the