A shift in fate | Mattheo Riddle

Twenty-five

I shot him an awkward smile. "Thanks for bringing that up, Enzo," I muttered. It was something I'd never forget.

"Sorry," he muttered back, squeezing his lips together and looking genuinely apologetic. I gave him a small, reassuring smile, silently letting him know it was fine.

I let out a deep breath before I finally let the truth pour out. "I wanted to break up with him way before I actually did. It wasn't until I found out he cheated on me with that skank back home that I actually found the courage to end things." I rolled my eyes, the frustration bubbling up again, even though it was a memory I didn't want to relive.

Jane, my best friend who knew everything already, leaned forward, her eyes flashing with anger. "Fucking dick," she said, her voice low but seething with fury. Her words felt like a validation of everything I had been feeling.

I nudged her, chuckling softly, trying to lighten the mood even though it still stung. "Thanks for the support, Jane," I said, making her laugh too.

"Anyway," I continued, shaking my head as if trying to shake off the bad memories. "He wasn't always this much of a dick. Don't get me wrong, he never treated me the way he should have, but he wasn't this bad. He didn't keep his promises, he made me feel like a burden, and he just... he didn't make me feel good about myself anymore." I glanced around at everyone, searching their faces, seeing the quiet sympathy in their eyes.

I paused, collecting my thoughts before continuing. "But then, towards the end, he just stopped putting in any effort at all. It was like he couldn't care less about me, about us, and that's when I found out the truth. He'd been cheating on me with someone else."

The words hung in the air, and I felt my throat tighten again. I wasn't even sure why I was talking about it so openly now. But I couldn't stop myself. It felt like the last thing I could do—take back some control over the mess he'd made of my life.

And honestly? It felt good, finally saying it all out loud.

Draco leaned back in his chair, clearly savoring the moment as he took a sip of his drink before speaking. "Honestly, V," he said with a dramatic eye roll, "I still don't understand how you were with that guy for so long. The man was as exciting as a brick wall. I mean, he never laughed at anything. Seriously, I've seen more personality in a loaf of bread."

Sebastian snorted, unable to keep a straight face. "Yeah, don't even get me started that. The most fun I ever had around him was watching him stare blankly at a joke and then, like, awkwardly shifting in his seat because he didn't know how to react."

Lorenzo grinned. "You'd think the guy would have tried to, I don't know, make an effort with you or your friends. I swear, every time I hung out with you two, it was like he was doing a public service by being there. Barely made an effort to get to know anyone, including me, and I'm practically your brother at this point."

Draco crossed his arms with a smug look on his face. "Right? Like, you're supposed to have some chemistry with someone when you're dating, but all he had was... monotone. And I get that not everyone's the life of the party, but you don't need to be a stand-up comedian to be engaging. The guy couldn't even crack a smile."

I let out a soft laugh, though it was tinged with bitterness. "He was so boring. And I remember trying to get him to hang out with my friends or do something fun, and he'd always have some excuse. 'I'm too tired,' or 'I'm busy.' I just... I felt like I was constantly dragging him along. Like, who the hell does that?"

Jane, always supportive, leaned in and shot me a comforting look. "It's like he wasn't even trying to be a part of your world. The least he could've done was make an effort with your friends, for your sake. But he never cared. He just existed in the background, taking up space."