Chasing Light Through Darkness By Caleb Snow 34

Chasing Light Through Darkness By Caleb Snow 34 Summary

Annabeth reflects on the night she first took Selena into her home during a storm, a decision that marked the beginning of her suffering. After saving Selena, Annabeth became a target of local thugs and lived in fear, eventually involving the police to stop the harassment. Despite her pain, she never regretted helping Selena but was haunted by self-hatred for allowing another woman close to her husband, Jeffrey.

 

Over ten years, Annabeth’s life unraveled as she became consumed by jealousy and betrayal. She grew increasingly desperate for answers, confronting both Jeffrey and Selena, only to realize later that her anger couldn’t undo the damage. Jeffrey tried to calm her, insisting Selena’s studies were the priority and that Annabeth would remain his wife, but Selena was excluded from their home as she and Jeffrey’s secret meetings grew more frequent.

 

Obsessed with their affair, Annabeth followed Jeffrey and witnessed his intimate moments with Selena, shattering her heart. Her pain erupted in public outbursts, including smashing Jeffrey’s car and protesting outside Selena’s university. She exposed her hatred openly, once even disrupting Selena’s class, driven by resentment that Selena had destroyed her marriage and by a desire to reveal Jeffrey’s betrayal to the world.

 

Jeffrey’s response grew harsher as he hired bodyguards to keep Annabeth confined, fearing for Selena’s reputation and his own. Annabeth’s emotional torment led to self-harm, which Jeffrey met with anger and rejection. Feeling abandoned and trapped in her suffering, Annabeth reached a breaking point and attempted suicide. Surviving the attempt, she finally found a release in signing the divorce papers, freeing herself from the pain and the past.

 

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Selena’s stubborn yet courageous expression suddenly pulled me back to that stormy night when I first brought her into my home. The memory was vivid — rain pouring down, the cold seeping through my clothes as I made the decision that would change everything.

Because I had saved Selena, I became a marked woman, targeted by local thugs for months afterward. For a long time, I didn’t dare walk that street alone. Eventually, I had to call the police, and only then did the harassment finally stop.

Not once did I regret saving Selena. But that night, a dark thought gnawed at me—I hated myself for being so kind. Why had I opened the door for another woman to get close to my husband? Why had I given her that chance?

Ten years… Ten whole years of my life, slipping away like sand through my fingers.

I refused to accept what was happening. I let my appearance wither, my eyes hollow from sleepless nights spent demanding to know when it had all started. I interrogated them both, desperate for answers.

Looking back now, I realize how foolish I was. What good did it do to ask when the damage was already done?

But at the time, my heart burned with an uncontrollable rage, a betrayal so deep it consumed me entirely.

“Annabeth, please stop making a scene,” Jeffrey said one morning, his voice calm but firm as he dressed. “Selena’s studies have to come first now. She won’t fight you for anything, and she’s not asking for a title. You’ll still be Mrs. Johnson.”

He added, “You don’t need to sponsor Selena anymore. I’ll take care of her.”

After that, Selena never set foot in our home again, but their meetings multiplied. They were spotted everywhere — coffee shops, restaurants, libraries, even hotels. It was like they were weaving a secret world of their own.

From that moment, I became obsessed. I watched them relentlessly.

Jeffrey never worked overtime on Saturdays before, but now, every weekend without fail, he was at Selena’s university.

Like a woman possessed, I followed him one day in a taxi. I found him standing outside the teaching building, wrapped in Selena’s arms, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.

My heart shattered watching them. Overcome with an unbearable mix of pain and desire, they slipped into his car — the very car I had gifted him for his birthday.

Soon, the car began to rock with their rhythm.

That day, I couldn’t hold back. I stormed over and smashed the car to pieces, causing such a scene that both of them were left humiliated and stunned.

But Jeffrey was determined to protect her. He treated me like I was losing my mind and had security guards physically remove me from the premises.

For a long time after, I continued to make scenes, each more desperate than the last.

I once held up a banner and protested right outside Jeffrey’s university. I even went into Selena’s classroom, wanting the whole world to know she was a homewrecker.

She had been the struggling student I supported, the girl I once treated like a sister. Now, my hatred for her burned as fiercely as my past affection had.

I resented that, out of all the men in the world, she had to set her sights on my husband.

I was desperate for everyone to see her for what she truly was — an ungrateful wretch — and to expose Jeffrey as the most despicable liar alive.

By then, my love for Jeffrey was long gone, shattered beyond repair.

Fearing my escalating behavior and worried about the damage to Selena’s reputation and studies, Jeffrey hired bodyguards to keep me confined to the house.

I ended up hurting myself countless times, my pain invisible to the outside world.

That feeling of abandonment — like swallowing a bitter pill every single day — left me desperate for release. I had no way to express my suffering, no outlet for the anguish tearing me apart inside.

There was a time when even the smallest injury on me would make Jeffrey’s face fall with heartache, but that tenderness faded quickly.

Later, when he saw the long cuts on my arms, all he did was yell, disgust clear in his voice.

“Enough! If you want to die, go do it somewhere else. Who are you trying to fool with this ‘victim act’ here?”

“Annabeth, I never once thought about divorcing you before. If you had just looked the other way like you used to, I would have let you be Mrs. Johnson for the rest of your life.”

“But now, it seems you’re no longer fit for that role.”

In the end, I swallowed an entire bottle of sleeping pills and was rushed to the hospital. I didn’t die, but when I woke up, something inside me finally let go.

I signed the divorce papers, releasing myself from the pain and the past.

Conclusion

 

The chapter closes on a poignant note of release and transformation, capturing the raw depths of Annabeth’s anguish and the heavy toll of betrayal. Her journey through heartbreak, obsession, and despair reveals the complexity of love turned toxic, where kindness becomes vulnerability and trust shatters into fragments. Despite the pain, Annabeth’s ultimate decision to sign the divorce papers marks a crucial turning point—a painful but necessary step toward reclaiming her own identity and freedom from a suffocating past.

 

In this emotional unraveling, the themes of loss, self-worth, and the struggle to let go resonate deeply. Annabeth’s story is a testament to the resilience required to face the darkness within and the courage to seek light beyond it. Though the scars remain, her choice to move forward suggests a glimmer of hope, a chance to rebuild and rediscover herself after years of heartbreak and betrayal.

 

What to Expect in Next Chapter?

 

The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the aftermath of Annabeth’s painful decision to sign the divorce papers. As she begins to untangle herself from the web of betrayal and heartbreak, readers will witness her struggle to reclaim her identity and sense of self beyond the shadow of Jeffrey and Selena. The emotional rawness of her journey will be palpable, as she confronts the ghosts of her past and the lingering wounds that refuse to heal easily.

 

Tensions are far from settled, and the fragile peace Annabeth seeks may be threatened by unresolved feelings and the complicated ties that still bind these characters together. The story will explore how each of them navigates the consequences of their choices, revealing new layers of vulnerability, resentment, and perhaps unexpected moments of strength. Prepare for a chapter that balances quiet introspection with the simmering undercurrents of conflict, leaving you eager to see what paths these fractured lives will take next.