Chapter 10
In my memory, Zachary had never seemed as desperate and pitiful as he did now.
I spoke with an unsettling calmness:
“Zachary, stop struggling. There’s no shame in admitting you’ve fallen out of love.”
“I believe you truly loved me once, but the fact is, you’ve changed. You don’t love me anymore.”
He cut me off, panic flashing across his face:
“No! That’s not true! I still love you–Natalie, please, you have to believe me!”
I smiled, but it wasn’t a kind one.
“You say you love me, but you can’t even remember the things I like. The food you buy for me? It’s always Aria’s favorites. You say you love me, but the gifts you give me–Aria has the exact same ones. You say you love me, but you forget my birthday, our anniversary. And when things got dangerous, when I needed you most, you didn’t hesitate to abandon me to run to someone else.”
“Zachary, is that what your love looks like? Because if it is, your love is awfully cheap.”
His expression crumbled as he saw the indifference in my eyes. For the first time, he seemed truly afraid.
“Natalie,” he stammered, “I know I’ve been wrong. Just now, while I was waiting outside for you, I finally understood what it feels like to be left waiting. I’m so sorry for all the times I made you wait for me in the past. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“I know I’ve screwed up so much. You have every right to be mad. But please, Natalie, give me one more chance. I’ll change–I swear I’ll change. I’ll be the kind of man you deserve.”
He choked back a sob as he continued:
“I’ll learn to cook for you. I’ll split the housework with you. I’ll pick you up and drop you off at work every single day. I’ll never eat food made by anyone else again. I’ll eat whatever you like, right alongside you. If you want to travel, I’ll take you anywhere you want to go–anywhere in the world. I’ll never forget your birthday again. I’ll never miss another anniversary. I won’t ever leave you for someone else’s phone call.”
I stood there silently, my face unreadable.
He grew more frantic, his voice cracking.
“I’ll fix things with Aria. I’ll make sure you never have to see her again. I’ll fire her. I’ll delete every bit of contact I have with her–her number,
C
3:16 PM.
<
I let out a bitter laugh.
“So, you do know what you’ve been doing wrong. But you still chose to treat me that way. Why? Because you didn’t care. You knew I loved you, and you thought I’d put up with anything. You thought I’d never leave, no matter how far you pushed me. That’s why you kept crossing the line, over and over again.”
His voice rose in desperation. “No, Natalie! I care about you. I love you!”
I shook my head.
“Sorry, Zachary. I don’t feel it. All I’ve ever felt from you is your disregard, your disrespect. You say you love me, but the way you drop everything for Aria, the way you cater to her every whim–that’s what real love looks like.”
His face went pale, as if all the blood had drained from it.
you were “I admit,” he whispered, “I lost my way. For a while, I thought my pity for her was love. But it was all a mistake. When I realized leaving me, it was like my whole world collapsed. That’s when I finally understood–it’s you. It’s always been you. Losing you feels like dying, Natalie.”
“I was so blind,” he continued, his voice trembling. “I couldn’t see the difference between my feelings for you and my guilt for her. I even used Aria to provoke you during our arguments. I was so stupid, so cruel. I let her admiration and dependence on me cloud my judgment. But Natalie, I swear–there’s nothing between us. There never was. Please, let’s start over.”
“No,” I said quietly. My voice was steady, emotionless.
“I don’t love you anymore, Zachary You don’t deserve my love. I’m worth more than this. I deserve a love that’s pure and unwavering–a partner who’s fully devoted to me.”
With that, I turned and walked away.
Behind me, I heard him stumble to his feet, dragging his injured leg as he tried to follow, Blood seeped through his pants, staining the floor as he reached out to grab my arm.
In
“Natalie,” he gasped, his voice raw, “don’t go… please…”
I turned to look at him one last time, my voice cold and firm.
“Stop trying to play the victim. It won’t work.”
He flinched, his body trembling, his eyes filled with despair.
“Natalie…”
But I didn’t stay to listen.
I walked out of the room and straight to Austin, who was waiting for me with a calm, steady smile.
He held out his hand, and I placed mine in his.
We smiled at each other, and together, we walked away without looking back.
Later, I heard what happened after the wedding.
Aria had been critically injured in the car crash that day. She was rushed to the hospital, but she didn’t make it.
As for Zachary, he refused treatment for his own injuries in his desperation to find me. By the time he finally sought medical help, it was too late. The damage to his leg was so severe that it had to be amputated.
Years passed.
Austin and I had a child together–a beautiful little boy who was two years old by the time I heard about Zachary again,
He was still going around, telling anyone who would listen:
He was still going around, telling anyone who would listen:
“Where’s my Natalie? Who took my Natalie away?”
And then he’d add, almost to himself:
“If you’re eighteen–year–old Zachary, and you ever meet twenty–eight–year–old Zachary… don’t forgive him.”
The End.
