Beautiful Betrayal

----------------
"Unrequited love is the infinite curse of a lonely heart."
~Christina Westover
----------------

----------------
V I C T O R I A
----------------

I didn't want to return to that house, the one I once called home. Tears filled my eyes as I drove towards my parents' house, knowing they were currently vacationing in Europe. Thank God they weren't here—I didn't want to burden them with my troubles just yet.

Upon arriving, I stepped out of the car and approached the house just as the housekeeper was locking up. She was always kind to me, a warm presence in this otherwise cold moment.

She handed me the keys, but before she could inquire about my well-being, her phone began to ring. It was a small mercy, sparing me from having to explain myself, as I wasn't ready to talk about it.

After she hung up the phone, she looked at me apologetically. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, I have to go. It's really urgent." Nodding, I tried to muster a smile. As she left, I noticed a car entering the property, and I knew whose it was. Irritation crawled under my skin, but I ignored him, opening the door and locking it behind me.

Once inside, I cursed my naivety, tears flowing freely from my eyes for the next ten minutes. Harshly wiping them away, I got up from the floor and walked upstairs in my room.

Love, I'll never fall for something foolish like that again. I've learned my lesson the hard way.

I swung the door open to my room, and like a flood, memories from a month ago surged back, piercing my heart with pain. Anger boiled inside me, directed not just at him, but also at myself. With a thud, I shut the door.

Walking towards the guest room, I collapsed onto the bed, my eyes burning with unshed tears. I felt like a fool, my heart was crying in misery by the illusion of us I had so delicately crafted.

"Oh god," I hid my face in my palms and sobbed harder, but the sound of the door opening shattered my reverie. Raising my head, I looked up to see Dominic standing in the doorway, his expression conflicted.

He came closer and went on his knees grabbing my hands in his larger ones. "Victoria, sweetheart, please, just give me a chance to explain," he pleaded.

With teary eyes, I managed a smile. "What do you want to explain, Dominic? How you felt when you won the bet or how you laughed at me when I opened my heart for you?

"It's not like that, Victoria. You are the love of my life,"

"I'm the love of your life?" I scoffed. "So what about Elena? Mia? Eva? And I don't know how many other women you've been with."

"They were nothing, I swear, Victoria..."

"Just like I'm nothing?" I interrupted.

"You are my everything, you are the girl of my dreams, the love of my life, my wife," he pleaded.

"What beautiful lies, Dominic" I muttered. "Such beautiful lies."

"Please, let me explain, mia Cara..." he begged.

"I don't want your explanation. I don't want anything from you. Just leave, and leave me alone," I declared, my voice trembling with hurt and anger.

I jerked his hands away from mine and got up from the bed.

"You have every right to be angry with me, Cara," he began, his voice pleading. "I was too stupid, I know I messed up. But please, don't shut me out. If you want to, shout at me, fight with me, and I'm ready to be on my knees until you forgive me. But please, give me a chance to explain."

"Leave Dominic."

"Please, I'm sorry, Càra. I'm really so sorry," Dominic's voice, filled with regret, reached my ears as I turned around, not wanting to face him.

"Don't call me that, Dominic. I'm not your darling," I replied firmly, my emotions raw and unfiltered.

My naive self had once believed that I meant something to him, but reality had shattered that illusion. He was the notorious playboy, Dominic Russo, and for him, a woman's feelings were just another conquest. How foolish I had been to think otherwise.

I refused to break down in front of him, to show him how vulnerable I am. No, not this time. "I don't want to talk to you right now," I declared firmly.

Without waiting for his response, I turned around, intending to leave the room. But just as I was about to make my escape, he grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him.

He gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and caressed my cheek tenderly, as if I were precious to him. But deep down, I knew I was only fooling myself.

"Tell me, what can I do to make it up to you?" His voice was tinged with desperation, but this time he stabbed my heart deeply, shattered it into countless pieces.

His tender touch and earnest words were like salt in my wounds, a painful reminder of the love I had foolishly believed in. In that moment, I realized that there was nothing he could do to mend the brokenness he had caused. The damage was irreparable, and I was left to pick up the shattered pieces of my heart alone.

"There's nothing you can do," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart heavy with sorrow. "You've already done enough, please leave."

"No, not possible, Càra," he insisted, his voice pleading despite my earlier request.

"I told you, don't call me that," I protested, attempting to wriggle free from his embrace, but his grip around my waist only tightened.

"Dominic, let me go!" I demanded, glaring at him with frustration. But before I could say anything more, he silenced me with a rough yet surprisingly sweet kiss, his lips meeting mine with an intensity that took me by surprise.

He kissed me with a fervor that seemed to consume him, as if his very existence depended on it. But despite his passionate embrace, I couldn't ignore the truth that lingered in the depths of my heart. The old me would have melted under his touch, but I was no longer that person. Not anymore.

Tears welled up in my eyes as I pushed him away with all the strength I could muster. He stumbled backward, his eyes widening in disbelief as he gazed at me, his expression a mix of shock and hurt.

A bitter smile played on my lips as tears cascaded from my eyes. "Very well, Dominic... very well," I whispered, the words heavy with the weight of my sorrow.

It was the first time I had ever felt such intense hatred towards him. He looked at me with a shocked expression, as if my words had pierced through to his core.

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me," I said bitterly, my voice tremble as tears escaped from my eyes.

"Càra..." he began, but I cut him off, refusing to listen his words any longer.

"You've done this to me our whole life, Dominic," I continued, My voice trembled with every word, each syllable a reminder of the shattered pieces of my heart. "Every time, you've taken me for granted. You took advantage of the fact that I can do anything for you just a drop of a hat."

"Victoria, love, please listen to..." he pleaded, but I refused to entertain any more of his excuses.

"Please leave," I demanded, my tone firm and unwavering. As I turned my back towards him, In that fleeting moment, he caught a glimpse of the depth of my misery, the weight of my shattered dreams and broken heart laid bare for him to witness. And in the silence that followed, I couldn't help but acknowledge the bitter irony of my unrequited love—the tragic beauty of this BEAUTIFUL BETRAYAL.

End of the chapter
Thankyou for reading
Like comments and share