Revenge - English Version

Chapter 14 - Shortchuts

ZAYN POV

As soon as Harry leaves, I do everything I can to get her out of here as quickly as possible. Who does she think she is to talk about Care like that? She has no right to even mention her name. Everything Harry said to her is the truth, or even worse: Alexa is an opportunist, a disgusting woman who allows anyone to touch her just to get attention. She should wash her mouth out before even mentioning Care's name.

I'm a coward. I should have stood up for Care, I should have been the one defending her. I promised her, years ago, that no one would ever hurt her. And what did I do? I stayed silent. I stayed silent because I was scared. Afraid that, if I responded to Alexa, everything I had planned for revenge would fall apart. But at what cost? I kept quiet while I watched Care being humiliated. And that... that is unforgivable. It was Harry who defended her, not me. How did I get to this point? I let my pride turn me into a shadow of the man I promised to be for her, and I broke my promise.

And now? Now I'm selfish enough to want her forgiveness, even knowing I don't deserve it. I know I have no excuse, I know I disappointed her, but I can't help wanting a second chance. Wanting to beg, crawl, do anything to make her see me again as someone she can trust.

The way she left the house... in a frenzy... scares me. I'm worried. The fear consumes me, thinking she might do something reckless. If she does, I'll never forgive myself. I've already failed her in so many ways, but if something happens to her... if I truly lose her... there's no coming back.

The truth is that Caroline is the most important person in my life. And now? Now I feel like I've lost her. Not just today, but from the moment I ceased to be the Zayn she once knew. Maybe I've lost her forever, and the pain of that possibility is unbearable.

CARE POV

Her words won't leave my head. She said I'm a failure, a nothing... and even though I try to push those thoughts away, I can't. Her words echo inside me, and as painful as it is, a part of me believes she's right.

But why? Why does everything she said resonate so much with me? Perhaps because my life has been a series of abandonments and humiliations. My own parents left me when I needed them most. At school, I was pushed into lockers, the target of cruel jokes, often spending break times alone. Those days felt endless, as if I was trapped in a cycle of suffering that would never end.

Every memory was like a brick that helped build this wall of insecurity that now surrounds me. So, yes, Alexa's words hurt, but not because they were new. She didn't tell me anything I haven't heard before... or anything I haven't already thought myself.

And yet, that's not what destroys me the most. What really breaks me is losing Zayn. He was my safe haven, the only person, apart from my brother, who made me feel like I wasn't alone in the world. But now... he's changed. He's no longer the Zayn I knew, the one who made me laugh, who defended me from everything and everyone. That, more than anything Alexa said, is what truly hurts. I've lost my best friend to his vengeance.

The old Zayn would never have allowed anyone to speak to me like that. He would have fought for me without hesitation. But now? Now, he couldn't even look at me. I'm nothing to him. And that's the real blow — the fact that the person I love the most has hurt me more than anyone else.

Every tear that falls feels like it's freezing my heart. Every step I take feels heavier, as if the world is collapsing around me. The love I felt for Zayn is turning into anger, and I don't want that to happen... but I can't control it. What do I do with all this hate? I wanted light, I wanted joy, but all I feel is darkness engulfing me. Is this how it begins?

Maybe this is how Zayn felt when he broke. Maybe this silent rage is what led him to become the person he is now. I feel like I'm walking the same path, sinking into the same shadows that consumed him. But I can't let that happen. I don't want to become a version of him. I've already suffered through his transformation, and I know Liam, Kate, and now Harry and Niall don't deserve to go through that either. They don't deserve to lose their friend.