The Last Chance (Watty Awards)

* Author's Note: The prologue to this story may seem rather fast, and that's because it's not supposed to be a main part of the story. The real story starts on Chapter 1. I just needed this to clarify why Jeff and Lindsey hate each other. Otherwise, it would make no sense at all.

Also, I'd like to say that I would love new feedback, and yes, I do listen to feedback. I edit the prologue a lot to try to slow things down, but it's rather difficult.

This chapter is dedicated to live4ever_laugh2day for supporting my story! Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!!!

Thanks! Enjoy the story!

~fr3e2dre4m

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Lindsey's Point of View

I saw it, staring at me, so perfectly, so hauntingly. His face. The face I had loved for so long angered me. He had torn my heart to pieces, over and over again, until my wounds were far too deep to fix. Oh yes, Jeff Gregors had slowly killed me, drained me of my soul. 

He had loved me so long ago, in our younger days, when his carefree laughter was the sound I cherished most. 

And his hands, so gentle when they held my face steady to kiss me. His frame towered over me and I felt protected in his arms.

Oh yes, he had loved me at one point, but he lost himself after his mom died. I loved Katherine too. She was so beautiful, but after her death, Jeff was never the same. Her death changed everything. I don't know if he even cared for me after that. He became entirely absorbed into his work.

I shuddered as I thought of the night I had seen her bloodied face, her flesh like red pulp that lay around her. Her beautiful blonde hair was caked with dried blood, and more blood oozed from cuts on her body. I felt tears slide down my face, and hastily wiped them away. I was supposed to be strong, and crying did not show strength.

His mother was the glue holding together the family. After the accident, the family had fallen apart. Matt had run away and died in the woods, Kelsey had fallen into a coma, Jeff shot through the torso. That's why he ran away with me. Not because he loved me, but for escape. He never loved me, I thought with hatred.

Besides, what good came out of my marriage? Sure, when we were dating he wooed me, and told me he loved me, but back then, Katherine was alive. Back then, his father wasn't a crazy drunken bastard. I had to stand up and show him I wasn't his pawn.

He was never home, and last month when he did come home, he simply dumped his briefcase on the couch and quickly stumbled to our bedroom before passing out. Sure having him home was nice, but one month out of the year? It just wasn't enough for me, the hopeless romantic fool. The one who loved to make everyone feel better.

My fragile heart couldn't take it anymore when I heard these dreaded words, being broadcasted on TV to thousands of viewers.

"So Mr. Gregors, who or what is the most important thing in your life?"

"My business, it's always been my business."

A little part of me died that day. All that was left was my shell. My soul had been sucked out by those cruel words.

I threw the remote at the TV screen, creating a crack in his perfect face, and then stared wistfully at the beautiful meal on the table, our anniversary meal. I had married Jeff Gregors last year, and I had been head over heels in love. What a romantic fool I had been, thinking that he would actually love me, that I could actually change his cold heart.

With a sweep of my arm, I swiped the dishes off the table into the trash, and headed into my, I mean our room to retrieve my carefully packed bags. For as long as I could remember, I had been planning to leave him, because I knew I couldn't change his broken heart, or his jaded soul. But each time, a little piece of me and my love held me back.

All I felt right now was anger, and fury, that I could've allowed myself to be manipulated in such a way, to be used. He didn't love me like he used to. He loved that I could understand his pain of losing Katherine.

Now that I knew he held no value to me, I had no choice but to walk out on what we could have been. Regretfully I shot the beautiful house one more look before I fled, sobbing as I ran out the door.