Every Bet They Made, Every Line They Crossed Chapter 07

Every Bet They Made, Every Line They Crossed Chapter 07

The next day, he ran a high fever and sent me a delirious message. A red error icon filled the screen–I’d

blocked him.

He texted Selena instead: [I’m running a fever, 102 degrees.]

Selena replied instantly: [If you feel sick, take medicine. Why are you texting me? I’m not your girlfriend. Bella’s supposed to be your fiancée. Oh wait, she isn’t anymore.]

Philip stared at the screen and typed back: [Do you think dumping all those accusations erases what you did to her?]

Selena never responded.

That same afternoon, Philip booked a train ticket to my hometown. He stood for the entire six–hour ride, and reached my apartment complex late at night.

He knocked on my front door with desperate urgency.

My mom opened the door and froze when she saw him.

She didn’t slam the door in his face, nor did she step aside to let him enter. A polite smile touched her lips, but there was no warmth behind it.

“Philip. It’s quite late. What brings you here?”

Philip’s lips were pale. “I need to see Bella.”

Mom stood firm in the doorway, blocking his way. “Bella’s asleep. She hasn’t been feeling well these days. Whatever you need to say, you can say it to me.”

Philip’s eyes reddened. “I know I messed up. I truly regret everything. Please let me speak to her, I need to apologize face–to–face.”

Mom shook her head slowly. “Philip, when Bella sets her mind on something, she doesn’t waver.”

“When she was little, her pet rabbit died. She cried all day, then buried it herself and told me, ‘Mom, I won’t get another pet ever again. She never brought another animal home after that.”

“If she says she isn’t marrying you, she means it. Go home. Don’t wait out here; it’s cold.”

Philip refused to move an inch.

Mom sighed, her tone still soft but firm. “Even if you stand here until sunrise, Bella won’t come out. You’re a smart young man; you should know better.”

“Our Bella has always been kind–hearted. She’s never wronged anyone. You know exactly how you treated her. She stayed with you for all those years because she cherished the years you shared. Now she doesn’t want to hold onto that nest env

The door clicked shut. Philip remained in the stairwell, shivering from the cold.

He didn’t leave that night. He leaned against the concrete wall and sat there until dawn.

The next morning, I stepped out to head to work. He jolted upright when he heard movement. Dark shadows pooled under his eyes, his lips cracked and dry.

When he saw me, he stumbled to his feet and called my name.

I walked straight past him toward the stairs.

He followed close behind, repeating desperate apologies all the way to the entrance of my new workplace- he’d clearly looked up where I’d been hired.

I stopped at the front gate and turned to face him. “Are you going to keep following me?”

“I am.” His voice was rough and hoarse, yet unwavering. “I need to apologize. I’ve been awful to you. I said so many cruel things and made you bear so much pain.”

“The mountain hike, Iceland, our anniversary, the proposal, the courthouse… I remember everything. It makes it hard to breathe just thinking about it. I still can’t understand how you tolerated me for so long.”

He pulled out the engagement ring and dropped to one knee in front of me.

“I’ve cut off all contact with Selena. I moved to a new apartment decorated with your belongings. I converted the gaming den back into a study, bought brand–new toothbrushes, and picked up your favorite body wash. Please come back. We can start over.”

I looked down at the ring.

Selena had worn it. That Instagram photo–her finger adorned with this very ring, comments overflowing with congratulations for them both–was still burned into my memory.

“Philip. Do you know why I stayed with you for so long?”

“My parents raised me to believe love requires patience and understanding. When you called me oversensitive, I held back my tears. When you said I was fragile, I forced myself to appear strong.”

“But patience doesn’t mean you get to push me further and further. When you threatened to leak my private photos, did you stop to think what that would do to my parents? They’re getting older, their health is fragile. If you’d actually released those images, how could they have borne such public shame?”

Philip’s lips trembled. “I… I lost my mind back then, I-”

“You weren’t out of your mind,” I cut him off. “You just thought I was too easy to break. Selena was right. You were certain I’d never walk away.”

I bent down, picked up the ring, and placed it back in his palm. “Keep the ring. Don’t use it to hurt anyone

else”