"I hate you!"
Severa Yllanna's scream tore through the quiet night, raw and unrestrained. Her chest heaved as she stood beneath the pale glow of the streetlights, the same ones that had illuminated countless summer evenings spent with him. But tonight, they cast only shadows, stretching long and unforgiving across the cobblestone path.
She had never felt hatred like this before—never thought she could, not toward someone who had once made her feel like she belonged. But the rage burned inside her, a wildfire she couldn't put out. Tears streamed down her face, hot and unrelenting, as she clutched her chest, trying to steady herself. Trying to breathe.
"I hate you," she repeated, her voice quieter now but no less filled with agony.
Eugene Dominguez stood before her, unmoving. His face was unreadable—cold, distant, completely detached from the boy she thought she knew. Just hours ago, that same face had been familiar, kind, framed by a warm smile that made her feel safe. Now, it was a stranger's mask.
He didn't flinch at her words. He didn't look away.
Severa's hands curled into fists, her nails biting into her palms. She wanted to scream again, to shake him, to force some kind of reaction out of him. But what good would that do?
"Why?" Her voice cracked, the question barely making it past her lips. "Why did you do it?"
She needed to hear it from him. To understand the depth of his betrayal. To know how he could look her in the eyes, hold her hand, laugh with her under the summer sky—and still lie so effortlessly.
Eugene exhaled slowly, tilting his head slightly as if considering his words. But his expression remained unchanged. "I think you already know why."
His response was a dagger straight through her ribs.
Two months ago…
Severa had arrived in Esperanza, a town so remote it felt like a world away from the city she called home. The ten-hour drive had left her exhausted, but the moment she stepped out of the car, she felt something shift. The air was crisp, untainted by smog and gasoline, carrying the scent of damp soil and blooming flowers. There was something magical about the quiet here—something peaceful.
She hadn't expected much from the trip. Just another summer in a place she had no attachment to, with people she barely knew. But then she met him.
Eugene Dominguez—the mayor's son.
They met at a party hosted at the town's grand hall, where her Aunt Leticia had been invited as a guest of honor. He was the first person to approach her, effortlessly charming, his voice smooth like a song she could listen to on repeat.
"You're not from here," he had said, amusement flickering in his dark eyes.
Severa had smiled, rolling her eyes. "Was it that obvious?"
He grinned. "A little. But don't worry, I know every corner of this town. I could give you a tour."
And just like that, her summer changed.
Eugene showed her Esperanza in a way no one else could. He took her to the hidden waterfalls, where the water was so clear she could see tiny fish darting around her toes. He led her through the firefly fields at dusk, where the world seemed to glow. He brought her to an old bookshop that smelled of aged paper and ink, run by an elderly man who spun tales of Esperanza's past.
They spent late nights by the lake, whispering secrets they had never told anyone else. He called her by her full name, Severa Yllanna, like it meant something.
She had trusted him.
But all of it—every moment, every touch, every smile—had been a lie.
Hours ago, she had overheard everything.
Eugene's voice, casual and unbothered, drifted through the open-air café where he sat with his friends.
"You really think I'd fall for her?" He laughed, a sound that once brought her comfort but now made her stomach turn. "Please. I just did what I had to do. Now that her aunt signed the papers, we'll finally get that land. It was easy."
It was a trap.
And she had walked right into it.
Now, standing face to face with him, the weight of his betrayal settled over her like a stormcloud ready to burst.
"You used me," she whispered, the words tasting like poison on her tongue.
Eugene didn't deny it.
"You were never my friend," she continued, her voice rising. "Everything—the trips, the late-night talks, the way you looked at me—it was all fake. Wasn't it?"
For a brief moment, something flickered across Eugene's face. Guilt? Regret? She wasn't sure. But it disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"It wasn't all fake," he murmured.
A hollow laugh bubbled up in her throat. "Then tell me, Eugene, which parts were real? Because from where I'm standing, it all looks like a well-planned lie."
Silence.
He didn't have an answer.
Or maybe, he simply didn't care enough to give her one.
"You'll be fine, Severa," he finally said, his tone eerily calm. "You're not the type to break over something like this."
She felt like the wind had been knocked out of her.
"You don't get to decide that," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He had taken something from her—not just trust, not just a summer romance. He had taken away the part of her that believed in people.
Severa took a step back, the weight of her grief settling into her bones. The air that had once smelled of fresh rain now felt suffocating, thick with unspoken words and broken promises.
She didn't want to be here anymore.
The summer that once felt endless now felt like nothing more than a cruel joke.
Without another word, Severa turned on her heel and walked away.
She didn't look back.
Because some summers don't just end. Some summers bleed.