ADRIAN'S PERSPECTIVE. 

It was Monday, and I was restless. By now, I knew she'd be trying to text me, but I needed to be ready. As I walked toward her classroom, I saw Evelyn kissing another man, her hands tangled in his hair; it was a deep, passionate kiss.

In the past, knowing myself, I would have pushed the guy away, punched him until he bled, and pulled her off. Then she would have slapped me for holding her hand too tightly, before bursting into tears, saying she didn't know what had happened, that he was bothering her, and that she thought the kiss would keep him away.

I would have told her it wasn't her fault, that he had made her feel uncomfortable, I would have taken her on a date somewhere special, we would have spent the night having sex and she would tell me that she has always loved me.

And for a moment, I stood there, staring, motionless, unresponsive. Because this wasn't new. It only felt new because I was finally seeing it. A memory struck me, sharp and clear. Ria.

That day in the hallway. She'd dragged me there, her hand tightened around my wrist, her breath ragged, like she was nervous. I remember how desperate she looked. "Just come with me," she'd insisted. And when we turned the corner... Evelyn, kissing another boy, just like now; the same hands tangled in my hair, the same closeness, the same lack of hesitation.

I remember the way Ria looked at me then, not with a smug air, not with pride, but hurt, as if she already knew I wouldn't believe her... and I didn't. Because Evelyn cried, because Evelyn trembled, because Evelyn looked at me as if I were the only person she trusted. "I didn't know what to do, she wouldn't leave me alone, I thought if I did something, she'd stop." And then: "Adrian, don't you find it strange? That Ria brought you here at this exact moment? Everyone knows she's obsessed with you."

Obsessed. That word had stuck, poisoning everything. I remember turning to Ria, watching her face fall before I could even speak; I didn't listen, I didn't ask, I didn't think, I just lashed out. I accused her, called her disgusting, said she'd planned it all, and when she tried to explain, I slapped her hard. The sound still echoes in my head. Her silence after that was worse than anything I could have said, and I left with Evelyn. Like I always did.

Back in the present, nothing had changed. She was still kissing me... no, the students were looking at me and then at her, waiting; some had their phones out. Evelyn finally noticed me and froze, her lips still slightly parted and her hand still resting on the other boy's neck before she quickly pulled away. "Adrian." "Don't stop," I interrupted. My voice was calm, too calm, and that made her blink. "What?" "You seemed to be enjoying it," I added. "Why stop now?"

Silence fell around us. More students had begun to gather, murmurs spreading; they were waiting, waiting for the usual: the punch, the shouting, the fight. I could feel it. They expected me to snap, to drag the guy away, to defend what was never mine, but I didn't move, I didn't even look at him.

My eyes remained fixed on her. “I think we’re done,” I said. Her face went pale. “What?” “I don’t date people who are… publicly available,” I continued, my tone even. “It’s not my thing. The dictionary needs another word for you, because even sluts are better.”

There were gasps of surprise, low murmurs; the words landed exactly as I intended. Her eyes instantly filled with tears. “That’s not fair!” she spat. “This is exactly what Ria wanted. She’s been feeding you lies, turning you against me. She…” “Don’t,” I said, sharply, almost a growl; it was enough to silence her. “You have no right to speak her name like that,” I added, my gaze hardening. “Not when you spent all this time lying while she was telling the truth.”

She shook her head quickly, taking a step closer. “I love you,” she said, her voice cracking. “You know I do.” “No,” I interrupted. Firm. Clear. “You don’t love me.” She froze. “You like having me,” I continued. “Having someone who chooses you, who defends you, who looks the other way when it matters.” Her lips trembled. “That’s not love.” I took a step back, creating distance. “I know about other people,” I added quietly. “The money. The boss.” Her eyes widened. “And that’s why I’m letting you go,” I finished.

Not because I had forgiven her, but because I had finally understood her. She tried to catch up with me, and I stepped back. "Adrian, please." I turned and walked past. I swore I wouldn't stop, and I didn't, nor did I look back. Her voice followed me, crying, calling my name, but for the first time, it didn't affect me.

I didn't go back to class. I drove straight to the only place that mattered now: Ria's parents' house. The gates were already opening when I got out of the car. Her father was in the doorway, keys in hand, as if he were about to leave; he looked up. When he saw me, surprise crossed his face. "Adrian?" "I need to talk to you," I said, my voice firm despite everything I was feeling inside. He studied me for a moment. Then, he nodded slowly. "Come in." I took a step forward, because this time, I wasn't going to run away.

Her father didn't sit down; he stood there, looking at me as if he wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. "What did you just say?" His voice was low and controlled. I swallowed. "Dimitri took her," I repeated. "Ria's with him."

His mother choked back a gasp, bringing her hand to her mouth as she staggered backward to the chair. “No, that’s not possible,” she whispered. “She would have called, she would have told us.” “She didn’t,” his father interjected, frowning. “Because she hasn’t been talking to us.” My eyes flicked to him. “What do you mean?” There was a pause, a heavy one, and then his mother spoke, her voice quieter now. “It was because of you.”

The words hit harder than I expected. “Because of me?” Her father exhaled slowly, as if forcing himself to stay calm. “We saw the mark on her face,” he said. “The one you left.” My chest tightened. “And we didn’t like it,” he continued. “Not one bit.” Her mother’s eyes filled with tears. “But she still defended you,” she added gently. “She said Evelyn is manipulative, that you just couldn’t see it yet.” I froze. “She said you would,” her mother continued. “She said you’d figure it out. That you’d eventually choose the right thing.” Something twisted painfully in my chest.

“We gave her an ultimatum,” the father said firmly. “Let you go or accept the marriage we arranged for her.” Silence. “And she chose you,” he concluded. My throat went dry. “She stopped speaking to us after that.” The room felt smaller. Heavier. Everything I had done, everything I had said, and she still chose me.

“I love her.” The words spilled out before I could stop them. They both looked at me. “I love Ria,” I repeated, this time more firmly. “And I’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back.” Her father studied me, his expression unreadable. “I know how this works,” I continued. “Ria… she’ll try to reach out. She always does.” That was all I could tell them; I didn’t want to mention the date, otherwise they’d ask me how I knew.

I paused to observe them before continuing. “And when I do, I’ll need your help.” Their mother frowned slightly. “What kind of help?” “Any,” I said. “Access, information, cooperation. I need you on my side.” Their father’s jaw tightened. “And in return?” he asked. “I’ll pay off your debts,” I said immediately. “Your house, everything. You won’t have to worry about any of that again.” They looked at each other, and then the father spoke. “That’s already been taken care of.”

I blinked. “What?” “Our debts,” she repeated. “Someone paid them off.” A cold feeling settled in my chest. Of course. “It was Dimitri,” I said. There was no doubt. Her mother’s face went even paler. “So how is he different from you?” she asked suddenly. “If he can provide, if he can protect, why is he worse?” I didn’t hesitate. “Because he hurts her.” The words came out sharper than I intended. “He’s dangerous,” I continued. “He doesn’t love her the right way. He controls, he isolates… he’ll destroy her.” “And you didn’t?” her father interjected.

That stopped me. For a second, I had no answer. Then, I forced the words out. “I was wrong,” I admitted. “But I’m ready to fix it.” My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “I’m ready to love her the way she deserves.”

Silence filled the room, heavy, critical. Then her father spoke. “If you’re really serious,” he said slowly, “then we’ll help.” Her mother nodded, though her eyes still held uncertainty. “With everything we can.” Relief didn’t come. Not really, because this wasn’t over, not by a long shot.

I nodded once. Then I turned around and left. Because now... all I had to do was wait for his signal.