Chapter 6
Chapter 6.
Darius was rambling so much that I barely understood a word he said.
“Rina, no, you ve got it all wrong. Please come back, let me explain. I’ll make everything clear if you just come back.
Asshole, freaking cheat. My annoyed wolf lashed out.
What did he want to explain? Did he think I could explain to everyone why I ran from my own wedding? Was I supposed to clear up the fact that Alina, standing there looking more beautiful than me, wasn t trying to overshadow the bride?
When he first wanted to build a business, I supported him. I used my own research and filed patents under his name. When he couldn’t afford to go further, I gave him my inheritance to help him out. Then, when he finally succeeded, I brought up getting married, but he told me it wasn’t the right time. I stayed focused on my studies, even earning a PhD, so I could support Bloodmoon when it
needed me.
He never visited me while I was studying in Silverlake, claiming he was too busy. I made all the effort, traveling the long distance just to see him. But what was he doing while I was away? Less than a hundred kilometers away, he was with Alina. He took her to all the places he had promised to take me. He whispered the same promises to her that he‘ d once made to me.
He had sworn we’d be together forever. Now, after everything, his first instinct was to beg me to come back. Did he really think I would just come running back like some loyal dog?
“Rina, I know this must hurt you, but I was only teasing Alina. There’s no way I would let her actually take over the wedding!”
His words were like ice. I know you‘ re hurting right now, but just tell me where you are, and I’l come get you. I’ll take you home, okay?”
I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly. “Darius, stop. You‘ re just making it worse.”
He couldn’t stand the idea of me being the one to walk away. I could hear it in his voice, the disbelief. “Rina, I’m not lying. Where are you? Tell me, or I’ll search every corner of the world to find you and bring you back for our wedding. I’m serious, I wont marry anyone else but you!”
He kept talking, listing all the things he would do for me. He promised me a new proposal, a dream wedding, destination photos, and a ring that would make others jealous. His voice even cracked when he talked about marriage.
Ten years we spent together, and only after I had given up completely did he try to promises. But I didnt want them anymore.
fulfill those
How could I marry a man who didn’t love me? A man who had fallen for Alina, the one person I despised most? The same Alina who had lied to me countless times, and now, he was making excuses for her.
He always knew what I wanted, but he never gave it. Too many empty promises had turned his words into nothing.
“Darius, it s over. Thank you for the time we spent together, but holding on is just pathetic. It’s time we let go. I wish you well.”
“Rina, 1 Il find you, I swear. I’ll beg for your forgiveness.”
His desperate voice no longer stirred any emotions in me. “Alina is a better match for you, Darius. Just be with her.”
I ended the call and blocked his number. After two years of being kept in the dark, I was done playing
the fool.
The next day, I threw myself into work, joining my advisor and senior classmates for our research. We were so deep into it that we forgot to eat, sleep, everything. I felt alive again.
Back when I was with Darius, I would sometimes slack off, distracted by thoughts of him, only to be scolded by my advisor. Now, with no distractions, my classmates started to worry about me.
“Rina, take it easy. If you keep this up, the professor will start thinking we re not pulling our weight.” Their concern warmed me in a way Darius never had. The people who truly cared about me didn t want to see me burn myself out. Darius, on the other hand, knew exactly how hard I worked just to be with him, but he never cared.
That evening, after a long, satisfying day in the lab, I was walking home with my classmates under the dim streetlights. That s when I saw him. Darius.
I almost didn t recognize him. He had lost so much weight in the few weeks since I’d last seen him. It nudged one of my classmates and tried to slip past, hoping he wouldn’t see me.
But he did. “Rina!”
I kept walking, but he ran over to me, blocking my path. His face lit up with hope the moment he saw me. He held out a bouquet of roses, his eyes brimming with emotion.
“Rina, I’m sorry. Please, come back. Let s go home together.”
I stared at the flowers for a moment before brushing them aside. “You should be with Alina. We re done. You‘ re only embarrassing yourself by coming here.”
He didn’t seem bothered by my coldness. Instead, he continued in a gentle voice, trying to reason
with me.
“Rina, you have to believe me. I was wrong to get involved with Alina. I came to Silverlake looking for you, but I had an accident. Alina took care of me for weeks. I didn’t want you to worry, so I kept it a secret. Then one night, I drank too much and… I thought she was you. Afterward, I was too ashamed to face you, so I went back home.”
He paused, lowering his voice. “I never meant for it to happen, but Alina ended up pregnant because of that night. She had an abortion because of me, and now I feel responsible. But I swear, I only care
about you.”
I listened to him weave his lies, but I wasn’t falling for it. He was trying to manipulate me, just like he always had. If he was really drunk, he wouldn’t have been capable of what he did. If he wasn’t, then there was no excuse.
“Hina,” he said softly, “didn’t you say that no matter what mistakes I made, as long as I admitted them and changed, you’d wait for me?”
Yes, I had said that. But this wasn’t about admitting mistakes or making things right. He wasn’t
Chapter 6
apologizing out of genuine regret.
I had been blind for far too long.
“Darius,” I said quietly, “it’s over. You need to let go.”
