By Persephone
It was a perfect evening, one of those rare nights where everything aligned perfectly. The sun had set, casting gentle golden hues across the sky. Aarav and I spent the day laughing, reminiscing, and dreaming about the future in his quiet, inviting home. The familiar scent of his cologne lingered as we relaxed on the couch, wrapped in warm light.
“Are you okay?” Aarav asked, his gaze warm.
“Absolutely, I’m wonderful. Just happy to be here with you,” I replied with a smile.
He returned it, his gentle eyes making me feel cherished. I sank into the cushions, savoring the moment. Then, the doorbell chimed.
“Are you expecting someone?” I asked, surprised.
He shook his head. “Just a moment, I’ll grab it,” he replied, already rising from his seat. There was an urgency in his tone that struck me as unusual, but I dismissed it, assuming it was nothing significant.
A few minutes later, he returned to the living room, but something felt off. His face was tense, almost anxious, and his posture seemed withdrawn, as if an invisible barrier had formed between us.
“Is everything alright?” I inquired, trying to gauge his mood.
He paused for a moment, then nodded, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, all good.”
But I could sense that it wasn’t. There was a heaviness in the atmosphere, a stark contrast to the usual comfort we shared. I shifted in my seat, tucking my legs beneath me, feeling a sudden wave of unease.
“Aarav, what’s wrong?” I asked gently. “You seem off.”
He met my gaze, his expression momentarily blank. Then, as if he could no longer hold it in, he blurted out the truth. “I… I’ve started seeing someone else,” he confessed, his voice barely audible.
The revelation struck me like a blow. For a moment, I was at a loss for words, blinking in disbelief. “What did you say?”
“I’m so sorry,” he rushed to explain, his tone heavy with remorse. “I never intended for this to happen. But it did. I’ve… developed feelings for her. I never wanted to hurt you, I promise. It just… unfolded.”
I felt a tightness in my chest. His words pierced through the calm exterior I had been trying to maintain. It wasn’t merely the fact that he had cheated; it was the realization that he had ‘developed feelings’ for someone else, that another person had taken the place in his heart that I believed was solely mine. The betrayal hit me harder than I had anticipated.
“How long has this been going on?” My voice trembled, and I despised that weakness.
“A few months,” he confessed, his gaze averted. “It’s been happening for a while, but I didn’t know how to tell you. I was... I was afraid of losing you.”
“Afraid of losing me?” The disbelief was clear in my tone. “Aarav, you’ve already ‘lost’ me. You can’t say that after everything that’s happened.”
I stood up, retreating from him as if distance could shield me from the pain. But it didn’t. His betrayal hung in the air like a suffocating fog.
“I’m at a loss for words,” I murmured, the weight of his confession crashing down. “I don’t even recognize you anymore. How could you betray me like this?”
My heart felt like it was fracturing. He had been my everything—my confidant, my ally. Now, in an instant, he had shattered that trust.
“I never meant to hurt you,” he said, his voice trembling. “I thought I could balance both of you, but I was mistaken. I’m truly sorry.”
His words felt hollow, mere echoes of a futile attempt to mend what was broken. My hands trembled, and I fought back tears.
“You’re sorry?” I echoed, icy. “Aarav, it’s not just about saying sorry. You can’t betray someone and think an apology will fix it. You’ve shattered something within me that can never be restored.”
His expression softened, but it was irrelevant. The damage was done; trust lay in ruins, and no apology could fix it. I saw the truth in his eyes—he understood.
Shaking my head, I said, “I need to leave.” He didn’t stop me, his face a mix of remorse and sadness.
I grabbed my jacket, my legs trembling as I headed for the door, each step a departure from the person I thought I loved. The door clicked shut, and outside, the weight of emptiness overwhelmed me.
What had started as a perfect evening had ended in a way I never expected. As I walked away, the tears I had held back finally fell.
