Chapter 1 "Mistake"

Arwena looked around the room until her eyes landed on the frosted shower door, where she saw the hazy silhouette of a man.

"What have I done?" she whispered, her hand flying to her mouth as tears welled up.

She rose unsteadily, gathered her clothes, dressed hurriedly, and slipped out of the room as quickly as possible.

Frustration bubbled over as she repeatedly tapped her forehead. She felt utterly foolish. For so long, she had protected herself, priding herself on self-restraint. It was the reason her ex-boyfriend left her for her best friend. And yet, here she was, giving herself to a stranger.

"Tandre," she murmured, the name of the man who had saved her—and the man to whom she had surrendered.

"Arwena! Where have you been?" her mother’s voice, tinged with worry, greeted her as she stepped into the house. Her father shook his head in silent disappointment.

She longed to collapse into their arms, to tell them everything—the horrible events of the previous night, her boyfriend's and best friend's betrayal. But fear held her back. What if the truth shattered her parents, who trusted her so deeply?

Her chest ached, heavy with the weight of secrets. She had decided to carry her burdens alone.

"Mom, Dad, I’m tired—" She tried to deflect their questions, but the words froze in her throat as Jake, her ex-boyfriend, and Farah, her former best friend, emerged from the living room, hand in hand.

The sight hit her like a physical blow. Her heart clenched painfully, and her breathing grew uneven. Anger surged, hot, and relentless.

They had shattered her world with their betrayal. Yet here they were, brazenly standing in her home as if nothing had happened.

"W-what are you doing here?" Arwena’s voice cracked, her eyes burning, but she fought to keep her tears. She would not cry—not in front of her parents, and certainly not before those two traitors.

"I called them. We were about to go look for you," her mother explained, her voice trembling as she clutched her chest in distress.

Arwena’s heart twisted further. She hated causing her parents such worry, but the bitterness inside her refused to fade.

"Yes, I know you were worried. I’m sorry," she replied softly, forcing a faint smile. Her eyes, however, glared daggers at Jake and Farah, who avoided her gaze.

"What happened between you and Jake, Arwena? Did you fight?" her father asked, his brows furrowed in concern as he gently rubbed his wife’s back.

Arwena bit her lip, hoping Jake would explain. But instead, he sighed theatrically, lowering his head and acting as if he's the victim and she was the one at fault.

"If you did fight, you should have talked it out. Problems can be solved through conversation, not by running away," her father continued, his disappointment unmistakable.

Arwena’s chest tightened further. Her father’s trust in her was unwavering, and she hated to let him down. Yet she remained silent, determined to shield her parents from the truth.

"You’re not like this, Arwena. You’ve never left without saying anything, and you’ve never dressed so… inappropriately," her father added, his tone heavy with reproach.

"Aunt, Uncle…"

Farah’s soft voice interrupted. Arwena stiffened as Farah stepped closer to her parents, placing a comforting hand on their shoulders.

Arwena’s anger flared. How dare Farah act like the perfect friend? She was nothing but a manipulative snake.

"Let’s let Arwena rest for now," Farah suggested sweetly, her gaze flickering to Arwena. "What matters is that she’s home safely."

Arwena’s smile turned bitter. Farah’s act was flawles. How easily she deceived everyone.

"Thank you, Farah. We’re so grateful for your help," Arwena’s mother said warmly, holding Farah’s hand.

"No worries, Aunt. Arwena is my friend—we're family, and family helps one another." Farah replied with a smile, her eyes still on Arwena. "I’ll be leaving now; I have a meeting with a potential franchisee for your coffee shop," she added, addressing Arwena’s parents, who were delighted at her words.

"Alright, dear, go ahead. I hope your meeting goes well," her mother said, almost babying Farah.

Arwena knew Farah was showing her how important she was to her parents and their business. This made it even harder for Arwena to tell them the truth. Farah had contributed so much to their business. So, even though Arwena’s heart was on the verge of exploding, she couldn’t tell her parents why she hadn’t come home last night. She would rather bear the pain alone than hurt her parents.

"Mom, Dad, I’m going to rest now," she muttered, avoiding Jake’s piercing gaze as she made her way to her room.

"Jake, go after her," her mother urged.

Arwena froze, her fists clenched. She longed to scream at Jake to stay away, but instead, she kept walking.

"Arwena, wait," Jake called after her, his voice soft yet insistent.

She ignored him until he grabbed her arm.

"Where were you last night?" he demanded in a harsh whisper.

Arwena yanked her arm free. "Don’t you dare ask me that? You cheated on me with my best friend, and now you have the audacity to question me?"

Jake’s expression darkened, but he said nothing. "Don’t blame me for everything, Arwena! Yes, I made a mistake. But it was you who pushed me to do it."

Arwena let out a bitter laugh. "You’ve got some nerve, blaming your infidelity on me! I’ve finally woken up. I did nothing wrong—my only fault was loving you too much!" She struck Jake hard in the chest. "It’s not my fault that your heart ended up lower than it should be!" She continued hitting his chest, her tears threatening to spill.

"Stop it, or I’ll—" Jake grabbed her wrist so tightly that she thought her bones would break.

"What will you do? Hurt me?" Arwena challenged, her voice trembling with anger. "You’ve already done that—you didn’t just hurt me; you shattered me. There’s nothing you can do now that’s worse than your betrayal." With all her strength, she yanked her hand free. "Leave."

Jake’s silence stretched, but his clenched jaw betrayed his anger.

"I’m not leaving until you tell me where you were last night and what you were doing," he demanded.

Arwena laughed bitterly. "Fine, you want to know? I slept at a hotel and woke up next to a man—Jake, it's gone—what I had been saving for you is gone."

Jake’s eyes widened in shock. Before he could respond, Arwena disappeared into her room, slamming the door shut.

She leaned against the door, tears streaming down her face. Moments later, she turned on the shower, letting the cold water mix with her sobs.

"I’ve always been good," she whispered, her voice breaking. "So why does it feel like I’m being punished?"