Chapter 5

Max’s Point of View

I watch as Eva walks out of the room, her fragile figure trembling, but she holds her head high, trying to maintain whatever dignity she has left. I can see the pain in her eyes, but I don’t care. I won’t let myself care. She deserves it, after everything that she did to me.

I lean back on the couch, feeling the familiar numbness settle in, the burn of whiskey doing nothing to ease the frustration bubbling beneath my skin. I pour another glass and down it in one gulp, the alcohol doing little to make me forget about the past and the painful memories.

Why should I feel guilty? Why should I care about her pain when she didn’t care about mine all those years ago?

Eva. The name once used to bring warmth and happiness to my heart, but now, it only brings resentment. Hatred. She used to be my best friend. The girl I confided in, the one I trusted above all else. But she betrayed me in the worst possible way.

I close my eyes, letting the memories from all those years ago flood my mind. We were only teenagers, but back then, I thought Eva and I were inseparable. We spent so much time together, laughing, sharing secrets, and making promises about our future. I used to think I was in love with her, I used to think that the both of us were perfect together. I was young and naive and i let her decieve me.

But it all changed that day at the lake that faithful day.

I can still feel the cold water surrounding me, the panic setting in as I fell off that damn bridge. I had always been a decent swimmer, but the current that day was too strong. I remember thrashing in the water, gasping for air, my vision going blurry as I struggled to stay afloat. I thought I was going to die. And then… nothing.

When I woke up in the hospital, the first person I saw was Sara. She was sitting by my bedside, her face pale and her eyes wide with concern. I thought it was Eva who had saved me. After all, she was there with me when I fell. She was the one who knew how to swim. It made sense.

But when Sara, who has had a crush on me since the very day she saw me, told me that she was the one who pulled me from the water, that she had risked her own life to save me while Eva stood on the shore, doing nothing, just watching me drown without any empathy whatsoever, it shattered everything.

I couldn’t believe it at first. I refused to believe it. But Sara’s words rang deep in my head and heart... “She didn’t even scream for help, Max. She just stood there. I had to do something.”

That was the moment something inside me broke. How could Eva, the girl I had trusted with my life, just stand there and watch me die? Why hadn’t she tried to save me?

It made me realize that everything I thought I knew about her was a lie. I felt like a fool for ever caring about her, for thinking she could be the one for me. Sara, on the other hand, Sara had been the one who saved me. She had risked her life, while Eva did nothing, all she did was watched as i drowned.

From that day on, my feelings for Eva changed into something darker, something twisted. I didn’t just stop loving her, I hated her with passion. How could I not? She had proven that she wasn’t worth my trust, my affection. She was a coward. A traitor.

And now, here we are, trapped in this sham of a marriage because of her greedy father and my grandfather’s manipulations.

I used to dream a happy life with her, I used to dream of having kids and raising a family with her. But everything changed. All those dreams died on that very day that she betrayed me.

I grip the edge of the table, my knuckles turning white as I think about last night. I shouldn’t have lost control like that. I know it was wrong, but seeing her, hearing her voice, it brings everything back. The betrayal, the anger, the hurt. And she just stands there, acting like she’s some innocent victim in all of this. Like she didn’t ruin everything between us. All this hatred is her fault.

I can’t let her get to me. I won’t let her.

I pull out my phone, scrolling through my contacts until I find Sara’s name. I needed to apologize for how I talked to her.

The phone rings twice before Sara picks up, her voice sharp and irritated. “I told you not to call me again, Max.”

“I know,” I say, my voice rough. “But I need to talk to you. I’m sorry about what I said last time. I was angry, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

There’s a pause on the other end of the line before Sara sighs. “You always say that. ‘I was angry.’ When are you going to stop being angry and start taking responsibility for your actions?”

Her words cut deep, but I can’t argue with her. She’s right. I’ve been angry for so long, I don’t even know how to stop anymore. But I don’t say that. Instead, I tell her what she wants to hear. “I’ll make it up to you, Sara. I promise.”

“Promises don’t mean anything if you can’t keep them,” she replies, her voice still cold. “If you want to make it up to me, meet me at Louis Mall in an hour. We’ll talk then.”

Before I can respond, she hangs up, leaving me with the dead silence of the call. I set the phone down and rub my temples, the familiar tension building in my chest.

Sara has been the only constant in my life since that day at the lake. She’s the one who pulled me out of the water, the one who saved me. She’s the one who deserves my loyalty, my love. Not Eva.

But why does it still hurt to think about her? Why does the thought of hurting Eva make me feel like this?

I push those thoughts away and stand up, grabbing my keys off the table. I can’t afford to think about Eva anymore. She’s nothing to me now. Just a burden I have to deal with until I figure out a way to get out of this mess.

Sara is the one who matters. She’s the one who risked everything for me, and I owe her. Even if it means pretending to care about her more than I do. Even if it means doing things I don’t want to do.

As I drive toward Louis Mall, my mind drifts back to Eva. I remember the way she looked at me when we were younger, how her eyes used to light up when she smiled. I remember the sound of her laughter, how it used to make me feel like everything was going to be okay.

But that’s all gone now. She’s not the same girl I once knew. And I’m not the same boy who loved her.

Sara was right about her. Eva didn’t care about me back then, and she doesn’t care about me now. All she cares about is herself, and I won’t let her fool me again.

By the time I arrive at the mall, my mind is made up. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Sara knows I’m loyal to her. I’ll prove to her that I’m not the man Eva thinks I am.

Because no matter what, I refuse to let myself feel anything for the woman who betrayed me.

Sara is my savior. She’s the one who deserves my love. Not Eva. Never Eva.