"Jenna, listen to me," Aiden pleaded, his voice desperate, but I cut him off sharply.
"No!" I snapped, my voice cold and unwavering. "You’re both lying to me." My gaze turned icy as I shifted to Felix. He stood there, silent, his jaw clenched, but I could see the tension in his posture.
“It’s only Aiden,” Felix finally spoke, his tone flat but with a certain edge. His words made my blood boil. How could he still try to shift the blame?
I clenched my fists, my frustration and anger bubbling to the surface. "No, it's him!" Aiden's voice rose, filled with frustration. "He’s the one deceiving you, Jenna. He’s been using you all along, just to get revenge. This was all part of his plan."
The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. My chest tightened as I looked at Felix, desperately hoping for some sort of explanation. Anything that could make me believe this wasn’t all just a cruel game.
"Just tell me one thing, Felix," I whispered, my voice cracking. "Was I ever more than just part of your revenge?"
I bit my lip hard, trying to keep my emotions in check. My heart pounded in my chest as I waited for his answer. Every second felt like an eternity.
Felix’s eyes flickered with something—guilt? Regret?—but he didn’t speak. He just stood there, motionless, as if he couldn’t bring himself to say the words.
“Please, Jenna, believe me,” Aiden begged, stepping closer. “He’s lying to you. He’s been playing you all along.”
My breath caught in my throat as I forced myself to ask, “Is it true? Is what Aiden’s saying true? Did you lie to me, Felix? Were you just using me for your revenge?”
Felix finally exhaled, his shoulders slumping slightly. He looked at me, his expression torn, and for a brief moment, I thought I saw the real Felix—the one who wasn’t blinded by hatred or revenge.
But then he spoke, and it shattered everything.
"Jenna..." His voice was low, almost defeated. "I never meant for it to go this far. But yes... at first, it was about revenge."
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I felt the ground beneath me crumble.
“So, that’s it?” I whispered, tears stinging my eyes. “I was just part of your plan all along? Everything between us... it was all fake?”
Felix looked away, his silence answering more than words ever could.
And just like that, everything fell apart.
Felix’s gaze turned sharp, his eyes gleaming with a twisted confidence. He even let out a laugh, one that echoed in the room like a taunt, as if he was finding joy in all this.
“Why are you reacting like that, Jenna?" he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "Aira was your friend, wasn’t she? And yet, you never bothered to find out what really happened to her. What kind of friend does that, huh?”
Each word felt like a stab to my heart, his accusations cutting deeper than I ever imagined possible. I could feel myself unraveling, breaking apart under the weight of his cruel words. How did it come to this?
I stood there, frozen, the reality sinking in painfully. He had used me—twisted everything we shared, manipulated my emotions, and all for what? Revenge.
I swallowed hard, trying to keep my composure, but his words echoed in my mind. "What kind of friend am I?" His question lingered, and for a moment, I hated myself.
I had been blind, naive. I had fallen right into his trap.
"Do you think... I'm a worthless friend?" I asked quietly, but with a firm edge to my voice, my hands trembling at my sides.
Felix didn’t hesitate. 'Why, didn’t I?' he shot back sharply, his words hitting me like a slap across the face. The coldness in his tone was more than I could bear.
Before I could stop myself, I took a step toward him, my emotions boiling over. The anger, the betrayal—it was all too much. I shoved him hard, my hands pushing against his chest as tears welled up in my eyes.
"How could you?" I choked out, my voice shaking with fury. "I trusted you. I thought you cared... I thought we—" My words trailed off as the weight of the truth crashed down on me. Everything had been a lie.
Felix didn’t flinch, didn’t even try to stop me. He just stood there, staring down at me, his expression unreadable.
For a moment, I wanted him to fight back, to say something that would make this all hurt less. But he didn’t. The silence between us was suffocating, and I felt the full impact of what had just happened—he had used me, and now, there was no going back.
“Why am I the only one being blamed here, Jenna?” Felix said coldly, his voice sharp, clearly shifting the blame—toward Aiden.
I stood there, my heart pounding in my chest, unsure of what to say. Before I could respond, Felix continued, his anger flaring.
“Don’t be biased, Jenna. Why? Just because you love this man so much!” he spat, his voice rising as he pointed accusingly at Aiden.
