Between dreams and love

Betrayal

I knew I needed to speak with Kelvin about the way he had been treating me. When he finally came home that evening, he was frustrated and complaining about the losses the business had been facing.

I tried to calm him down and chose to forgive him in my heart. I sat close to him, hoping we could reconnect, but he quickly stood up and left for the bar downstairs. He never came back to the room that night.

Lately, it felt as though we were drifting apart. I missed the man I had fallen in love with.

The next morning, I decided to help the business by giving Kelvin some of the money I had saved. He accepted it, and for a brief moment, it felt as though things between us were improving. Wanting to avoid more tension, I stopped visiting the coffee shop as often.

Work kept me busy, especially with preparations for Betty's birthday party. Because of that, I didn't pay much attention to Kelvin's growing distance.

At the party, Cruz came over to thank me for helping Betty with the arrangements. We spent most of the evening talking, and I was surprised by how easy it was to talk to him.

The next morning, I woke up at Betty's house and realized how late I was.

"Don't worry," Betty laughed. "I have clothes you can borrow."

After getting ready, we headed out.

Later that day, Betty confessed that she wanted to spend Christmas with Mark and jokingly asked me to keep Cruz occupied. I immediately refused.

"I have a boyfriend," I reminded her.

Betty laughed.

"Trust me, Cruz isn't interested in relationships anyway."

She then told me about his difficult childhood and how losing his father had changed him. According to Betty, Cruz avoided emotional attachments because he was afraid of being hurt.

I felt sorry for him, but I still declined.

That evening, I left work earlier than usual. On the way home, I remembered that I had forgotten my keys. I stopped by the coffee shop to get the spare key from the storage room.

What I saw there shattered me.

Jane, the new employee, and Kelvin were far too close for comfort.

My heart dropped.

"What's going on?" I demanded.

Instead of explaining, Kelvin became defensive and questioned why I was there.

Unable to bear another second, I grabbed the keys and ran.

At home, I packed a bag and called Betty. The moment she arrived, I broke down in tears.

Trying to cheer me up, Betty convinced me to attend a gathering later that night at Cruz's favorite snooker club.

Cruz immediately noticed that something was wrong. He tried to stop Betty and me from drinking too much, but eventually he gave up and drove us home safely.

The next morning, I woke up in a guest room and was stunned by how beautiful and enormous his house was.

Over the following weeks, Cruz and I spent more time together at work. He often praised my ideas and seemed genuinely impressed by my creativity and dedication.

Eventually, he invited me to play snooker with him over the weekend.

Betty was thrilled.

During the game, we laughed, teased each other, and enjoyed the friendly competition. For the first time in months, I felt relaxed.

As the evening went on, I caught myself looking at Cruz differently.

That realization frightened me.

I was still hurting from Kelvin's betrayal, and the last thing I needed was another complicated relationship.

Yet deep down, I knew my feelings were beginning to change.

And that terrified me.