My Brother Became a Vegetable To Save Me Novel by NANCY ROWSE

After saying his piece, Elio turned with

Samara and walked away. His words echoed repeatedly in my mind as I numbly wandered the streets, letting the rain drench me. I still couldn’t believe that Elio had said such things.

Elio had completely forgotten that I didn’t even know Samara was afraid of water. This was my first time meeting her.

Everyone knew Samara was Elio’s first love and that I was just his nominal wife. It was an unspoken truth.

I collapsed onto the ground, my hands clawing desperately at the earth. It was futile. I cried out loudly, hoping that perhaps this would make Elio glance back at me, even if just for a moment. But his thoughts were far from me.

I lay there, sobbing uncontrollably, heartbroken. I was so disappointed in Elio, but if he had just given me one word of explanation, I might have forgiven him. But he didn’t.

Tears fell, splashing on the ground and reflecting the cold light of the street lamps above.

When I finally returned home, I heard laughter before I even entered. It was something I could only long for.

Samara and Elio were seated together, wrapped in each other’s arms. Samara whispered something in Elio’s ear, and instead of showing anger, Elio smiled affectionately and patted her head.

They were as intimate as a young couple.

When Samara looked up and saw me, she smiled slyly, then leaned in to press her red lips against Elio’s face.

In that moment, it felt as if my whole world had come crashing down. My breathing grew ragged. Everyone knew Elio had a cleanliness obsession–whenever I tried to get close, I had to gain his permission. Yet Samara could approach him so easily.

It dawned on me: I was never the exception to his rules.

He was unwilling to break his principles for me; he simply didn’t care for me.

Hiding behind the door, I gasped for fresh air, letting the tears flow freely.

I was heartbroken, realizing that Elio wasn’t devoid of feelings; he just didn’t have them for me.

Desperate and unwilling to accept this, I charged into the room, forcefully pulling Samara away from Elio. The sudden change of me caught even Elio off guard.

Samara was yanked to the ground by my force, and I shouted at her, “Don’t you have a family of your own? Don’t you know Elio has a wife? As long as Elio and I are still married, I won’t allow you to come between us!”

Samara seemed frightened by my outburst, her tearful eyes turning to Elio as she cried out in pain.

Elio, reacting swiftly, slapped me across the face. The sting was immediate, and I looked at him, my eyes reddened, and asked, “Elio, we are the ones who are married. Why are you prioritizing someone else over me?”

Elio hesitated, a hint of regret on his face.

“Aimee, I…