Chapter 4
Chapter 5
The phone felt heavy in my hand as Marco’s voice crackled through the speaker, pleading with a desperation I hadn’t heard from him in years. Each message he‘ d sent before this one had been ignored, but tonight, I finally broke. After weeks of dodging unknown numbers and blocking calls, I picked up, ready to end it once and for all.
“I’m not coming back, Marco,” I said, my voice cold but steady, as I looked at the quiet street outside the apartment. “You know why.”
There was a pause on the other end, and then his voice, softer than usual, slid through.
“It’s not what you think. Audrey… she’s
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“It’s not what you think. Audrey… she’s like family to me. You know I lost my sister years ago. I see Audrey the same way.”
My heart raced, confusion washing over me like ice water. “Family? What do you mean, like family? And sister?” I could hardly process what he was saying. The mention of a sister I’d never known about sent my mind spinning.
“I never told you?” he asked, sounding genuinely surprised. “When I lost my sister, it left a hole in my life. Audrey stepped in to help fill that void. I didn’t mean for you to feel like I was choosing her over you. I could just see my sister in her.”
A rush of betrayal flooded my veins. All those nights I’d spent alone, wondering where he was, and he was with her–playing house,
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was, all he was with her playing house,
filling the void his sister left behind. “So you’re telling me that your feelings for her are justified because of your past? That’s no excuse for how you‘ ve treated me!” My voice rose, trembling with rage.
“I know how this sounds, Isabelle,” Marco continued, his tone urgent, “but I didn’t mean for it to happen. I lost my sister, and it left a hole in my life. I didn’t mean to push you away, but… she needed me.”
“Needed you?” I shot back, incredulous. “You think that’s justification for abandoning me? I’ve been living in that house–our house–wondering where you were while you were off with her. You never saw me. Not really.”
The silence on the other end was suffocating.
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I could almost hear him pacing, his breathing
ragged. Did he really expect me to accept this revelation without feeling betrayed?
“Listen, Isabelle, I—”
“No, you listen!” I interrupted my heart racing. “I’m giving you one last chance. It’s me or Audrey. You can’t have us both.
His breath hitched, and I could hear the panic rising in his voice. “You can’t do that to me, Isabelle. She‘ s like a sister! I’ve lost so much.”
“But what about me?” I shouted, my voice filled with frustration. “I’ve been here, waiting for you. You‘ ve always had a choice, Marco, and you always chose her.‘
Another heavy silence filled the air, but I
could sense the gears turning in his mind. I could almost see him trying to find the right words to defend himself, but I knew the truth: he couldn’t.
“I’m not asking you to understand. I’m asking you to come home,” he pleaded, his voice desperate. “It’s not just about Audrey. It’s about us, our life together.”
“Is it really about us?” I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief. “Because it sure doesn’t feel that way. Every time I needed you, every time I asked for even the smallest bit of your attention, you were protecting her. You’ve been living in denial for too long.”
“Isabelle, please. I can’t just choose! I care about you both,” he argued, his voice rising.
“Then you’re going to lose us both.”
“Then you‘ re going to lose us both.” “Isabelle, I-”
But I didn’t wait for him to finish. I ended the call, dropping the phone onto the bed and staring at it for a long moment. My chest felt heavy, but I wasn’t crying. Not anymore.
I was done being second.
