I never expected to see Jacob, my ex-fiancé, again, let alone as a beggar in Central Park. This encounter soon revealed shocking betrayals that made me question everything I knew about my past and the people I cared about.
‘Come on, Nina, have another slice of pizza before you go,’ said my friend Eric, smiling his usual smile.
‘No way,’ I replied. ‘I have to catch my flight and take a little walk in Central Park.’
Eric rolled his eyes but waved his hand.
‘Okay, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. When you get back to dreary St. Louis, you’ll regret not eating another slice of real New York pizza.’
The energy of New York always made me feel alive, but it also reminded me of Jacob. And that day, I had a strange feeling about him. It had been eight years since he disappeared, and although I thought I had gotten over it, the city reawakened old memories.
As I was walking through Central Park, I saw him — a familiar but unkempt figure sitting on a bench. My heart skipped a beat. Could it really be Jacob?
‘Jacob?’ I asked cautiously as I approached him.
‘Nina?’ His voice was weak, but it was definitely him.
‘What happened to you?’ I asked, not taking my eyes off him.
‘It’s a long story. Can we talk?’ he asked.
I hesitated, but curiosity got the better of me.
‘Okay, let’s get something to eat.’
We went into the nearest café, and I bought us some food. When we returned to the park, I couldn’t wait any longer.
‘Start from the beginning,’ I said.
He took a deep breath.
‘Two hours before our wedding, some men came into my room. They said your father had sent them.’
‘My father?’ I was shocked.
‘Yes. They beat me unconscious. When I woke up, I didn’t remember who I was. I wandered around, trying to survive.’ And now, here I am.
I looked at him, my heart torn between disbelief and compassion.
‘Are you saying my father did this to you?’
Jacob nodded, his eyes pleading with me to believe him.
‘I’m telling the truth. Your father didn’t want us to get married.’
‘Why didn’t you ever come back?’ My voice trembled. ‘Why didn’t you try to find me?’
‘I had nothing left,’ he replied quietly. ‘For months, I didn’t even know my own name. And when my memory partially returned, I didn’t know how to find you. I was lost, Nina.’
I tried to digest his words.
‘I don’t know what to think, Jacob,’ I whispered, stunned.
‘I don’t expect you to forgive me,’ he replied softly. ‘I just wanted you to know the truth.’
We sat in silence, the weight of his confession hanging between us. Finally, I got up, unable to stay any longer.
‘Take care, Jacob,’ I said quietly as I walked away, my heart heavy and my feelings in turmoil.
That evening, back at Eric’s flat, I tried to put the encounter out of my mind, but Jacob’s words continued to haunt me.
‘Are you okay?’ Eric asked, noticing my pensive expression.
‘I saw Jacob,’ I confessed, still not quite believing it.
‘Jacob? Your ex?’ Eric raised his eyebrows in surprise.
‘Yes. And he’s… in bad shape,’ I said. ‘He said my father ordered him to be kidnapped on our wedding day.’
‘That sounds crazy,’ Eric shook his head. ‘Do you believe him?’
‘I don’t know,’ I sighed. ‘I don’t know what to think.’
The next morning, I found myself back in Central Park, unable to leave without answers. I sat down on the same bench where Jacob and I had talked and replayed our conversation in my head. I needed answers.
I took out my phone and called my father.
‘Nina? What’s wrong?’ His voice was tense.
‘I met Jacob,’ I said, hearing him hold his breath.
‘That man dared to show up?’ my father said coldly.
‘He said you ordered him to be kidnapped,’ I blurted out.
There was a long pause.
‘I didn’t order him to be kidnapped, Nina,’ he finally said, but there was a defensive tone in his voice. ‘I gave him money to leave you alone. He took it.’
My world collapsed.
‘What did you say?’
‘He wasn’t right for you,’ my father insisted. ‘I did it to protect you.’
‘You ruined everything!’ I cried, tears welling up in my eyes. ‘You took away my chance to be happy!’
‘Nina, I did what I thought was right,’ he said, but I had already hung up, my hands shaking with anger.
Trying to comprehend the betrayal of both my father and Jacob, I reached into my bag to call Eric and froze.
My purse was gone.
The realisation hit me like a bolt of lightning. Jacob must have stolen it when I left my bag on the bench.
My trust was completely shattered. Was every story he told me just another lie? How could I have been so naive?
I sat on the bench, my soul raging with pain, anger, and a deep sense of betrayal — both from the man I once loved and from my own father.
A passerby stopped and asked,
‘Are you okay?’
I forced myself to smile, even though it felt hollow.
‘Everything will be fine,’ I replied, getting up, ready to leave the past behind.
As I walked away, I knew I couldn’t change what had happened, but I could decide how to move forward. It was time to rebuild my life and leave the betrayals of the past where they belonged — in the shadows.
