Your Lies Cost Me Everything
1604 Words
Victoria walked away without looking back.
Gabriel remained on the bench for a long time after she left. The sound of children playing near the lake felt distant, like it belonged to another world. His hands rested on his knees, but they were shaking slightly. He stared at the ground, replaying every word Victoria had said.
She had known.
All those years, she had known.
Not only about the cheating, not only about Prisca, but about the messages… the pictures… the humiliation.
His chest tightened.
For the first time in his life, Gabriel felt small.
Not angry.
Not proud.
Small.
He stood up slowly and walked to his car. The sun was still bright, but his mind felt dark. When he entered the car, he didn’t start the engine immediately. He sat there, holding the steering wheel, breathing heavily.
“How did everything get this bad…” he muttered.
He remembered the day he met Prisca.
He remembered the excitement when she told him she was pregnant.
He remembered the day Victoria was in the hospital fighting for her life.
He remembered the day he chose silence instead of truth.
And now everything was falling apart at the same time.
He started the car.
The drive home felt longer than usual. He didn’t play music. He didn’t check his phone. His mind kept going back to one thing.
The messages.
The pictures.
The videos.
Prisca.
His jaw tightened.
“So it was you…” he whispered.
He pressed the accelerator harder than he should have. The car moved fast, but his thoughts moved faster.
By the time he reached the house, his anger had returned.
Not the loud kind.
The dangerous kind.
He parked the car carelessly and stepped out. He didn’t even close the door properly. He walked straight into the house and slammed the door behind him.
“Prisca!”
His voice echoed through the living room.
No answer.
“Prisca!!”
His voice was louder this time.
From the kitchen, Prisca’s voice came out.
“Yes? Who is calling me like that?”
She walked out, wiping her hands with a small towel, still talking as she came.
“You scared me, Gabriel. I was wondering who would be shouting my name like that. Why did you come back so early?”
She stopped when she saw his face.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
Gabriel didn’t respond.
He just stared at her.
His eyes were red, but not from crying now.
From anger.
From hurt.
From something she had never seen before.
“Gabriel… what happened?” she asked slowly.
He took a step closer.
“So it’s been you, huh?”
She frowned.
“What do you mean?”
He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it.
“It’s been you all this time.”
She looked confused.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”
His voice suddenly became sharp.
“Stop pretending!”
She flinched.
“Stop giving me that face like you don’t know what I’m talking about, this evil woman.”
Her heart started beating fast.
“Gabriel, I’m lost. Can you just say what you mean?”
He moved closer again.
His voice was low now, but heavy.
“You sent messages to her.”
Prisca froze.
“You sent pictures.”
Her fingers tightened around the towel in her hand.
“You sent videos.”
Her breathing changed.
“You told her to leave my life.”
Silence filled the room.
Prisca swallowed slowly.
“I… I don’t know what you’re saying.”
Gabriel laughed again, louder this time.
“Oh really?”
He shook his head.
“You have forgotten so soon?”
She didn’t answer.
“You forgot how you went to her direct messages?” he continued.
Her eyes widened slightly.
“You forgot how you sent photos of yourself, of the kids, of the house?”
She stepped back slowly.
“You forgot how you told her she was bad luck?”
Her lips trembled.
“You forgot how you told her she was a barrier to your happiness?”
Her hand dropped to her side.
“You forgot how you told her to leave my life?”
Tears gathered in her eyes.
She whispered,
“Who told you all this…?”
His eyes burned.
“So you admit it.”
She shook her head quickly.
“No… I mean… I mean how did you find out?”
He moved closer so fast she almost stumbled.
“You think I will never find out?”
His voice rose.
“You think you can hide evil forever?”
She started crying.
“I’m sorry, Gabriel, it’s not what you think—”
“Sorry?!”
His shout filled the room.
She flinched again.
“What do you mean by sorry?” he yelled.
Her tears fell faster.
“Can sorry fix my marriage?”
She couldn’t speak.
“Can sorry make Victoria forgive me?”
She covered her mouth.
“Can sorry remove the divorce papers she gave me to sign?”
Her knees felt weak.
“Can sorry bring back my reputation?”
Her shoulders shook.
“Can sorry fix my life?!”
He was breathing hard now.
The room felt too small for both of them.
Prisca started crying louder.
“I didn’t mean for it to go that far…”
He stared at her in disbelief.
“You didn’t mean?”
She shook her head.
“I was angry… I was hurt… I thought—”
“You thought what?”
She wiped her tears with her hand.
“I thought she was the reason you never gave me full attention.”
His face hardened.
“I told you about Victoria from the first day,” he said slowly.
She looked down.
“I told you I was married.”
Silence.
“I told you she was sick.”
Her tears kept falling.
“I told you to keep everything private until I was ready.”
Her lips trembled.
“But you couldn’t wait.”
She whispered,
“I was scared…”
“You destroyed my marriage!” he shouted.
Her body shook.
“You sent those messages behind my back!”
“I didn’t want to lose you!”
“You made her leave the house!”
“I loved you!”
“You humiliated her!”
“I was jealous!”
“You ruined everything!”
His voice broke at the last word.
Silence fell again.
He turned away from her and ran his hand over his face.
His shoulders rose and fell as he tried to calm himself, but the anger was still there.
“I regret meeting you,” he said quietly.
The words hit harder than any shout.
Prisca froze.
Slowly, she looked up at him.
“What…?”
He didn’t look at her.
“I regret the day I met you.”
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
“I regret believing you.”
Tears rolled down his face.
“I regret trusting you.”
She took a step toward him.
“Gabriel please—”
He stepped back.
“Don’t.”
Her hands stopped in the air.
“The woman I lost…” he continued, voice shaking, “she never fought me. She never insulted you. She never tried to destroy you.”
More tears fell.
“And you… you couldn’t even respect her enough to stay quiet.”
Prisca fell to her knees.
“I was wrong… I know I was wrong…”
He looked at her, his eyes full of pain.
“You didn’t just hurt her.”
His voice dropped.
“You destroyed me too.”
Her crying became louder.
“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”
He shook his head slowly.
“Your sorry came too late.”
Silence again.
He wiped his face with his hand, but the tears kept coming.
For the first time, Prisca saw him cry like this.
Not from anger.
Not from stress.
From regret.
He turned toward the stairs.
She panicked.
“Gabriel… please don’t go like this…”
He stopped but didn’t turn.
“I need to stay away from you right now.”
Her chest tightened.
“I can’t even look at you without remembering what I lost.”
Her hands covered her face.
“I didn’t mean to destroy everything…”
He spoke without looking back.
“But you did.”
His voice broke again.
“And the worst part…”
He paused.
“…I helped you do it.”
He walked toward the stairs.
Slow, heavy and broken.
Prisca remained on her knees, crying.
She watched him go up.
Step by step.
Without looking back.
Without saying her name again.
Without caring if she was still there.
When his footsteps disappeared, the house became silent.
Too silent.
She slowly stood up, but her legs were weak. She held the chair to balance herself, then sat down slowly.
Her hands were shaking.
Her chest hurt.
The man who once couldn’t sleep without holding her
had just told her
he regretted knowing her.
Tears kept falling.
She looked around the house.
Everything looked the same.
But nothing felt the same.
She whispered through her tears,
“What have I done…”
Her voice broke completely.
She covered her face and cried harder.
Not loud.
Not dramatic.
Just broken.
Alone in the middle of the living room,
holding the pain she created herself.
And for the first time,
Prisca wished
she could turn back time.
But time never goes backward.
And neither did Gabriel.
- Writer
