What Love Cost Her

Her chest hurt, not the kind of pain you could point at, not the kind that made you cry out or clutch your side, it was worse than that, it sat deeper, somewhere under her ribs, inside her lungs, around her heart, like something heavy and cold that wouldn’t move no matter how hard she breathed.

She stayed still in the car, hands on the steering, rain tapping on the windshield, her coat soaked, her hair stuck to her neck, her face warm from the tears she didn’t even know had fallen, and all she could do was sit there and feel it, feel everything, all at once

And the worst part, the part that made the pain twist even more, wasn’t just the betrayal, it wasn’t the woman on his lap or the words he said like they meant nothing, no, the worst part was knowing she had given up everything for him, her time, her dreams, her heart, her voice, her light, piece by piece until there was barely anything left to give.

Leona let her eyes fall shut, just for a second, just to escape, but the memories came rushing back, not soft like old love, not kind like happy days, but sharp, cutting like glass, they came fast and hot and full of ache.

She saw herself at twenty-two, younger, brighter, full of hope, just out of university, her whole life stretched out in front of her like an open road, she had two job offers waiting, both good, one her dream job at a fashion house she’d followed since she was sixteen, and the other was her father’s offer, to come work with him, to be his heir, to learn the ropes and take over one day, and both felt big, both felt safe, both felt right.

But she didn’t pick either, she stayed.

Because Dorian had a vision, even if he had no money, no name, no plan that made sense to anyone else, but he had words, he had charm, and he had that look in his eyes when he talked about building something from nothing, and she believed him, not just in the way a partner believes, but in the way a girl in love does, deeply, blindly, fully.

Because he promised her forever.

He didn’t ask her to give up her dream, not in words, but when he talked about the future, it always started with “we,” and slowly she started bending her plans to fit his, she said no to the job, told her father maybe later, and moved into that tiny one-bedroom with peeling paint and no heat, just to be close to him, to help him chase what he wanted, she didn’t mind, at least not then.

She worked two jobs so he could stay focused, cooked for them every night, cleaned before heading to her morning shift, and came back late to listen to him talk about ideas, pitches, goals, while she rubbed the soreness from her legs and smiled like it was okay.

And when he needed money to start his first business, he went to her first, not the bank, not friends, not even his parents.

And she gave it to him.

She opened her late grandmother’s will, the one her mother said was meant for her future, for her own dreams, for her safety, and she handed it all to him in a folded check with shaky fingers and hope burning in her chest.

He cried that day, pulled her close and told her she saved him, told her he wouldn’t forget it, told her one day they’d look back and laugh at how far they’d come

Now, she wondered if he meant any of it.

Or if he was just acting, the way he always did when he wanted something.

Her forehead dropped onto the steering wheel, her skin cool against the leather, her eyes still closed, not because she was tired, but because everything inside her felt heavy, and she didn’t know how to hold it anymore.

She swallowed hard, her throat dry, her fingers numb.

Who was she now? She didn’t know.

A sharp knock on the window cut through the silence.

Leona flinched. Her breath caught in her throat as she swiped at her cheeks, smearing tears and mascara. She blinked at the blurred figure standing in the rain, framed by the soft glow of streetlights.

The umbrella tilted slightly, revealing the last person she expected to see.

Selene.

Of course it was her.

Leona rolled down the window halfway, cold air and rain rushing in.

“What do you want?” Her voice came out hoarse, cracked from crying.

Selene smiled, actually smiled, like this was some casual chat and not a betrayal carved into the skin.

“I figured you’d be here,” she said smoothly. “You saw us at the office.” She stated.

Leona’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel.

Selene tilted her head, that same practiced elegance she wore like perfume. “Don’t you think it’s time you left his life?”

Leona stared at her, stunned.

And then she let out a bitter laugh, low and disbelieving. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me.” Selene’s tone didn’t change. Soft. Sweet. Poison. “You’re just holding him back, Leona. He’s moved on.”

Leona shoved the car door open and stood. Rain soaked into her clothes, but she didn’t care. Not anymore.

“You’re unbelievable,” she hissed, voice shaking with rage. “You sleep with my husband and now you show up here, what, offering me closure? Pity?”

Selene’s smile didn’t waver. “Not pity,” she said, stepping forward, umbrella shielding only herself. “Just facts.”

Leona took a step closer, jaw clenched. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to tear apart my life and then act like it’s some natural progression. I am his wife, Selene.”

“Yes” Selene said lightly. “Only on paper.”

Leona’s breath hitched. Her hands curled into fists at her sides.

“You knew,” she whispered, eyes burning. “You knew what he meant to me. You knew what I gave up for him. You watched me break myself for that man, and you smiled while I did it.”

Selene’s smile faltered just a fraction. “You chose that path, Leona. You chose to fade into the background. Don’t blame me for stepping into the light.”

“You’re my sister,” Leona snapped, stepping into her space now, not caring that the rain was pouring into her hair, her eyes. “You may not be blood, but you were raised in the same house. I shared my damn room with you. My clothes. My life. I defended you when people called you fake. I made space for you, Selene!”

Selene’s jaw ticked, but she stayed calm, voice dropping into a soft blade. “And yet, you always had everything. Dad’s name. His company. His pride. Dorian. I was just the girl he adopted out of guilt. You had the crown handed to you.”

Leona’s laugh was cold now, almost empty. “So you wanted revenge? Is that it? And you picked my husband? You could’ve had anyone, Selene. But no, you waited. You waited until he was mine.”

“Because he loves me,” Selene said simply, her voice cutting clean through the air. “And you? You were just the training wheels.”

Leona’s breath caught.

For a moment, the world seemed to still. The rain. The wind. Her pulse.

Then her hand shot out, knocking Selene’s umbrella sideways.

“I built him,” Leona snarled, stepping in so close their foreheads nearly touched. “While you were out chasing social status and silk sheets, I was waking up before dawn, working double shifts to keep us from drowning. I believed in him before anyone else did. Everything he has now? It’s because I bled for it.”

Selene’s mouth curled. “And yet, he still chose me.”

Leona’s chest rose and fell in sharp bursts. Her nails dug into her palms.

She wasn’t going to disappear, not like this. Not after everything. She had been quiet for too long. Now, it was time to remember her voice. And find herself again.