Chapter 10

Betrayal in the Dark

That night, I couldn't sleep. The image of Daniel slipping into Olivia's room haunted me, twisting everything I thought I knew.

I needed to confront him.

I texted him to meet me at the park—the same park where I had first told him the truth. The air was cold, sharp against my skin as I waited beneath the flickering streetlight.

He arrived a few minutes later, his expression softening when he saw me. "Sarah, what's wrong?"

I swallowed hard. "I know you were there," I said quietly. "At Olivia's party. I saw the footage."

His face paled. "I—I can explain."

"Then explain," I demanded, my voice shaking. "Why were you there? Why didn't you tell me?"

He ran a hand through his hair, looking torn. "I didn't know what happened at first," he admitted. "I… I followed Jake because I didn't trust him. When I saw him go into Olivia's room, I thought—" He broke off, shaking his head.

"You thought what?" My voice cracked.

"I thought he was cheating on Olivia. I didn't know it was you," he whispered. "Not until later. By the time I realized, it was too late."

Tears blurred my vision. "You knew. And you still let me suffer alone."

"I wanted to protect you!" he burst out. "I thought if you didn't remember… if I kept you away from the truth, maybe you could heal."

I took a step back, my heart breaking all over again. "You lied to me. You were supposed to be the one person I could trust."

His face twisted with pain. "I love you, Sarah. I was trying to save you from this."

But his love didn't undo the betrayal. It didn't erase the nights I had spent drowning in fear while he kept the truth hidden.

"I can't trust you," I whispered, turning away.

"Please," he said softly. "Don't walk away from me."

But I did.

Because the person I had leaned on was the same person who had let me break.

And now, I was truly on my own.