Calculating.
“I was going to tell you.”
There it was.
That sentence.
The one people use when they get caught.
Not when they care.
Her chest tightened.
A hollow laugh slipped out.
“You were going to tell me… or you were waiting for me to find out?”
His eyes snapped to hers.
Defensive.
Cornered.
“It’s complicated.”
No.
No, it wasn’t.
That word—complicated—was just a shield.
A weak one.
She shook her head slowly.
“No… it’s actually very simple.”
Her voice steadied.
Stronger now.
Clearer.
“You lied.”
Each word landed like a blow.
“You hid things.”
Another step back.
Creating space.
“And you let someone else into something that was supposed to be mine.”
His face hardened.
Not with shame.
With frustration.
“You don’t understand—”
