5.
1116 Words
Chapter 5: Broken Ties
The ride back home was agonizing. The driver tried to make small talk, but all Ivana could manage were curt nods and distracted hums. Her mind was ablaze, replaying every second of the betrayal she had just witnessed. Her chest felt heavy, as though all the air in the car had been sucked out.
“Rough day, huh?” the driver said, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.
“Something like that,” Ivana muttered, forcing a weak smile before turning her face toward the window.
As soon as the Uber pulled into her driveway, she thanked the driver and hurried out, not even bothering to wait for him to wish her a good evening. She slammed the front door behind her and leaned against it, letting out a shaky breath.
“Why? Just why?” she whispered to herself, her voice cracking.
She headed straight to her room, determined not to let her mom see her in this state. Throwing her bag onto the bed, Ivana sank to the floor, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. She stared blankly at the wall, her mind flipping between anger and hurt.
The sound of her phone vibrating snapped her out of her thoughts. She reached for it hesitantly, already knowing who it was.
Xavier: Babe, please let me explain. Call me. Please.
Jeda: I swear, it wasn’t what it looked like. Can we please talk?
Ivana let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Not what it looked like? Really?” she muttered, tossing the phone onto the bed.
Minutes later, the phone vibrated again, this time with an incoming call. It was Jeda. Ivana’s thumb hovered over the decline button, but something inside her compelled her to answer.
“What do you want?” Ivana said coldly, not bothering with a greeting.
“Ivana, please, just listen to me—”
“Why should I, Jeda? I saw everything. Everything!”
Jeda’s voice wavered. “It wasn’t planned, I swear. It just… happened.”
Ivana clenched her jaw, trying to suppress the wave of emotions crashing through her. “It just happened? Jeda, you don’t accidentally end up in a restroom, moaning while my boyfriend—no, my ex-boyfriend—cheats on me with you!”
There was silence on the other end.
“I trusted you, Jeda,” Ivana continued, her voice breaking. “You were like a sister to me. How could you do this?”
“I’m sorry,” Jeda whispered, barely audible. “I didn’t mean for it to go this far.”
“Oh, so it’s been going on for a while?” Ivana asked, her tone laced with venom.
Jeda stuttered, “No—no, I mean… it wasn’t supposed to—”
“Save it, Jeda. Just save it,” Ivana cut her off. “We’re done. You, me, Xavier—all of it.” She hung up before Jeda could say another word.
The phone buzzed again almost immediately. This time, it was Xavier. Ivana stared at the screen, her heart pounding. Against her better judgment, she picked up.
“What?”
“Ivana, please, just hear me out,” Marcosaid, his voice desperate.
“Oh, I’m all ears,” Ivana said sarcastically.
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he started.
“But you did, Xavier. You hurt me more than anyone ever has.”
“It was a mistake,” he pleaded. “I don’t even know why I did it. I was stupid, okay?”
“A mistake?” Ivana scoffed. “Cheating on me with my best friend wasn’t just a mistake—it was a choice. You made a choice, Xavier.”
“I love you,” he said, his voice cracking.
Ivana laughed bitterly. “You don’t love me. If you did, you wouldn’t have done this. Just admit it—you’re a liar, and you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”
“That’s not true,” Marcoinsisted.
“Then why?!” Ivana shouted, her voice trembling. “Why did you do it?”
There was a long pause on the other end. Finally, Marcosaid, “Because I was scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“Of how much I love you,” he said.
Ivana’s heart twisted, but she refused to let herself be swayed. “You’re unbelievable, Xavier. Scared of loving me, so you sleep with Jeda? Do you even hear how ridiculous that sounds?”
“I know I messed up, Ivana. I know I don’t deserve you. But please, just give me a chance to make it right,” he begged.
“You’re right about one thing—you don’t deserve me,” Ivana said coldly. “And you never will.” She hung up, blocking his number before he could call again.
The next morning, Ivana woke up feeling as though she hadn’t slept at all. Her mind was still a mess, but she knew one thing for sure—she wasn’t going to let Marcoor Jeda see her crumble.
After getting ready for the day, she decided to clear her head by taking a walk. She didn’t have a destination in mind, but she needed to get out of the house.
As she walked through the park, her phone buzzed. It was an unknown number. Curious, she answered.
“Hello?”
“Ivana, it’s me.”
The voice sent a chill down her spine. It was Jeda.
“What do you want now?” Ivana snapped.
“Please, just meet me. I need to talk to you. Face-to-face,” Jeda pleaded.
“There’s nothing left to say,” Ivana said.
“Please,” Jeda begged. “Just this once. I’ll be at the coffee shop on Main Street. If you don’t want to come, I’ll understand. But I really hope you do.”
Before Ivana could respond, Jeda hung up.
Ivana stared at her phone, debating whether or not to go. Against her better judgment, she found herself heading toward the coffee shop.
When Ivana arrived, Jeda was already there, sitting at a table near the window. Her eyes were red and puffy, as if she’d been crying all night.
Ivana hesitated for a moment before walking over and sitting across from her.
“You’ve got five minutes,” Ivana said curtly.
Jeda looked down at her hands, fidgeting nervously. “I don’t even know where to start,” she said.
“Try starting with the truth,” Ivana said.
Jeda took a deep breath. “It wasn’t just a one-time thing,” she admitted.
Ivana felt as though the air had been knocked out of
- Writer
