A shift in fate | Mattheo Riddle

Song: Envy the Leaves - Madison Beer

The rest of the day dragged on, every minute stretching longer than the last. By the time our final class was over, I was more than ready to escape the tension that seemed to follow me all day. The moment I stepped into the Great Hall for dinner, I could feel the weight lifting off my shoulders—at least, for now.

As soon as we sat down, the conversation immediately turned to the chaos of the Sex Ed lesson. It was the topic of the evening, with everyone buzzing about the awkwardness, the tension, and the whole ordeal with Colin.

Draco, as usual, was loudest. "Honestly, what a fucking waste of time," he scoffed, cutting into his steak. "Like I need a lesson on this kind of thing. I'm good, thanks."

The table erupted in laughter, and I couldn't help but chuckle too, although my thoughts still kept drifting back to the uncomfortable moments of the class.

"And don't get me started on that Colin guy," Draco continued, his tone shifting from sarcasm to real annoyance as he looked around the table. "What the hell was his deal? Honestly, I can't even look at him without wanting to punch something."

"Tell me about it," Mattheo muttered under his breath, clearly still pissed off. I caught his words, and it was clear that he hadn't let it go either. The way he spoke, the irritation in his voice—it was obvious he wasn't done with the whole Colin situation.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, hoping they wouldn't press me for more on the matter. Of course, Draco didn't let up. He never did.

"I seriously wonder why the fuck you were with that douchebag in the first place," Draco said, crossing his arms and leaning back in his seat as he gave me an assessing look. "He's a fucking asshole. And he's not even good looking. So... what's the deal?"

The question felt like a punch to the gut, but I couldn't exactly hide the truth. I bit my lip and stared at my plate for a second, trying to keep the emotion out of my voice. "He wasn't always like this," I said quietly, my eyes drifting to the far end of the hall, focusing on nothing in particular.

There was a heavy silence for a beat, and I could feel the eyes of my friends on me. I could practically hear the unasked question—what the hell happened?

I could feel their curiosity pressing against me, and for some reason, I felt almost obligated to spill everything. The truth was, things had changed between Colin and me—and not in the way I had hoped. He used to be different. He wasn't the arrogant, entitled prick he had become, the one who seemed to think he owned everything and everyone, including me. I used to believe there was something real between us, something worth fighting for. But now? Now it felt like a bad dream, a memory I was desperate to bury.

I'd wanted to break up with him for months before we actually did. If I'm being honest, if I hadn't found out he cheated, I don't even know how long we'd have stayed together, circling around the inevitable. I'd been too scared to end it, unsure if I'd regret it. But now? I wish I had ended things sooner, before all the damage was done. The last months of our relationship were filled with fighting, constant arguments, and this suffocating, negative energy that I couldn't shake. It felt toxic, and yet, I stayed in it longer than I should have.

"Well?" Draco raised an eyebrow, looking at me expectantly. "We know the broad strokes of the story, but not the details. You've told us a bit before, we've met him a few times, but that's it. I mean, I already hated his guts when I first met him, not gonna lie. The guy's a fucking prick. He's never treated you right."

Lorenzo chimed in, never one to mince words. "Agreed. Remember when he fucking ditched you that one time when you were crying, just to hang out with his mates?" He didn't sugarcoat it, his bluntness only making it worse.