บท 1: Chapter 0: Broken Bonds
Vivian sat patiently on a beautiful, empty swing at the corner of the large pool, waiting for her boyfriend, Alvin, to return. He had gone to clean up after an unfortunate spill left his shirt soaked with alcohol.
They were at a pool party hosted by Alvin's best friend, Priyanka, someone who had been a constant presence throughout their two years at the university. With no friends of her own in this foreign country, Vivian had come to consider Priyanka not just Alvin's best friend but her own as well.
Around her, the party raged on. Some couples splashed playfully in the pool, while others, barely knowing each other, were casually hooking up for fun. There were also those who came solely for the alcohol, drowning their boredom in drink.
Vivian, however, found herself detached from the chaos, her mind elsewhere. She was feeling left out and wanted to check on her boyfriend, but the sharp pain in her ankle reminded her of her injury, restricting her from leaving the swing. Besides, she had complete trust in him.
As she stared up at the sparkling full moon, lost in thought, a voice cut through her night-view moment. "Vivian!" It was faint amidst the noise but distinct enough to draw her attention. She shifted her gaze and saw Priyanka rushing towards her, her face carved with urgency.
"Vivian!" Priyanka called again, breathless from running.
Vivian stood, concerned, wanting to offer her her place. "What's wrong?" she asked, offering a hand to help Priyanka catch her breath.
Priyanka waved her off. "No time to explain, Vivian. You need to come with me." She grabbed Vivian's hand and pulled her through the crowd of people and into the villa. The noise inside was almost deafening, making it impossible for Vivian to understand what Priyanka was trying to say.
"I can't hear you!" Vivian shouted, but it was useless. Priyanka, just as frustrated, merely quickened her pace, leading them up the stairs to the first floor. They reached the very first door at the start of the hall, where Priyanka suddenly stopped, turning to face Vivian.
"Listen to me," Priyanka said, holding Vivian's hands tightly. "Whatever you see in there, stay calm. Don't jump to conclusions. Face it rationally. Okay?"
"Priyanka, you're scaring me. What's going on?" Vivian's voice wavered with anxiety.
Priyanka didn't respond. Instead, she slightly pushed open the door, revealing a scene that shattered Vivian's whole world in an instant.
Vivian's breath caught in her throat, her heart sinking into a pit of despair. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stood there, frozen in disbelief.
She sniffed softly as she witnessed her boyfriend, Alvin, inside, locked in a passionate kiss with an unfamiliar woman. The woman's hands fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, while Alvin, seemingly lost in the moment, did nothing to stop her.
"I told you," Priyanka whispered, adding fuel to the already lit fire in Vivian's heart. "I warned you about him, but you didn't believe me."
Vivian's mind raced, the betrayal cutting deep. Every person she had ever trusted had let her down, and now, again, the one she trusted most had done the same. Her entire body trembled as she pushed the door wide open, the force of it slamming against the wall with a loud bang.
Startled, Alvin pushed the woman away, stumbling to his feet, half-naked and half-dazed. His face was completely red, and he tried to hide his eyes, unwilling to look at Vivian.
"How could you?" Vivian whimpered, as she struggled to maintain her composure. She clenched her fists, her entire body shaking with the effort to hold back her rage.
"I—I don't know," Alvin stammered, still unable to meet her gaze.
"You don't know?" Vivian's voice grew louder, her pain stabbing a hole of anger in her heart. "How can you not know what you were doing?" She stepped forward, grabbing his collar. "Look at me, Alvin! Look at me!"
Alvin finally removed his hand covering his eyes and looked down into hers. He saw his beautiful girlfriend, who had huge tears in her eyes and some streaming down her cheeks. He could only see the pain of betrayal in her ebony eyes.
However, what Vivian saw in his eyes only deepened the pain, shattering her heart into many pieces. He looked confused, ashamed, but there was no remorse, no explanation. Just a hollow emptiness that made her feel even more alone.
"Although short, I thought we had a connection that could never be severed," she said, her voice trembling with the weight of her emotions. "Was it all just in my head?"
"Vivian—" Alvin began, but she cut him off.
"I want an explanation, Alvin! I deserve that much!"
"I don't have one," he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I don't know what happened…"
"That's your excuse?" Vivian's voice was rising again, drawing the attention of the random people downstairs. Soon, a crowd began to gather outside the room, but she couldn't care less.
"You cheated on me, and you don't even have a reason for doing it? You could have at least had the decency to do it somewhere I wouldn't find out! You have no shame. You didn't really care if I were to find out. Am I wrong?"
He remained quiet.
"Please say that I am wrong. Dammit!"
"Please, just stop yelling," Alvin pleaded, grabbing her shoulders. "My head…"
"I don't care!" she screamed, pushing him away.
"For fuck's sake, shut up!" Alvin yelled, his voice laced with frustration. His sudden outburst of anger shocked her.
Vivian recoiled, hurt and stunned. Alvin had never raised his voice at her like this. She bit her lip, tears spilling over as she took a step back.
"We're over," she declared, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. She turned and walked out of the room, not looking back as Alvin hurried to follow her, frantically buttoning up his shirt.
"Vivian!" he called after her, but she ignored him, pulling out her phone to book a cab. Fortunately, it was only a few minutes away.
Vivian was now outside on the road, waiting for the cab to arrive, when Alvin finally caught up with her.
"Vivian. I need to clear my head. Let us both calm down for now and talk after we reach home." He grabbed her wrist, which she immediately shook off and hid it by crossing them over her chest.
"About what?" she snapped, turning to face him. "Your feelings?"
"No, no, no… I still love you, Vivian. I really, really love you. What happened back there… I don't know what—"
"Alvin, please. Stop. Stop lying. Please." Her voice was cold and distant. Just then, the cab pulled up. "When I said it's over, I meant it. You cheated on me, and you don't even have an explanation to back it up," she said as she walked to the cab.
"But—" Alvin tried to argue, but she cut him off again.
"At least be man enough to admit that you cheated," she said, her voice firm. "Alvin, if possible, do not show your face in front of me ever again. And if by any chance, we unfortunately collide, let's act as strangers." With that, she got into the cab, closing the door on Alvin and the life they once shared.
As the car drove away, Alvin was left standing on the side of the road, alone and confused, as the woman he loved disappeared into the dark night.
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Freglow_630
Freglow_630 First, I want to thank all the readers who chose this novel. It is an honor to see that my imagination is coming to life and there are people reading this book. It's like dream come true!!
Hope that you enjoy it.
||In case you are wondering what the hell was written in the latter part of the summary.
Yes, this is part of a series which is more like a connected universe.
This is the first book and the series is named : Thorns and Roses. There would be more novels coming in same genre and belonging to the same universe/ series.||
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