His Regrets

Chapter 5 -The Betrayal

I had never been so excited to get ready for anything in my life.

Dante had told me he had something special planned, and although he had never actually said the words *I want you to be my girlfriend*, I knew that was what today was about.

I stood in front of my mirror, adjusting my earrings for the third time.

I laughed at myself.

“You're acting ridiculous, Lily.”

But I couldn't help it.

I had spent the last two years watching other people fall in love while I stood on the sidelines, secretly hoping that one day someone would look at me the way people looked at each other in the romantic movies I loved.

And now it felt like my turn.

Dante had his own car, his online business was doing well, and he never hesitated to spend money on me. He bought flowers, took me out, remembered the little things I said and made me feel special without making it seem like he was trying too hard.

More importantly, I liked him.

I genuinely liked him.

I picked up my phone and checked the time.

Dante hadn't sent me the details yet.

I wasn't worried.

He had said he would tell me when he was ready.

So I decided to find Clara first.

I wanted her to be the first person I told after he asked me out.

When I got to the nursing block, I found her seat empty.

I called her.

No answer.

I sent a message.

**Where are you?**

She didn't reply.

I frowned.

Clara wasn't usually difficult to reach, especially when she knew I was excited about something.

I tried calling again.

Still nothing.

Maybe she was in one of her practical sessions.

I decided to wait.

Ten minutes passed.

Then twenty.

I checked my phone again.

Nothing.

Something in my stomach tightened.

Not because I suspected Clara.

I never would have suspected her.

I simply thought something might have happened.

So I started looking around campus.

And then I remembered the quiet area behind one of the older lecture buildings.

Dante sometimes went there when he wanted somewhere peaceful to work on his online business.

I headed there.

I was smiling as I walked, already imagining the look on Clara's face when I told her.

But when I reached the corner of the building, I stopped.

I saw Dante.

My smile disappeared.

He wasn't alone.

Clara was standing in front of him.

At first, I didn't understand what I was seeing.

They were too close.

Much too close.

I took one step forward.

Then another.

“Clara?”

Both of them turned.

The look on Clara's face made my heart drop. Their lips looks so red and they were panting. How long have they been here?

Dante looked like someone had just punched him.

For a few seconds, nobody spoke.

I looked from one to the other.

Then my eyes fell on Clara's hand.

It was resting against Dante's chest.

I stared at it.

Slowly, she pulled it away.

“What are you doing here?” Dante asked.

I almost laughed.

“What am I doing here?”

My voice sounded strange even to me.

“I came looking for you.”

Dante opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

I looked at Clara.

“You too?”

She didn't answer.

My chest tightened.

“No.”

I shook my head.

“No, this isn't what I think it is.”

Clara's eyes filled with tears.

“Lily…”

“Don't.”

I held up my hand.

“Don't say my name like that.”

Dante stepped toward me.

“Lily, let me explain.”

“Explain what?”

My voice cracked.

“What exactly are you going to explain?”

He stopped.

I looked at Clara again.

“You knew.”

She started crying.

“You knew he was going to ask me out today.”

She wiped her face.

“I'm sorry.”

“And you still came here?”

“I didn't plan for this to happen.”

I stared at her.

“You didn't plan for it?”

She shook her head.

“I just wanted to talk to him.”

“About what?”

She couldn't answer.

I looked at Dante.

“Did you want this?”

He looked down.

That was when something inside me broke.

“Dante.”

He finally looked at me.

“I made a mistake.”

“A mistake?”

I felt tears burning my eyes.

“You kissed her?”

He was silent.

“Did you?”

“Yes.”

The word barely left his mouth.

I stepped backward.

My hands began to shake.

I looked at Clara.

She was crying now, but all I could think about was yesterday.

Her smiling face.

Her excitement.

Her telling me that I deserved to be happy.

“You encouraged me to go for him,” I whispered.

She said nothing.

“You knew I liked him.”

“You have a boyfriend.”

“I know.”

“Then why would you do this to me, Clara?”

She covered her mouth as she cried.

“I don't know.”

I shook my head.

“No. You do know.”

She looked at me.

“You wanted him.”

She didn't deny it.

That hurt more than anything.

Dante tried to speak.

“Lily, I'm sorry.”

I looked at him.

“You were supposed to ask me out today.”

His face fell.

“Yes.”

“You made me believe this was going to be something special.”

“I'm sorry.”

I laughed bitterly through my tears.

“And all this time, you were here with her.”

Neither of them answered.

I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand.

I had so many questions.

Why?

How long?

Did they laugh about me?

Did Clara encourage me to approach Dante because she wanted to see if he would choose her?

But the only question that came out was the one hurting me the most.

“Why would you do this to me, Clara?”

She started crying harder.

“I was jealous.”

I stared at her.

“Jealous?”

“Yes.”

“Of me?”

She nodded.

“I didn't mean for it to go this far.”

“But it did.”

She looked down.

I turned away.

I couldn't stand looking at either of them anymore.

Dante called my name as I walked away.

I didn't stop.

I didn't know where I was going.

I only knew I needed to get away from them.

Behind me, I heard Clara call my name once.

I kept walking.

For the first time since I had met her, I didn't turn around.

---

Clara didn't go home immediately.

She sat alone for almost an hour, staring at the floor and replaying everything that had happened.

Eventually, her phone rang.

Adrian.

She watched it vibrate in her hand.

She almost ignored it.

But after the fourth call, she answered.

“Hello?”

“Where are you?”

“I'm on campus.”

“I've been trying to reach you.”

“I know.”

There was a pause.

“Can I see you?”

Clara closed her eyes.

“Adrian…”

“I just want to talk.”

She knew exactly what he wanted to talk about.

But she still agreed.

When they met, Adrian took one look at her face and knew something was wrong.

“What happened?”

“Nothing.”

“Clara.”

She looked away.

Adrian stepped closer.

“Did you meet Dante?”

Her silence answered for her.

His expression changed.

“You did.”

Clara began to cry.

“Adrian…”

“Did you cheat on me?”

She couldn't say it.

He waited.

“Did you?”

Clara finally nodded.

Adrian stared at her.

He looked hurt, but he didn't shout.

“Why?”

Clara wiped her tears.

“I don't know.”

“You knew he was going to ask Lily out.”

She looked down.

“Yes.”

“And you still went to him?”

“Yes.”

Adrian shook his head slowly.

“You chose this.”

Clara cried harder.

“I made a terrible mistake.”

“No.”

He looked at her.

“You made a choice.”

The words silenced her.

Adrian took a step back.

“I loved you.”

Clara looked up.

“And I trusted you.”

He turned away.

This time, Clara reached for him.

“Adrian, please.”

He gently pulled his hand away.

“I need you to leave me alone.”

Then he walked away.

Clara remained standing there, crying.

And for the first time, all four of us were carrying the consequences of the same decision.

But only one of us still believed it could somehow be undone.

I did not.

Not anymore.