At First Sight: A Love That Couldn't Last

Chapter 6: The First Lie

The next day, Tiara sat in her exam, trying to focus on the questions in front of her, but her mind kept drifting back to Robin. His proposal from the day before played on a loop in her head, filling her with a mix of excitement and confusion. She couldn’t believe that Robin, someone she had admired from afar, had asked her to be his girlfriend. The words had felt so real, and yet, something about the way he had spoken had left her with a lingering unease.

She brushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the idea that she was now Robin’s girlfriend. He needed her, he had said. She was the one who made him feel safe, away from all the pressure. That was what mattered, right? As she filled in the final answers on her exam sheet, she convinced herself that whatever doubts she had were just nerves.

After the exam, Tiara stepped outside the lecture hall, her phone buzzing in her hand. She smiled when she saw a message from Robin.

Robin: How was the exam? Meet me at my place later?

Tiara’s heart fluttered, and she quickly texted back.

Tiara: It went okay. I’ll be there in an hour.

As she walked back to her hostel, a nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her of the uncertainty she had felt the previous day. Why had Robin been so vague about his family? Why hadn’t he opened up more about the pressure he was under? But she shook those thoughts away. Maybe she was overthinking it. They had only just begun dating; maybe it would take time for him to open up fully.

When Tiara arrived at Robin’s apartment, he greeted her with that same warm smile that always melted her heart. But as she stepped inside, she noticed something different in his demeanor. He was cheerful—almost too cheerful.

“Hey, you,” he said, pulling her into a tight embrace. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

Tiara smiled, but something about the way he was acting felt off. She couldn’t quite place it, but there was an underlying tension in the air, masked by Robin’s overly lighthearted attitude.

They sat down on the couch, and Tiara tried to relax, but her thoughts kept circling back to that nagging feeling. Finally, she decided to ask him about it.

“Robin,” she began hesitantly, “yesterday you mentioned your family was putting pressure on you… about something. What’s going on?”

Robin’s expression flickered, his smile faltering for a split second before he quickly recovered. “Oh, that. It’s nothing really. Just some family drama. You know how it is.”

Tiara frowned. “Are you sure? It seemed like it was really bothering you.”

Robin’s eyes shifted for just a moment, a subtle movement, but Tiara noticed. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “I promise, it’s nothing to worry about. I’m fine now that you’re with me.”

But Tiara couldn’t shake the feeling that he wasn’t being entirely truthful. His evasiveness only deepened her concern, but she didn’t want to push him further. Maybe he just needed more time to open up, she told herself.

They spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing, but Tiara couldn’t ignore the tension that seemed to lie just beneath the surface. When Robin walked her to the door later that night, he kissed her softly and smiled.

“I’m really glad you’re in my life, Tiara,” he said. “You make everything easier.”

Tiara smiled back, but as she walked away, her thoughts were swirling. There was something Robin wasn’t telling her, and it bothered her more than she wanted to admit. She wanted to trust him—she loved him—but a small voice inside her whispered that he was hiding something important.

What Tiara didn’t know was that her intuition was right. Robin wasn’t being entirely honest with her. Beneath his sweet words and affectionate gestures, there was a secret he was desperately trying to keep from her—one that would change everything if she ever found out. For now, he was content to let her believe that their relationship was built on love, even though, in reality, Robin was using her as his escape from the weight of his family’s expectations.