2. Fractured Choices

Tina stood still in the middle of the ballroom, the music now replaced by a soft hum of conversations, clinking glasses, and the occasional burst of laughter. Her heart raced from the dance, from the realization that Nathaniel had seen her, from everything that had just happened.

Jesse had left her standing there, his presence lingering like a shadow, and now, she was left with her thoughts.

She let out a shaky breath, her eyes scanning the room. People had gone back to their usual business, smiling, dancing, mingling. But Tina couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted. Not just in the room, but within her. She felt alive but the reality of the situation loomed over her, threatening to pull her back into the darkness she had been drowning in for months.

As her mind swirled, trying to make sense of everything, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She tensed for a second, thinking it might be Jesse, but when she turned, she was met with a different face, Nathaniel.

Her heart jumped to her throat, His blue eyes were intense, studying her in the way they used to when they were together like he was trying to figure out what she was thinking, how she was feeling.

"Tina," he said, his voice low but firm.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. A mix of emotions surged within her anger, betrayal, pain but she wasn't sure which one to show him. Was she supposed to act calm? Hurt? Indifferent?

"What do you want, Nathaniel?" she managed, her voice betraying her, coming out sharper than intended.

His brows furrowed, and he glanced around as if he didn't want to have this conversation here, in the middle of the ballroom.

"Can we talk? Somewhere more private?"

Tina gripped her jaw, fighting the urge to scream at him, to tell him there was nothing left to talk about. But another part of her wanted answers and needed answers. She deserved that much, didn't she?

With a quick nod, she allowed him to lead her toward one of the side rooms off the ballroom. They slipped through the crowd quietly, unnoticed by most, though Tina was sure Linia's gaze followed them.

Once inside the smaller, more intimate room, Nathaniel closed the door behind them. The noise from the party was softened, leaving them in a thick, uncomfortable silence.

Tina crossed her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling exposed under his gaze. She had imagined this moment so many times, what she would say to him, how she would confront him, but now that it was here, she felt lost.

Nathaniel stepped toward her, his eyes softening as he reached out. "Tina, I never meant for things to end this way."

"Don't," she spoke out quickly, taking a step back, avoiding his touch. "Don't act like this wasn't a choice. You made your decision."

He dropped his hand, a sigh escaping him. "I didn't plan for any of this to happen."

"Stop," Tina interrupted, her voice shaking as she tried to keep her composure. "Just stop. You don't get to stand there and act like you didn't destroy everything."

Nathaniel's expression sputtered, guilt flickering in his eyes, but Tina wasn't finished.

"You chose her, Nathaniel," she continued, her anger building with every word. "You chose my step-sister. You let me believe that we had a future, that we were building something together, and then you threw it all away for her, For Linia."

"It wasn't that simple," Nathaniel argued, his voice rising slightly. "I didn't plan to fall for Linia. Things just... happened."

Tina felt like she'd been slapped. Things just happened. Their entire eight years together could be summed up as an accident, something he could easily discard.

"You don't just 'happen' to get your fiancée's sister pregnant," Tina snapped, her voice breaking slightly. "That's not something you trip into, Nathaniel."

His jaw clenched, but Tina didn't care. She needed to get this out. She had been holding onto this pain, this betrayal for too long, and now it was spilling over.

"And the worst part?" she continued, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "You didn't even have the decency to tell me yourself. I had to find out from her. She looked me in the eye, Nathaniel, and told me she was carrying your child."

Nathaniel flinched at that, and for a brief moment, Tina saw a flicker of regret in his expression. But it wasn't enough. It would never be enough.

"I know I hurt you," Nathaniel said, his voice softer now. "But I didn't want it to be like this. I wanted to explain." "Explain what?" Tina shot back. "Explain how you were sleeping with my sister behind my back. Or how you planned on marrying her while I was still trying to figure out why you became distant?"

Nathaniel took a step closer, his eyes pleading. "Tina, I never stopped caring about you."

Her heart clenched, but she forced herself to keep the walls up. "Don't lie to me. You can't care about me and do what you did."

Silence settled between them, thick and suffocating. Nathaniel's gaze dropped to the floor, and for the first time since they entered the room, Tina felt like she had some control. She could finally see how much power she had lost to him, how much she had let him consume her.

"You don't get to have both, Nathaniel," she said, her voice steadier now. "You don't get to keep me in your life as some backup plan, while you play house with Linia."

He looked up at her, his eyes filled with a desperation she hadn't expected. "Tina, I'm not asking for that. I just-"

She cut him off. "You're not asking for anything, because we're done. We've been done since the moment you chose her."

The words left her lips with finality, and she realized that she meant them. It was over. Truly over. Whatever love or hope she had once clung to was gone, replaced by the cold, hard truth of his betrayal.

Nathaniel opened his mouth to respond, but the door suddenly creaked open, and they both turned toward the intruder, Linia.

She stood in the doorway, her hand resting on her belly, her eyes wide as she looked between them. There was no smile on her face, no smugness. Just fear.

"Tina," Linia started, her voice shaky.

Tina held up a hand, stopping her. "Don't. I don't want to hear it."

Linia's eyes filled with tears, but Tina didn't care. She had no sympathy left for either of them.

Nathaniel glanced at Linia, and Tina saw the shift in him immediately. His posture softened, his expression grew concerned, and just like that, he was back to being her protector. The man she had known for eight years now belonged to someone else, and it was like watching the final nail being hammered into the coffin of her old life.

Without another word, Tina walked past them both, out of the room, and back into the ballroom. The air felt different now and lighter. She had said what she needed to say and faced the pain head-on, and now, for the first time in what felt like forever, she was ready to move forward.

As she reached the edge of the ballroom, she spotted Jesse standing by the bar, a drink in hand, watching her with a raised brow.

"Well?" he asked as she approached.

Tina exhaled, feeling a sense of release she hadn't expected. "It's over," she said simply.

Jesse smiled, a knowing glint in his eyes. "Good. Now let's get you out of here."

And with that, Tina walked out of the ballroom, leaving Nathaniel, Linia, and the life she once knew behind her.

For good.