Hearts On The Highrise

Chapter 28 : shattered illusions

Flashback

"Do you even care that it's the same girl you cheated on me with who's now taking care of you?" Mew's words sliced through the air like a knife, each syllable dripping with venom. His anger was palpable, a suffocating weight that pressed down on me, leaving me gasping for air.

As I stood there, stunned into silence, I felt a wave of shame wash over me. In Mew's eyes, I was nothing but a traitor, a woman who had broken his trust and his heart.

In that moment, I wished I could disappear, to escape the weight of Mew's accusations and the guilt that threatened to consume me whole. But as I met his gaze, I knew there was no running from the truth. I had hurt him deeply, and no amount of regret could erase the pain I had caused. All I could do was stand there, silently bearing the weight of my mistakes, as the walls of our once-secure world came crashing down around us.

Mew stood before me, frustration written all over his face. He put one hand on his hip and the other on his temple, a gesture of exasperation that spoke volumes. His eyes locked with mine, demanding an answer, and I felt a knot tighten in my stomach as I struggled to find the words.

"You don't care, do you? You never did." His words hit me like a sucker punch, leaving me reeling with the harsh reality of his accusations.

"I'm tired, Mew," I finally managed to whisper, the words escaping my lips in a weary exhale. "I can't do this anymore."

Mew's expression softened slightly as he looked at me, his eyes searching mine for a sign of truth. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice softer now, tinged with a hint of uncertainty. "You really don't care?"

"I care about you," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. "I care more than you'll ever know. But... I don't know how to fix things anymore. I don't know if I have the strength to keep fighting for something that seems to elude me more and more every day."

Mew's brows furrowed as he absorbed my words, a flicker of hurt crossing his features before being replaced by resignation. "So, what are you saying, Charlotte?" he asked, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "Do you want to give up on us?"

His question hung in the air, heavy with the weight of our shared history, and I felt a pang of guilt gnawing at my insides. How could I even begin to answer such a complex question? How could I articulate the swirling mess of emotions that churned within me, tearing me apart from the inside out?

"I don't know, Mew," I admitted softly. "I don't know what I want anymore. All I know is that I'm tired—tired of the arguments, tired of the uncertainty, tired of feeling like I'm drowning in a sea of doubt and regret."

He chuckled nervously, a hollow sound that echoed through the tense silence between us. "What do you mean you don't know?" he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Charlotte, we're getting married," he reminded me, his tone tinged with exasperation. "Do you realize what you're saying? You're starting to sound like you're losing your mind."

"Say something, Charlotte!" he raged, his voice full of barely contained rage. "Don't stand there like a deer caught in the headlights!"

His outburst startled me and sent a shiver down my spine. Before I could react, he kicked the chair next to him with a force that sent it crashing to the floor. The sudden noise echoed around the room, filling the air with tension and fear.

Taking a deep breath to steady my nerves, I rose to my feet, I began, my words measured yet resolute. "We can't keep going on like this, arguing every other day. It's not healthy for either of us, and it's not helping us move forward."

As I spoke, I moved to retrieve the fallen chair, my movements deliberate and purposeful. With a steady hand, I righted it, the sound of wood scraping against the floor echoing through the room.