what would you do in this situation?

Becky’s POV

The phone rang at the most unexpected time. It was Kenneth. How could he call me when he knew I was with his brother? I stepped out of Sebastian’s house with my thoughts racing and my heart burning with anger. At that moment, I told myself I would no longer answer Kenneth’s calls.

Is it possible to feel this angry at someone you still love? The truth is, I was hurt. Kenneth left me without even saying goodbye. He did not wait for a word from me or give me a chance to hug him one last time. If his call was really that important, why did he not come to my hotel room that morning? Why did he not knock on my door and tell me his plans in person? He found my room easily enough when he wanted to take his brother’s place, so why not then?

Now, miles away, he decides to call me. What does he expect me to do with that? Even if he did not want to wake me, a short note on the pillow would have been enough. Just a few words. That was all I needed.

I got into the first taxi parked outside Sebastian’s house and told the driver to take me to my mother’s apartment. My mind was so full, I did not even notice the text message Kenneth had sent earlier.

When we arrived, I walked straight to the door and knocked. At first, I struggled to say anything. I felt a lump in my throat, and calling out my name seemed impossible. I knocked again, and this time, my mother opened the door.

“Hi, Mum,” I said, hugging her as I walked in.

She saw right through my smile. Her name is Edna, and she is in her early fifties. I never knew my father, he died when I was just a baby. My mother has always been there for me. We have a strong bond, and for most of my life, I told her everything. When I was younger, I made a promise to always be honest with her because she had given up so much for me.

But now… now there are things I cannot say. How could I tell her that I slept with my boyfriend’s twin brother, someone I barely knew? Even I struggle to understand what happened. And how can I explain that I am still in love with Kenneth? No one would understand or support that, not even her. So I decided to keep it to myself.

“What is wrong?” she asked softly.

I told her I was fine, but the lie barely left my mouth before a tear slipped down my cheek. I could not hold it in anymore. She did not ask again. She just held me close.

She had her own health problems to deal with, and the last thing I wanted was to add to her stress. But she stayed calm and patient, gently rubbing my back as if to say, You do not need to talk now. I am here.

She led me to her bedroom, and we sat on the bed. She took my hand and rested it on her lap, quietly waiting for me to speak when I was ready.

After a while, I stood up and walked over to the window. Looking out, I finally found the strength to say it.

“Mom, I am breaking up with Sebastian.”

I had never said those words to her before, not even once since Sebastian and I started dating.

“What? Sebastian? What happened? Sebastian is like a son to me. What did he do?”

I expected that response. My mother had always liked Sebastian, and I knew she would not want the relationship to end. After all, she had benefitted from it too. When she was in the hospital and needed surgery, it was Sebastian who paid the bills. Neither of us had the money. Without him, she might not have survived. So it made sense that she would stand up for him.

“I thought he would change,” I said quietly.

“Becky, this is the first time you have ever complained about Sebastian,” my mother said, standing up and walking towards me.

“He has been good to you. One mistake should not be the reason to end things with someone who has been kind,” she added.

I already knew she would say that. I did not blame her.

I leaned my head against the wall, my right hand pressed against it. I could feel the weight of everything I had been holding in.

“It feels like I am trapped in this relationship,” I said, turning to face her. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

“I have been pretending everything is fine. But I am scared of him. I can only speak my mind after drinking. Imagine that, depending on alcohol just to talk to the man who says he loves me. If I need that now, what will happen if we get married?

He always decides everything. He tells me what to wear, who to talk to. If I speak to another man, he accuses me of cheating. Is that love? Or control?

I have tried to wait for him to change. I really have. But it is only getting worse. I am not going back to that house. I am scared of him.”

Just then, her phone rang. She picked it up from the bed and looked at the screen.

“It is Sebastian,” she said, showing me the phone.

Before I could respond, she answered.

“Hello, Mrs. Edna, how are you feeling?” he asked, sounding calm and polite.

“I am doing well, thank you.”

“Good to hear. Is Becky there?”

“Yes, she is.”

“May I speak to her, please? She has not been answering my calls.”

“She is not in the mood to talk to anyone right now. Can you try again later? Also, I would like to see you.”

“Alright, I will come by tomorrow.”

“That works. See you then.”

“Okay, goodbye.”

She ended the call and placed the phone on the bed.

I could not stay quiet. “Why do you want to see him? I told you, I am done. Did you hear what he said? He asked you to pass the phone just to confirm I am here. He does not even trust you.”

“Becky, I know you are hurting, but all relationships go through hard times.”

“Mom, I am telling you the truth, I am scared of Sebastian.”

“Has he ever hit you?” she asked, her eyes full of worry.

“No, not yet. But if things keep going this way, it is only a matter of time. I hate him, Mum. I really do,” I cried.

“Please calm down. Not long ago, you told me he was the man you loved.”

“That was before he started acting like this. Before I saw who he really is. He tricked me into falling for him.”

She looked at me for a moment, as if searching for something in my face. Then she asked, “Do you have someone else?”

The question caught me off guard. I stumbled over my words, unsure of what to say.

“Have you fallen in love with someone else?” she asked again, more softly this time.

How could I answer that? It was a rhetorical question, and a dangerous one. I didn’t want to drag Kenneth into this mess, especially since there was no way my mum would ever take my side if she knew the truth. If Kenneth weren’t Sebastian’s brother, maybe I could have said it. Maybe it wouldn’t feel so... wrong.

“You’re keeping me waiting?” Mum pressed, her eyes narrowing slightly.

“N-No,” I stammered. “It’s not that I love someone else more than him.”

“You’ve been with Sebastian for over a year, Becky. And not once have you said anything bad about him. Nobody’s perfect. People make mistakes, there’s always room to grow.”

“What are you trying to say?” My voice shifted, tinged with frustration. “If that’s how you feel, then maybe I shouldn’t have come here at all.”

The words left my mouth too fast, too sharp.

As soon as I said them, I regretted it.

How could I say something like that? To my mum, the woman who had given up so much for me. All because of Sebastian... someone who had only walked into our lives recently, someone who didn’t know our struggles or the sacrifices we’d made.

Her silence cut deeper than any argument. She just stood there, stunned, staring at me like I had slapped her.

“I’m sorry, Mum,” I said quickly, my voice shaking. “I didn’t mean that. I was just speaking from how I feel right now.”

I stepped closer, gently placing my hand on her shoulder.

“Please... can we just forget about Sebastian for now? I know what he did for us. I’m not ungrateful. But that doesn’t give him the right to control me, or to use what he’s done to make us feel like we owe him our lives.

I know it’s difficult for you too, especially after everything. But I need you to see him the way I see him now.”

My mother looked away, her lips pressed into a firm line. Then she finally spoke, her voice soft, but serious.

“If you were in my position, Becky... what would you do in this situation?”