Charlotte: Her Twisted Fate

Unrequited Love

CHAPTER 5

Unrequited Love

Charlotte POV

When he finally came out, Sophie was with him, of course. I still smiled.

“I brought you—”

“Why are you always doing this?” he cut me off. His voice wasn’t soft or gentle; it was loud enough for people to turn and look. My heart stopped.

“I didn’t ask you to wait for me,” he continued, his brows slightly furrowed. “You’re being… embarrassing.” The word hit harder than anything else. Embarrassing—like loving him was something shameful.

“I just thought—” I started, my voice barely steady.

“Stop thinking too much,” he said flatly. “You’re doing too much, Charlotte.” Then he turned to Sophie. “Let’s go.” And just like that, he walked away. I stood there, still holding the lunch box. Slowly, my hand dropped. It suddenly felt too heavy, like everything I had been holding onto was finally starting to break.

I stayed after school tutoring Andrew for hours, even missing club meetings I loved. Sometimes he thanked me with a smirk. Sometimes he pecked me. Sometimes he said, “You are too much, Charlotte,” as if that was a compliment.

When I tried sharing my feelings with Andrew once, he laughed and said,

"Stop overthinking. You talk too much.”

I didn’t realize that I was slowly losing myself, only that by the end, there was nothing left of me.”

At night, I cried silently, thinking about how love could hurt more than hate. Lucy didn’t stop convincing me to let go, to stop giving so much to someone who didn’t value me. But I couldn’t.

Even when he ignored me, I clung to those tiny moments where he smiled at me or spoke my name. They were priceless, and I told myself I could survive the rest.

We continued our fragile relationship into our first year of college and I had become used to the pattern. Lucy, Andrew, Sophie, her best friends Eva and Sonia, and I all attended the same school. Sophie’s presence was constant, but I told myself I could handle it.

Then we had a party that happened in that year, Sophie organized it, of course, inviting new college friends. There was music, laughter, games. Everything felt normal—almost too normal. Truth or dare came around, and somehow it landed on me.

“Kiss Andrew.”

The words echoed in my ears. My heart started racing.”

Three years—three years of loving him—and we had never shared a real kiss, not once. I looked at him, and he looked back at me.

For a moment, I thought he would refuse, but he didn’t. He shifted closer. My breath caught. Then his lips touched mine—soft, warm, real.

The world disappeared: the noise, the people, everything. For that one moment, I was happy. Truly happy. Cheers erupted around us, but when I pulled back, my eyes met Sophie’s. And the look on her face was anything but happy. I didn’t understand it then, but I would soon.

The next day, I learned just how dangerous jealousy could be.

I was walking home alone from the library. The streets were quiet, too quiet. Then I saw them: Sophie and her friends, blocking my path.

“Going somewhere slut?” she asked, her voice sharp. Something about her tone made me scared.

I tried to push past her, but she shoved me hard. I stumbled, falling backward. My foot slipped on the wet pavement, and I tumbled into the cold, dark water. Panic surged through me as they held me down, forcing my head under.

“Hold her!”

“Stop struggling!”

I tried to break free, but their grip was strong. My hands flailed, but it was useless. My vision blurred, the world twisting around me, spinning into darkness. Panic surged through my chest, I was unable to breathe. For a moment, I couldn’t tell where I ended and the shadows began.

And then… silence.

I opened my eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling, white and spotless. I blinked, forcing myself to take in the room. Sheets wrapped around me, warm and solid, grounding me to the here and now. My body felt heavier under the sheets. My heart pounded like a drum against my ribs, and a cold, sinking thought slithered through my mind.

Then, Damian came inside with a cup of water.

“Stay,” he said, his voice calm, firm.

All I said was a simple thank you.

Then shook my head. “I have to go.” Andrew’s birthday—that was all I could think about. So I left. I shouldn’t have. The party was already in full swing when I arrived. Music, laughter, voices—but I couldn’t find him. So I searched, room after room, until I stopped in front of one door. Something felt… off. Then I heard it: a soft sound, a familiar voice. I froze.

“…Andrew…”

My heart started pounding. Slowly, I stepped closer and pressed my ear against the door. What I heard next destroyed everything I had left.

“Yes.”

“Oh…yes.”

“f**k Andrew…”

“Harder…deeper.”

“Gosh you are so good.”

“Fuck.”