Luna tilted her head, giving Kelvin an innocent, pouty look that would fool anyone who didn’t know better. Her voice was sweet, almost musical, as she spoke.
"But, Diana seems to be... well, I guess she's doing alright, isn’t she?” she murmured, her eyes glinting as she turned to Kelvin. “So… could you maybe stay with me a few more days? I just feel so much better with you here.”
Kelvin hesitated, glancing at her for a brief moment. Then, his expression softened and he nodded with a reassuring smile.
I had heard enough. With a pounding heart, I pushed the door open and found them there, close, comfortable and far too intimate for just “friends.” My leg throbbed in pain, but I couldn’t stop staring, feeling utterly betrayed. Kelvin looked up, startled to see me standing there, my face pale and angry.
“Oh, Diana...” His voice trailed off as he took in my blood-stained jeans and swollen ankle, though a look of impatience quickly replaced his initial shock. “What are you doing here? You’re clearly hurt—you shouldn’t be running around like this.”
I swallowed hard, fighting the tightness in my throat. “I was coming home to celebrate with you, Kelvin. I wanted to tell you about my competition… but you abandoned me. And here you are, relaxing with her?”
Luna looked up at Kelvin, pressing her hand to her mouth in a fake gasp. Kelvin’s expression darkened as he turned back to me, his tone sharp.
“Diana, stop being so ridiculous. Luna was in serious trouble and here you are, making it about yourself. I’ve never met someone so cold-hearted.”
I felt tears sting my eyes as his words struck me like a slap. He took a step forward, gripping my arm a little too firmly and tilted my chin up with a condescending smirk.
“What good news could you possibly have?” he sneered. “Ever since you came into my life, Luna’s depression has only gotten worse. Every time you’re around, it’s just bad news.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. This man—this man I’d loved for three years—was blaming me for Luna’s fragile state. My heart twisted painfully as he shrugged my arm off with an exasperated sigh.
“Look, just go back to the hospital and rest for a few days,” he said dismissively. “I’ll stay here to make sure Luna’s okay. She needs me.”
A lump formed in my throat, making it impossible to speak. The joyful day I’d anticipated had been ruined in a heartbeat. Kelvin seemed to hesitate briefly, his gaze softening as he looked at me.
“If you really need me, I guess… you can come by when you’re feeling better.” He looked back at Luna, who clung to him, smiling sweetly. “But right now, I can’t just leave her.”
Luna’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction as she leaned close to Kelvin, flashing me a sugary smile. “Thank you, Kelvin. And Diana, I’m sure you don’t mind, right? After all, you’re so much older than me… and we’re like sisters, aren’t we?”
The smugness in her eyes was undeniable. Kelvin might have chosen to overlook it, but I couldn’t. I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of anger that dissolved the pain in my ankle.
“Kelvin, you two make me sick. I hope you and your little ‘sister’ have a wonderful life together.”
Kelvin’s jaw clenched, his eyes narrowing. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me,” I said, my voice trembling with emotion. “We’re done. It’s over.”
With trembling fingers, I pulled off the ring he’d given me on my last birthday and dropped it on the floor. It rolled to a stop at his feet. Ignoring his stunned expression, I turned and walked out, refusing to look back.
Outside, I limped away, the cold air stinging my skin and my heart feeling hollow and bruised. I might have broken things off, but I couldn’t escape the deep sadness that now filled me. The road stretched out before me, crowded with strangers, as I struggled to make sense of the last three years of my life.
Every step reminded me of the countless times I’d found myself alone, needing his support only for Luna to “coincidentally” have another crisis. Her desperate calls, her helpless cries… they’d always conveniently popped up whenever I needed him. How many times had I tried to reason with myself, to believe she was just struggling and that he was only being a good friend? But today had shown me the truth. A life-threatening injury, an achievement I’d wanted to share, none of it mattered to him when she was involved.
As I stumbled along, exhausted and broken-hearted, I knew I couldn’t fool myself anymore. Kelvin had made his choice and I had no choice but to walk away from the person I’d loved… who, in the end, had loved someone else far more than he’d ever loved me.
