Daniel’s POV.
I collapsed onto my bed, feeling like I’d been punched in the gut Christiana had chosen Alex. She’d gone back to him, to her ex, her kids‘ father, the man she “never stopped loving.” And here I was, alone with nothing but this hollow ache, this tugging emptiness that wouldn’t let go. Every time I closed my eyes, I could still see her, hear her words playing on repeat. I’d been holding onto some ridiculous hope, some dream that maybe she could love me the way I loved her. I was a fool, wasn’t I?
I raked a hand through my hair, letting out a bitter laugh that sounded more like a choke. “What were you thinking, Daniel?” I muttered to myself. “That she’d choose you over him? They have a life together, kids… How could you ever compare to that?”
The room was dark, curtains drawn tight, blocking out the world outside. Shadows pooled around me, just as empty and heavy as this ache in my chest. My phone had been vibrating with messages all day, my grandmother, my brothers,but I couldn’t bring myself to answer. What was I supposed to tell them? That I’d given my heart to someone who only saw me as a friend? That every smile, every laugh, every shared moment had meant everything to me but barely scratched the surface for her?
I clenched my fists, feeling anger bubbling beneath the hurt. “Why didn’t you just tell me, Christiana?” I whispered, voice breaking, “Why did you let me believe I had a chance?”
I swallowed hard, my throat tightening, as though the words were still stuck there, refusing to leave. I’d been stupid enough to think she could love me, to think that maybe, just maybe, I could be the one to make her happy. But I was wrong. She’d never really seen me, not like that. I was nothing more than a friend, a shoulder to lean on, someone she could talk to when she needed support.
I looked around the room, every corner filled with reminders of her. The empty coffee cup she’d left the last time she visited, the sketch she’d made on the corner of my notepad when she was lost in thought. I’d been holding onto those little things, clinging to them like they meant something, like they’d prove she felt something too.
“Get a grip, Daniel,” I muttered, my voice laced with frustration. But I couldn’t shake it, couldn’t shake the feeling of being torn apart from the inside. This hurt ran too deep, deeper than anything I’d felt before.
I shut my eyes, willing the ache in my chest to loosen its grip. But the more I tried to let go, the tighter it wrapped around me, squeezing every breath, every bit of sanity left. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way she’d looked at me that last time we were together, her eyes gentle, soft, but filled with a hint of something I couldn’t quite grasp. Maybe pity. Maybe guilt.
I let out a shaky breath, running my hands over my face. “You’re pathetic, Daniel,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Chasing after someone who was never yours to begin with.”
The silence in the room was suffocating. Even the ticking clock seemed to mock me, each second stretching longer than the last. She was probably with him right now, probably feeling like she was exactly where she belonged, back in the arms of the man she’d loved all along. The thought made my stomach twist, bile rising as I gritted my teeth.
My phone vibrated again, a new message flashing across the screen. I picked it up, seeing my grandmother’s name. Her text was simple: “Are you okay, honey?”
I typed out a response, then deleted it. What could I say? That my world felt like it was falling apart? That I’d poured every ounce of myself into hoping for something that was never real? That I didn’t even know who I was anymore without the hope that maybe, just maybe, I could be enough for someone like Christiana?
Instead, I locked the screen and tossed the phone onto the bed. I was so tired of this, so tired of pretending to be okay when everything felt wrong. She’d told me her decision calmly, gently, like she was breaking it to a child. And that was what stung the most–how composed she was, like she’d already made peace with it long before I’d even known.
Isqueezed my eyes shut again, the weight of it pressing down harder. “Why did you lead me on, Christiana?” I whispered
1/2
09:28
Wed, Nov
Chapter 123
into the darkness. “Why did you let me think…” My voice broke, the words dying in my throat.
98%
I tried to tell myself I’d get over it, that I’d move on. But deep down, I knew better. She was fnore than just a fleeting crush, more than just someone I wanted. Christiana was the one I could see a future with, the one who made me feel like I finally had something worth fighting for. I’d never felt that before, not like this.
But what did any of that matter now?
My hand trembled as I reached for the empty coffee cup she’d left behind, running my thumb over the rim as if I could feel some trace of her warmth, her presence. Memories flickered in my mind–the laughter we shared, the late–night talks, the times when she’d looked at me like I was someone she could trust. Each moment burned, leaving raw scars that felt impossible to heal.
I forced myself to stand, pacing the room. I needed to get a grip to remind myself that I was more than this, that I’d survived worse. But every time I tried to push her out of my mind, she came rushing back, her face, her voice, her smile. It was maddening, this endless cycle of hope and heartbreak.
“Maybe this is what I deserve,” I muttered to myself, a bitter smile twisting my lips. “For believing in something that wasn’t real.”
I slammed my fist against the wall, the sharp pain grounding me for a brief moment. But even that was fleeting, swallowed up by the wave of despair that threatened to pull me under. How was I supposed to keep going, knowing she’d chosen him? Knowing that no matter what I did, no matter how much I cared, it would never be enough?
The door creaked open, and my grandmother stepped in, her face lined with worry. She took one look at me and sighed, reaching out to pull me into a tight hug.
“Oh, Daniel,” she murmured, her voice filled with sympathy. “It’ll be okay, honey. You’ll get through this. I know it hurts now, but time will heal this.”
I wanted to believe her, wanted to cling to her words like a lifeline. But deep down, I knew it wasn’t that simple. Christiana wasn’t just a passing phase, a fling I’d get over in a few weeks. She was the real thing, the one I’d opened my heart to in a way I never had before. Letting go of that felt impossible, like tearing out a piece of myself.
“I don’t know, Grandma,” I whispered, my voice barely holding steady. “I thought… I really thought she might love me back.”
She patted my shoulder, her gaze filled with compassion. “You deserve someone who loves you just as deeply, Daniel. Someone who sees you for who you are and doesn’t keep you waiting, doesn’t make you second–guess yourself.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. But even as I tried to let her words sink in, the ache remained, a constant reminder of everything I’d lost.
After she left, I stood by the window, staring out at the empty street, feeling more alone than ever.
