Sorry, part three: Darkness Rising

Links to the rest of this story: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, Part Five, Part Six, Part Seven I tell myself that I have no regrets of what I have done, that I only regret the things I didn't do. After all, I now have a lot to be thankful for: a wonderful husband, two gorgeous children and academic success... Yet I have to admit that I wish I hadn't had to get through such dark times to arrive where I am now... So... in all honesty, I started seeing Jack to make Sorry jealous. Yet when it didn't seem to be working, I got attached to Jack, wether through habit or real love, I don't know, though at the time I was convinced it was the latter. Being housemates, Jack and Sorry were good friends and swore that girlfriends could never get between them. One day, Jack decided to put it to the test. We were all in Jack's room, listening to all the soft rock tunes we loved (and still do!) when Aerosmith's "What it takes" came on. Sorry was singing along, all the while stealing glances at me as though he were singing it for my benefit. A look passed between us, and I think we both realised then exactly what dangerous games we were playing in trying to make each other jealous. Unfortunately, jack noticed too. "I know there's nothing between you two now," he announced, trying to state a fact though we all knew thr truth was far from it. "You two could even kiss right in front of me, and I'd know it meant nothing!" It was, of course, a calculating invitation to do just that. But I couldn't, I just couldn't do it. And by the look of despairation, neither could Sorry. There was still that spark between us, it could easily become a raging fire again if we were to kiss, even in front of Jack. We were both with other people, not single anymore. Obligations and commitments we couldn't about-turn on. In my refusal, Jack got exactly what he wanted: to prove to Sorry that I was his territory now. Things had got no better with my parents. I began to yearn to be free of what I thought was their overprotective tyranny, and the only way to do that was to move out. Of course, i was only sixteen at the time, so I knew they wouldn't just let me. Of course, at the time I didn't realise that they were only thinking of my better welfare, hot-headed teenager that I was! But as things became worse at home, I began to see Jack as my way of getting out. So we looked for a place together, and I left home just before my seventeenth birthday. It was great for all of three days. Then a new form of tyranny began...