Chapter 5
Daniel stared at me in shock, as if he could hardly fathom that I had finally stopped loving him. I climbed into the car, urging Nicole to drive away. No matter how desperately he called my name from outside the window, I refused to glance back.
This moment felt eerily familiar. Once, I was the one pleading with him not to leave, begging outside the car as he walked away without a second thought. I remembered the countless evenings spent waiting for him to show up, yearning for a single rose, feeling relieved when he finally did, thinking he still cared. But now, I feel nothing.
As Nicole drove us through the night, I let
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Chapter 5
loose, enjoying the music and laughter around me. A handsome guy beside me pressed a glass of wine into my hand, encouraging me to drink. “Don’t spoil the fun! We’re all here to enjoy ourselves!” he said, grinning.
I stared at the glass, feeling the pressure to join in the revelry. Just as I was about to take a sip, Daniel burst onto the scene and
smashed the glass from my hand, shattering it on the ground.
“You‘ re insane! Gianna, you‘ re allergic to alcohol, and you dare to drink?” Daniel shouted, gripping my arm tightly as his eyes glistened with frustration.
I smiled softly, the kind of smile that masked the truth. I wasn’t allergic to alcohol at all; it was just a lie I had spun to create some
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Chapter 5
semblance of compatibility with him. Back when we were happy, he had held me close and declared that we were a perfect match. But now, all I could see was him toasting and laughing with Helena in her social media posts. It hit me like a cold wave–he had used my supposed allergy as an excuse to keep Helena from drinking, while I stood here, a mere clown chasing shadows of love.
“Stop causing a scene. Just come back with me,” he insisted, his voice softening. “I only found an excuse to postpone things for a few days.”
“Don’t be so willful when you marry me in the future,” he added, trying to sound reassuring. “I’ll keep my distance from Helena. You think thať 11 work?”
His words were wrapped in false comfort,
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Chapter 5
and just like that, the moment shattered when Helena called. Without a second thought, he released me, darting off to find a quiet corner to take the call.
I smiled gently, though his words about keeping his distance rang hollow. It was hard to believe anything he said when he dashed over to Helena as soon as her name was
mentioned.
“You know Helena went abroad at such a young age; she’s still feeling insecure,” he explained, trying to justify his actions. “So I thought I’d check in on her. Don’t be
angry.”
I nodded, masking my disappointment, and gestured for him to leave quickly. Before he walked away, he pulled me into a tight
embrace, saving. “Make sure to tell others vou
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have a boyfriend!”
As soon as he was gone, I stripped off the clothes he had touched, disgusted. I tossed them into the trash can, unable to shake the feeling of bad luck they brought. I didn’t want anything to do with those second–hand memories.
“Gianna, there’s a class reunion tomorrow. Are you going?” Nicole asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I hesitated. The thought of facing everyone, especially after everything that had
happened, was daunting. I knew they’d laugh at ma, But Nicole’s playful coaxing was hard to resist, so I relented and agreed to go with her.
When we arrived, my worst fears
Chapter 5 materialized. Helena strolled in, hand in hand with Daniel. He looked momentarily surprised to see me, his hand instinctively lifting as if to pull away from her. But the crowd around him quickly rallied, and he let it drop, slipping back into the comfortable familiarity of their connection.
Nicole, ever the fierce protector, cursed Daniel under her breath, calling him a “dog man,” and I could only nod, my heart heavy with the realization of how far things had fallen.
I couldn’t help but find the situation amusing. Here I was, the shameless one who had followed Daniel around, only to realize I had unwittingly delayed their wedding.
“I think it was Gianna who complained back then,” a provocateur chimed in, pointing a
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finger at me. “You didn’t admit it then, and you still want to deny it now?”
I curled my lips in disdain and sneered, grabbing a bottle and smashing it over the person’s head. Regret flickered through me for a moment; I didn’t actually want to hurt
anyone.
“You need evidence when you speak. What makes you think I’m the one who complains?” I shot back, wine splattering all over his clothes.
He seethed with rage, and without a moment’s hesitation, he called for the head teacher. “You want evidence, right? People like you are just asking for trouble!”
Daniel stood off to the side, silent and unhelpful. It stung me to think that he, too,
Chapter 5
believed I was the one at fault. After all, it was too much of a coincidence that I had followed him home, and soon after, their cohabitation and even the miscarriage became public knowledge.
The letter he had sent me echoed in my mind, stating he would punish me even if I wasn’t wrong. Just as the weight of the situation settled in, my phone rang, finally connecting me to the person I needed to talk
- to.
