It had been months since Vanessa had given me the money to help my family, and I still wasn't anywhere near being able to pay her back. Every time I thought I was getting closer, something would come up—a new bill, a family emergency, something that would drain whatever savings I had managed to scrape together. The guilt weighed on me constantly, gnawing at me, reminding me of the debt I owed—not just financially, but emotionally.
Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I knew I had to face her again, to explain the situation, even though I knew how pathetic it would sound. So there I was, standing outside her office again, just like the last time. I had been waiting all day, feeling the same knot of anxiety in my stomach as the hours ticked by. People came and went, but there was no sign of Vanessa.
Just when I was about to give up, I saw her step out of the elevator, her long black hair framing her face perfectly, and the same guy—her new boyfriend—by her side. They were laughing about something, and the sight of them together hit me like a punch to the gut.
Vanessa noticed me standing there and stopped in her tracks. Her laughter faded, replaced by that same guarded look she had the last time we spoke. She said something to the guy, and he nodded, giving me a quick glance before walking toward the exit.
Vanessa approached me, her arms crossed, a mixture of curiosity and impatience in her eyes. "Tristan, what are you doing here?"
I swallowed hard, feeling my chest tighten. "I... I need to talk to you. It's about the money."
Her expression softened just a little, but her guard didn't drop. "What about it?"
I let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'm not going to be able to pay you back anytime soon. I've been trying—God, I've been trying—but it's just not happening. Things are still bad, and... well, I'm sorry."
Vanessa stared at me for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she let out a soft sigh, shaking her head slightly. "Tristan, it's fine. I never expected you to pay me back."
I blinked, surprised by her words. "What?"
She shrugged, her tone matter-of-fact. "I told you when I gave you the money that it wasn't a loan. It was a gift. You don't owe me anything."
I stared at her, feeling a strange mix of relief and guilt wash over me. "But... I feel like I do. I feel like I've been dragging this debt around, and it's been eating me alive."
Vanessa gave me a small, sad smile. "You don't owe me anything, Tristan. I've moved on. You should, too."
I hesitated, my heart pounding in my chest. There was something else I needed to say, something that had been festering inside me ever since I saw her with that guy. "Can I... can I be honest with you for a second?"
Vanessa raised an eyebrow, her expression cautious but curious. "Go ahead."
I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of my emotions bubbling to the surface. "I'm jealous," I admitted, my voice low and strained. "I'm really fucking jealous of that guy. Every time I see you with him, it's like a knife to the heart. I know I shouldn't feel this way, but I do. And it hurts, Vanessa. It really fucking hurts."
For a moment, there was silence between us. Vanessa's eyes softened, but there was a distance in them that told me she was no longer the same person I had once been with.
"Tristan," she said quietly, her voice gentle but firm, "I understand that this is hard for you. But you need to realize something—I've moved on. My life has changed, and I'm with someone else now. You and I... we're over. And I think it's time for you to move on, too."
I felt my chest tighten, my vision blurring as tears welled up in my eyes. I didn't want to cry in front of her, but the emotions were too strong, too raw. "I know," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I know I should move on. But it's so fucking hard. I can't stop thinking about you. About us."
Vanessa sighed, her expression softening even more as she stepped closer. "Tristan, you're a good person. But we weren't right for each other, and you know that. What we had... it was intense, but it wasn't sustainable. You need to let go. You need to find your own path."
The tears were falling now, and I couldn't stop them. "I miss you," I choked out, my voice barely a whisper. "I miss everything about you."
Vanessa reached out, gently placing a hand on my arm. "I know," she said softly. "But this is how it has to be. You need to focus on yourself now, Tristan. You need to heal."
I nodded, though it felt like my heart was being torn in half. "Yeah... I know."
We stood there for a long moment, the silence between us heavy with unspoken words. I wanted to say more, to tell her how much I still loved her, how much I regretted everything that had gone wrong. But I knew it wouldn't change anything. She had moved on, and I had to accept that, no matter how much it hurt.
Finally, I wiped my tears away, taking a deep breath as I tried to pull myself together. "Thanks for everything, Vanessa. I... I won't bother you again."
Vanessa gave me a small nod, her eyes filled with a mixture of sympathy and sadness. "Take care of yourself, Tristan. You'll be okay. I know you will."
I nodded, unable to find the words to respond. With one last glance at her, I turned and walked away, my heart heavy with the weight of everything I had lost.
As I stepped out into the bright LA sun, the tears still fresh on my face, I realized that this was it. This was the end. Vanessa was gone from my life, and I had no choice but to pick up the pieces and move forward.
But even as I walked away, the pain lingered, gnawing at me, reminding me of what could have been.
Just as I stepped out of the building, still raw from my conversation with Vanessa, I noticed a commotion near the entrance. A guy—tall, with a scruffy beard and a faded leather jacket—was being escorted out by two security guards. He didn't seem to put up much of a fight, just shrugged and muttered something under his breath as they pushed him toward the sidewalk.
As I walked past him, the guy caught my eye. He smirked and nodded in my direction. "Hey, man," he called out. "You Vanessa's ex?"
I hesitated, surprised that he even knew who I was. "Yeah... why?"
The guy chuckled, shaking his head like he'd just heard the punchline to some private joke. "Figures. Same old story, huh?"
I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"
He leaned against a nearby lamppost, his arms crossed casually. "Let me guess—you got caught up in her web, thought she was the perfect woman, then she chewed you up and spat you out when she got bored."
I clenched my jaw, still feeling the sting of my breakup fresh in my chest. "It wasn't like that."
The guy raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Oh yeah? Then why'd she dump you?"
I sighed, glancing around, wondering why I was even talking to this guy. But something about the way he was looking at me made me want to defend myself. "It wasn't working out. I couldn't handle the lifestyle, the pressure. She moved on."
He laughed, the sound low and mocking. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Trust me, you're not the first."
I frowned, my curiosity piqued despite myself. "And you are...?"
The guy smirked, pushing himself off the lamppost and stepping closer. "I'm the ex before you, bro. Same shit, different day. But I'm not here for her anymore. I'm here for the money."
I stared at him, my confusion deepening. "The money? What are you talking about?"
He shrugged nonchalantly, his hands sliding into the pockets of his jacket. "Vanessa's loaded, right? I'm just getting what I'm owed."
I blinked, trying to process what he was saying. "You're not worried about feeling guilty? Taking money from her like that?"
The guy snorted, shaking his head. "Nah, man. Compared to what Vanessa's done to people like us, I'm just getting even. Trust me, she's not the victim here."
I raised an eyebrow, feeling an odd mix of intrigue and suspicion. "What do you mean by that?"
He leaned in slightly, his voice lowering conspiratorially. "I can tell you everything, but first... you gotta turn off your phone."
I frowned, glancing down at my pocket. "Why?"
The guy gave me a sly smile. "Trust me. You don't want her knowing what we're talking about."
For a moment, I hesitated, my gut telling me this wasn't a good idea. But the curiosity—mixed with the lingering bitterness toward Vanessa—won out. I pulled out my phone, powered it down, and stuffed it into my pocket.
"Alright," I said, my voice steady. "Tell me."
The guy smirked, nodding toward the parking lot. "Let's take a walk."
Q: Would you trust this guy?