Regret

Chapter Three

Bruno POV

I stopped and looked at her as she walked away. I clenched my fist inside my pocket and forced myself to pretend I was fine. Pretend I never knew her.

I walked toward my office, with Jeffrey following closely behind.

The moment we got inside and the door was locked, he spoke.

“Bruno, are you out of your mind?” he asked.

I couldn’t speak.

Then he continued, “The woman you’ve yearned for all these years was standing right there, and all you could do was say cruel words and pretend not to recognize her. I had to act along with you.”

“Did I ask you to stay loyal?” I snapped. “You could have shown you knew her.”

He scoffed. “God, you’re messed up. First, you fake-kissed Ariana the moment you saw on the security camera that Martina was at the door—the very day her mother was undergoing surgery. And now, instead of explaining everything to her, you hurt her even more.”

I could see the pain in his eyes.

“What exactly should I tell her?” I asked bitterly. “That I don’t know when I’m going to die? That I have cancer—one I’ve been treating for years? That I’m constantly going for medical checkups? That I’m surviving on supplements? That I don’t know if I’ll live long enough? That in a month I’ll be transferred to the hospital? That I can’t eat the things we used to enjoy together? That if we got married and had children, I might not be there for her emotionally—or at all? That I had to give up everything I loved just to build myself into this?”

I looked at him.

“Tell me.”

He sat down slowly and said nothing.

“Isn’t it better if she hates me than if I put her through torture?” I continued, my voice shaking. “My life is already a torture. Look at you—you’re just like her. You care more about the people you love than yourself. You’re stuck with me, even when I try to set you up on dates, you always escape. Your excuse is always that love will distract you from work. But love doesn’t always favor you. I know you say all those lies because you don’t want to leave me.”

I never wanted to be this emotional, but I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“Look at her,” I thundered, unbuttoning my suit as my chest tightened. “Fate has already been cruel to her. Her mother is in a wheelchair. She has so much going on in her life. Tell me—why should I add my burden to hers? Why should I weigh her down even more? Tell me!”

My voice broke, and I choked on my words. I was grateful the walls were soundproof.

I tried to calm myself, but my body reacted again. My breathing became erratic.

Jeffrey rushed to my side, pulling out my medication and handing me a glass of water.

“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I let my emotions get to me. I see how you remember her every day. How you turned the day you asked her out into the most special day of your life—and the day you broke her heart into the worst. You keep overthinking, punishing yourself. I thought maybe you just needed to tell her, without carrying all this alone.”

I tried to breathe, forcing my body to calm down.

It had been a long time since my body reacted this way.

Maybe… I really had to forget everything.

“She looks like she really needs that job. Bring me her CV. Let me see where in one big company she might fit—maybe as a director’s secretary,” I finally said to Jeffrey after a long silence.

“You know she dropped out during her final exams,” Jeffrey replied. “So I don’t think she qualifies for that position.”

“That depends on who’s asking,” I said calmly. “All you need to do is make sure she submits an application. She’s brilliant. She got into our school on a scholarship—she’ll definitely do well in the interview.”

Jeffrey nodded and left the office.

He returned a few minutes later and handed me her CV. I went through it slowly. She had worked as a waitress and a delivery girl just to survive.

She had really been through enough.

I was still scrolling when Ariana barged into the office.

“Why on earth did you ask for her CV?” she snapped. “Don’t tell me otherwise—we’re engaged.”

She tried to grab the CV, but I was quick enough to pull it away and place it aside.

“I was never engaged to you,” I said coldly. “Stop deluding yourself. I told you I didn’t want you. I even apologized for kissing you back then—what more do you want?”

I stood up, anger boiling over.

“I gave you everything, yet you refused to leave me. My mother forcibly made you a director in the company. You went into my room and took the ring I had hidden there, then lied to my parents, telling them I planned to use it to propose to you. They forced me to put it on your finger that same minute. You and my mother even went behind my back to choose a wedding date—and I never complained.”

My voice rose.

“I told you to leave me alone. I told you I have cancer. I told you to find another man—but you refused. You even said you were willing to have a child for me. I told you no. I said I didn’t want children with you, and I didn’t want to have anything intimate to do with you—but you never listened. And now you’re complaining?”

She stared at me, eyes blazing.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she demanded. “Tell me—what’s so special about her? I did more for you than she ever did. Yet you kept her picture in your room and none of mine. Are you blind? Can’t you see that I love you?”