I glanced at Aiden, who looked back at me with pleading eyes, but I felt trapped. Felix's words stung, not because they were true, but because they forced me to confront feelings, I wasn’t ready to face. Was I defending Aiden because of love? Or was it something else?
"That’s not true," I finally managed, my voice barely above a whisper. But even as I said it, doubt crept in.
Felix scoffed, shaking his head. "Really, Jenna? You’re going to stand here and defend him after everything he’s done? After everything I’ve told you?"
I swallowed hard, feeling the walls close in on me. How did things get so twisted, so broken?
Felix’s smirk faltered for a moment, but he quickly masked it with his usual arrogance.
“Really, Jenna? You think you’re the victim here?” he shot back, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
I couldn’t hold it in any longer. The weight of his accusations, the lies, the manipulation—it all came crashing down. “Yes! You used me, Felix! You toyed with my feelings, and for what? Revenge? You never cared about me!” I yelled, my voice breaking. “And let me tell you something—I had no idea that Aira and Aiden had a relationship. I would have never done anything to hurt her.”
My chest tightened as I continued. “I loved my friendship with Aira. Don’t you dare tell me I didn’t care about her,” I said, my voice trembling with emotion.
“It broke me to find out she was gone, to know that my best friend—someone who was always there for me—was dead. You don’t get to use that pain against me, Felix. You have no idea how much it hurts.”
Felix stared at me, his expression hard, but I could see something flicker in his eyes. Was it regret? Guilt? I couldn’t tell, and frankly, I didn’t care anymore. I had had enough.
Tears threatened to spill, but I blinked them back, refusing to let him see how deeply he had wounded me. "I deserve better than this, better than all of your lies."
“Are you mad at me because I lied to you? Why is it that Aiden—” he began to say sternly, but I didn’t let him finish.
“Can you stop? Don’t place the blame anywhere else, both of you are liars!” I shouted. “You both just played with my feelings.”
I stepped closer to Felix, gathering the courage not to cry. “Here’s what I’m going to tell you: everything I said was true, including my feelings for you. I don’t even want to ask if you ever really loved me because I already know the answer,” I said, grabbing my bag and leaving with a heavy heart.
I heard Aiden call out after me, following me as I walked out.
As I stormed out of the room, my heart felt like it was shattering into a million pieces. I couldn’t stay there any longer—around Felix, around Aiden, around all the lies that had spun me into this nightmare.
“Jenna!” Aiden called after me, his voice desperate as he followed me out the door. I ignored him, my steps quickening. I didn’t want to hear any more explanations or apologies. I just wanted to get away.
“Jenna, please wait!” Aiden grabbed my arm gently, but I yanked it free, spinning around to face him.
“What?” I snapped, my voice sharp.
“Let me explain—”
“Explain what?” I spun around, my voice sharp.
“What could you possibly say to make this better, Aiden? That Felix used me? That you hurt Aira? That you both played with my heart?” I could feel my emotions swirling, a mix of anger, betrayal, and heartache.
Aiden stopped a few feet away, looking at me like he was struggling to find the right words. His face was a mixture of regret and guilt, and for a moment, I could see that he was just as broken as I was.
“I never wanted to hurt you,” he said quietly. “I know I made mistakes—so many mistakes—but I need you to understand that I care about you. I always have.”
I shook my head, tears finally escaping despite my efforts to hold them back. “Care about me? Aiden, you lied to me too. You were part of this whole mess from the start. You never told me about Aira, about your past with her.”
“I felt like I had betrayed my friend.”
He looked down, ashamed, and for a second, I could see the weight of his guilt. “I know... and I regret it every day,” he admitted. “But please, don’t walk away from us. Don’t let Felix’s lies destroy everything between us.”
I stepped back, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Everything between us?” I repeated bitterly. “What is there between us, Aiden? Lies, secrets, betrayal? That’s all there’s ever been.”
He reached out for me again, but I stepped back further, my resolve hardening. “I need space, Aiden. I need to figure things out on my own. You and Felix—you both broke my trust, and I don’t know if that’s something I can ever get back.”
Without waiting for his response, I turned away and walked down the hallway, my steps heavy but determined. I needed time, I needed distance. Most of all, I needed to heal from the chaos they had both dragged me into.
For the first time in a long while, I had to put myself first.