Vivian's fingers clenched into fists at her sides as she stared at Julian, who stood just inside her apartment, his presence an unwelcome weight in the room. The air between them was thick with tension, the silence stretching unbearably before he finally spoke.
"Vivian, please." His voice was raw, thick with something that almost sounded like regret. Almost. "I never wanted to hurt you."
She let out a hollow laugh, shaking her head. "That's rich, Julian. You didn't want to hurt me, but you did. And now you want me to just sit here and listen to your excuses?"
Julian ran a hand through his disheveled hair, his posture rigid. "It's not like that. I—"
"Then what is it like?" she cut in, her voice sharp enough to slice through the air between them. "Because from where I stand, it looks like you slept with my best friend behind my back. That's pretty damn straightforward."
His jaw tightened. "Vivian, we weren't perfect. You know that. There were things… things I felt with Aurora that I didn't—"
Her stomach dropped. Even though she had expected this, hearing him say it out loud was a knife twisting deeper into her gut. "You didn't feel with me," she finished for him, her voice quieter now. "That's what you're saying."
Julian exhaled, his eyes pleading. "It wasn't like I planned for it to happen. I fought it, Viv. But something was missing between us, and I didn't realize it until—"
"Until you had her?" The words were bitter, laced with something dangerously close to heartbreak. "Until you let her into our bed—into what was supposed to be ours?"
His silence was damning.
Vivian turned away, swallowing the bile rising in her throat. Her chest felt like it was caving in, but she refused to let him see it. "Get out, Julian."
"I can't just leave things like this," he said desperately, stepping closer.
She turned back to him with fire in her eyes. "You already did. The moment you chose her, you left me, Julian. There's nothing left to fix."
A knock at the door shattered the thick silence. Vivian's stomach clenched—she already knew who it was.
Aurora.
Julian's gaze flickered to the door, his expression unreadable. But Vivian? She felt a storm brewing inside her.
With deliberate steps, she crossed the room and yanked the door open.
Aurora stood there, looking hesitant but resolute. "Vivian…"
"Perfect timing," Vivian said flatly, stepping aside. "Come in. Since we're clearing the air, let's all do it together."
Aurora hesitated for only a second before stepping inside. Her gaze darted between Vivian and Julian before settling on the latter. "Have you told her?"
Julian looked away.
Vivian's nails dug into her palms. "Told me what?"
Aurora met her gaze, something fragile and almost regretful flickering in her eyes. "That I love him."
The words sucked the breath from Vivian's lungs.
Aurora pressed on, her voice tight. "I never meant for this to happen. But I couldn't stop it. Julian and I—"
"Save it," Vivian snapped. "You don't get to stand here and act like this was out of your control. You had a choice. Both of you did."
Aurora's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "You don't think I know that? You don't think I hate myself for what I did to you?"
Vivian scoffed. "If you really hated yourself, you wouldn't have done it in the first place."
Julian exhaled harshly. "This isn't helping."
"No, Julian," Vivian spat, rounding on him. "It's not. But since we're all being honest now, let's keep going. How long? How long were you sneaking around behind my back?"
Julian's shoulders sagged. "Months."
A sharp pain stabbed through her chest. She had expected it, but hearing the confirmation made her stomach churn. "Months," she echoed, almost to herself. She turned back to Aurora. "And you? When did you decide that betraying me was worth it?"
Aurora flinched. "I never wanted to betray you, Viv."
Vivian laughed humorlessly. "But you did. And now you're here, standing in my home, telling me you love him like that makes any of this okay."
Aurora wiped at her eyes, exhaling shakily. "I don't expect you to forgive me."
"Good," Vivian bit out. "Because I won't."
A thick silence fell over the room. The weight of everything settled on all three of them, suffocating and unrelenting.
Then, finally, Vivian spoke. "You two deserve each other." Her voice was quieter now, but no less sharp. "Because only people like you could do something this cruel and still expect me to hear you out."
Julian opened his mouth, but no words came.
Vivian turned away. "Both of you. Get out."
Aurora lingered for a second, as if searching for something—maybe forgiveness, maybe just a chance to say more—but Vivian was done. She didn't need to hear anything else.
Julian and Aurora left in silence.
And for the first time in a long time, Vivian was alone.
But she wasn't broken.
She was just getting started.