Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

68. Sometimes Reels Clash With Real

Without hesitation, she shoved me into the restroom and slammed the door behind me. My heart was pounding as I listened to the sound of someone entering the room. They talked to Sarah for a few seconds, but then I heard another voice. Her mom had joined in, and now there were more people in the room.

I stood there in the cramped restroom, trying to piece together their conversation through the muffled voices. I couldn’t make out the words, but it was clear nobody was suspicious -- yet. That’s when I remembered Krystal's advice: "Sometimes soap opera scenes work in real life."

With a deep breath, I stomped down on the bucket of water beside me, causing a loud crash, and let out a painful scream.

The voices outside suddenly stopped. A second later, I could hear them getting closer, concern evident in their tone. They were becoming suspicious. Realizing I had to sell this performance, I quickly lay down on the floor, pretending to be in serious pain. Just as the door opened, I groaned and clutched my leg, doing my best to look convincingly injured.

The tension in the living room was thick as everyone gathered for what felt like a court hearing. Sarah's father sat at the head of the table, his eyes sharp, while my mom sat across from him, her face tight with disapproval. Sarah and I stood in the middle, feeling like criminals awaiting our sentence.

Uncle’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and stern. “Sarah, what was Ryan doing in your room?”

Sarah, visibly shaken but trying to remain composed, stammered, “Dad, I swear, I don’t know. I texted Krystal for help, but somehow, he showed up instead.”

Before she could continue, I interjected, "Uncle, I got a message. I thought it was urgent, so I came. It’s not like I—"

My mom, her voice cold and full of disdain, interrupted me. "Mr. Shetty, your daughter is leading my son astray. You should make her understand her boundaries. Ryan’s father won’t take kindly to this kind of behavior."

Suddenly, the room froze as Uncle Shetty slapped Sarah across the face. The sound echoed, and for a moment, everything seemed to stand still. A single tear slid down Sarah’s cheek, but she wiped it away quickly, refusing to break.

“Mom,” I said, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and desperation. “I’m not a child anymore. I know what’s right and what’s wrong. Maybe it wasn’t all her fault. Even if she messaged, I didn’t have to come.”

My mom’s eyes were full of cold judgment as she replied, “That doesn’t excuse her actions, Ryan. If she hadn’t sent that message, none of this would’ve happened.”

I clenched my fists, trying to suppress the anger boiling inside me. I looked at Sarah, standing there, trying to hold herself together. In that moment, I made a silent promise: I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her again. Not even me.

Despite everything that had happened, it seemed like nothing really changed. It wasn't enough to shift the situation. So, I did something I knew was selfish, but I convinced myself it was necessary. Using Vicky's phone while he wasn't looking, I spread a rumor—Sarah and Ryan are dating eachother. It was reckless, but at the time, I believed it was my only way to secure her for myself.
“Everything’s fair in love and war,” I muttered under my breath.

Upon reaching home, my mom sat silently in the living room. After a long pause, "This girl has gone too far. It’s disgusting, absolutely disgraceful," she snapped.

I stood there quietly, watching her, knowing that what I had to say would only make things worse. "Mom," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, "it was me."

She stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes locking onto mine with confusion. "What did you just say?" she asked, her tone sharp, not quite believing what she had just heard.

"I’m the one who spread the false rumor," I confessed, my heart racing.

She looked at me, her face a mix of shock and disbelief. "What do you mean?" she demanded, her voice tight. "What kind of nonsense is this?"

"Mom..." I paused, bracing myself. "I don’t want to marry Nitya. I want to marry Sarah."

She grabbed the telephone on the table and threw it, the crash reverberating through the room. "Are you out of your mind?" she shouted, her face turning red with anger. "Who is this Sarah? And don’t tell me you love her! Don’t you dare tell me that!"

I nodded.

My mom stared at me, her eyes wide, filled with disbelief and hurt. "But when I asked you before, you denied it. You swore you didn’t have feelings for her! Why now? Why this sudden change?"

I sighed, trying to explain. "I was confused. Sarah’s confession... it caught me off guard. I never expected her to admit her feelings so suddenly. I didn’t know what to do."