Chapter 14: The Unraveling

Lena sat in her car, the engine turned off, but the world outside felt like a blur. She had driven home after her meeting with Sarah, the conversation still fresh in her mind. The things Sarah had told her echoed in her thoughts, the weight of the revelations growing heavier with each passing minute.

Unfaithful. Secrets. Betrayal. The words circled her like a storm she couldn't escape. Ethan—her Ethan, the man who had been so tender, so vulnerable—had been someone else altogether in his past. Someone who had hurt Sarah, who had kept things hidden, who had made choices that had destroyed trust. It was hard to reconcile the man she knew with the version of him Sarah had described. But how could she ignore what had been said? How could she ignore the possibility that Ethan was still keeping secrets from her?

She knew what she had to do. She couldn't move forward without knowing the truth, no matter how painful it might be.

Lena opened the car door and stepped out, her legs feeling unsteady beneath her. She walked slowly up to her apartment door, each step feeling heavier than the last. The moment she stepped inside, she saw Ethan sitting on the couch, his hands clenched together in his lap. He looked up as she entered, his expression unreadable.

"Lena," he said softly, his voice filled with uncertainty. "We need to talk, don't we?"

Lena swallowed, trying to steady her breathing. She didn't know how to begin, how to ask the questions that had been consuming her. But there was no turning back now.

"I met someone today," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside. "Someone from your past."

Ethan's face paled. He stood up, the air between them suddenly charged with tension. "You talked to Sarah, didn't you?"

Lena nodded, her eyes locked on his. "She told me things, Ethan. Things I didn't know. About your relationship with her. About the mistakes you made."

Ethan closed his eyes, his jaw tightening. "Lena, please," he said, his voice cracking. "I never wanted you to find out like this."

"Why didn't you tell me, Ethan?" Lena's voice broke, the hurt in her chest coming to the surface. "Why didn't you tell me about Sarah? About what happened? Why hide it from me?"

Ethan took a step toward her, his hands outstretched, as if wanting to reach for her but unsure if he had the right. "I was trying to protect you. I didn't want you to see me as that person. I didn't want to scare you away with my past. It's not who I am anymore."

Lena shook her head, the confusion and pain in her eyes evident. "But it's still a part of you, isn't it? How can I trust you when I don't even know the full story? How can I believe that you're telling me everything now?"

Ethan's face twisted with guilt. "I should have told you. I should have been honest with you from the beginning. But I was afraid. Afraid that if I told you about Sarah, about the mistakes I made, you would see me as someone unworthy of your love."

Lena's heart ached at his words, but there was also a deep sense of betrayal. How could he have kept something so significant from her? And how could he have thought that hiding the truth would protect her?

"Ethan," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "I need you to be honest with me now. I need to know the whole story, everything. No more secrets."

Ethan took a deep breath and sat down on the couch, his hands clasped together as he finally began to speak the truth he had kept buried for so long.

"I was reckless back then, Lena. When I was with Sarah, I didn't know what I wanted. I wasn't the person I am now. I made choices that hurt her. I was unfaithful, and I lied. I thought I could get away with it, that the pain I caused wouldn't matter. But it did. It mattered to her, and it mattered to me. And I've regretted it every day since."

Lena stood frozen, the weight of his confession settling in her chest like a stone. "Why didn't you tell me this before? Why didn't you warn me? You've asked me to trust you, but how can I trust you if you've kept this hidden?"

Ethan's eyes filled with sorrow, and he looked down at his hands. "I thought I could protect you from the pain, Lena. I thought if I didn't tell you, you wouldn't have to know. But that was wrong. I should have trusted you enough to tell you the truth. I should have let you decide if you wanted to be with someone like me."

Lena's mind was reeling, and for a moment, she couldn't find the words to speak. She had loved him, trusted him, believed in him. But now, the foundation of that trust was cracked, and she didn't know if she could fix it. How could she reconcile the man he was now with the man he had been? Could she accept his past, the mistakes he had made, and still love him?

"Do you still love her?" Lena asked, her voice trembling. "Do you still think about her? Is there more you haven't told me?"

Ethan shook his head quickly, his voice urgent. "No, Lena. I don't love her. I haven't loved her for years. I've moved on, and I've been trying to move forward. You're the one I love now. You're the one I want."

Lena's breath caught in her throat as she absorbed his words. She wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that the man sitting before her was the person she had come to care for, the person who had shown her kindness and tenderness, the person who had made her feel seen and loved. But the doubts still lingered, and the pain of betrayal cut deep.

"I don't know if I can forgive you for keeping this from me," Lena said quietly, her voice trembling with emotion. "I don't know if I can trust you the way I did before."

Ethan's face twisted with regret, his eyes filled with unspeakable sorrow. "Lena, I never wanted to hurt you. I never wanted to make you feel like you couldn't trust me. I've been trying to be better for you. But if you can't forgive me, I understand. I just need you to know that I've never stopped loving you."

Lena wiped the tears from her cheeks, her mind torn between the man she loved and the person she thought she knew. The past hung heavily between them, but she knew that she couldn't move forward without addressing it.

"I need time," she whispered, her heart aching. "I need time to think about everything you've said. I don't know what's going to happen, Ethan. But right now, I need space."

Ethan nodded, his face pale and full of remorse. "I understand, Lena. Take all the time you need. I'll be here when you're ready."

As Lena walked away from him, the weight of the conversation felt unbearable. She didn't know if she could move past the hurt, the betrayal, the confusion. But one thing was clear: her journey with Ethan was far from over. The future was uncertain, but she had to find a way to heal—whether that meant confronting the past head-on or letting it go once and for all.