Selena’s composure shattered, her anger flaring up like wildfire. "He never loved me," Selena spat out, her heart filled with bitterness. "That man is a coward, a cheater, and heartless... He deceived me, played with my emotions, and then abandoned me without a second thought. He doesn’t exist in my world."
Her body trembled as she spoke, overwhelmed by the intensity of her emotions. The rage and sorrow she had kept locked away for so long now poured out uncontrollably.
Bella watched her mother, her heart aching at the sight, but her mind was also spinning with more questions that demanded answers.
"Why? Why did he do that?" Bella pressed. "Didn’t he love you? How could he abandon you when you were pregnant with his child?"
Selena’s expression darkened as the painful memories of the past resurfaced. She loathed herself as much as she despised the man who had betrayed her. If only she hadn’t been so naive, so easily swayed by his sweet words and false promises, she wouldn’t be in this position now.
"He never loved me," Selena spat with bitterness. "He was already engaged when he met me. I was a fool to believe his lies, to trust him. I was nothing more than a distraction for him, a fleeting moment of amusement in his otherwise planned life."
Bella was struck speechless by her mother’s words. The harsh reality was far more brutal than anything she had imagined. She had believed that her father might have faced some dire circumstances, forcing him to leave her mother, but the truth was far worse—he had never loved Selena.
Despite being engaged with another woman, he still had affairs with Selena. To him, she had been nothing more than a passing fling. The revelation cut deep, leaving Bella reeling.
"Back then, he came to the town for business." Selena’s voice pulled Bella from her spiraling thoughts. "He often visited Mrs. Green’s café, where we met. His handsome appearance caught my attention. I would sneak glances at him, foolishly allowing myself to dream of a life that was never meant to be."
When she recalled those moments, she felt nothing but pain in her heart. Despite knowing that a wealthy man like him was beyond her reach, Selena had allowed herself to fall for him, silently nurturing a hopeless infatuation. How stupid she was!
Bella could sense the deep pain that still lingered in her mother’s heart.
A wave of bitterness surged through Selena as she remembered the night that had changed everything. "It was raining that night," she recounted, her gaze distant as she was transported back to that moment in time. "I was about to close the café when he appeared—soaked from the rain, a bit drunk."
His smiling face flashed in the back of her mind – his hair dripping water. He looked devastatingly charming. That intoxicating smile had made her heart race, taking her breath away. The memory was sharp, like a thorn lodged deep within her.
’Can I stay here for a while if you don’t mind? I’ll leave once the rain comes down.’ Selena recalled him saying, his voice echoing in her mind as if it were happening all over again.
In her naivety, she had readily agreed, enamored by his presence and flattered by his attention. How different her life might have been if she had just turned him away that night if she had not allowed him to stay. But she had been young and in love—or at least, in love with the idea of him—and that one choice had set her on a path of heartache and regret.
Bella’s eyes were riveted on her mother, hanging onto every word. She could see the pain etched deeply into Selena’s features, hear it in the tremble of her voice.
"I let him stay," Selena continued. "I even made some hot chocolate for him. We sat there, talking, hoping the rain would stop. But the downpour only grew heavier."
As Selena spoke, Bella could almost picture that night—two people, alone in the café, the rain pouring down outside, creating an atmosphere that brought them closer.
Selena recalled every moment. There was an undeniable spark between them, one that neither could resist. What began as a simple act of kindness turned into something far more intimate.
"I gave myself to a man I barely knew," Selena said with regret. "It was pure attraction, nothing more. But at that moment, it felt like everything."
She paused, her remorse palpable. "After that night, we met often. I was completely in love with him, and I foolishly started imagining a future together."
Selena chuckled with bitterness. "Then I found out I was pregnant, and I was terrified," she admitted, her gaze dropping to her hands as if the memories were too painful to face directly.
"I went to find him, desperate to share the news," she added. "But when I did, I saw that he was preparing to leave. He told me his work was done and that he had to go. But before he left, he promised to return and marry me. He gave me that sapphire pendant as a token of his love and asked me to wait for him."
Silent tears streamed down Selena’s cheeks as she recalled the moment she had placed all her hopes and dreams in his hands.
"I believed him, and I let him go, thinking he would come back for me. I waited and waited, but six months passed, and he never returned. I was desperate to tell him about our child, so I wrote a letter to him, explaining my situation. I hoped he would rush back to me when he learned about the baby. But it was all my wishful thoughts."
Her voice trailed off, giving way to quiet sobs that broke Bella’s heart.
Bella reached out, grasping her mother’s hands tightly, trying to offer some semblance of comfort. But her own eyes were misty, and her heart felt as though it were being squeezed.
The story was too heartbreaking, too cruel. Bella couldn’t fathom how a man could use Selena so callously, toying with her emotions, just to satisfy his own desires.
The room was filled with an overwhelming sense of sorrow and betrayal.
Selena’s voice trembled as she recounted the final blow that had shattered her spirit. "A few days later, I received his letter. He refused to acknowledge the baby. He said he never loved me, that his heart belonged only to his fiancée."
Selena broke down, tears streaming down her face as years of suppressed pain came rushing back.
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