Chapter 1 What Did I Do Wrong?

• Crystal ’s pov
• I stood in the living room, staring at the walls of Tony’s house, the home I had helped him keep. It was more than just his—it was our life. Or at least, that’s what I thought. I had poured so much of myself into this place, every corner a testament to the sacrifices I made to support him.
• I used to love this house and saw it as a sign of our future. Now, it felt empty and cold, as if all the warmth disappeared the moment Lilian came in. My eyes settled on the couch I insisted we buy, almost with my next salary, the groceries I paid for, the bills I took care of when he wasn’t working. For years, I split my salary in half, giving more than I could afford because I believed in us.
• “I’m not going again!” Tony’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and angry.
• I froze, holding my handbag as I stared at him, my boyfriend, my love. His sudden outburst sent a chill through me, and I felt the air between us shift, thick with tension.
• “What…? What have I done again?” I asked, my voice cracking. “We talked about this yesterday. I’ve already processed my leave for the vacation. I thought we both wanted this.” My heart raced as I searched his face for some kind of explanation, but all I saw was cold indifference.
• “I said I’m not interested anymore,” he repeated, his back turned to me, his eyes fixed on something outside the window.
• “What did I do wrong?” I asked, taking a hesitant step toward him. “I’m covering all the expenses—the flights, the hotel, everything. If you don’t want to go, just say it.” My voice trembled as I blinked back tears. “I’m doing this for us, Tony. I love you.”
• He remained silent, his shoulders stiff, his gaze still distant. And then it hit me—this wasn’t about the vacation. This was about us.
• “I know I’ve been paying for everything, and maybe it makes you feel like less of a man,” I said softly, trying to reach him. “But I did it because I love you, because I believe in you. I want to prove to everyone that you’re more than they think. I can’t imagine my life without you, Tony.”
• I had fallen for him hard. From the moment we met, there was something about his charm, his height, his easy smile that had swept me off my feet. He had been everything I thought I wanted, and I had thrown myself into the relationship, willing to give up anything for him.
• But it wasn’t just about love. There was pressure from everywhere—especially my mother. She had always been on my case, asking when I was going to settle down, when I was going to get married.
• “You’re not getting any younger, Crystal ,” she would say, her voice laced with concern. “Look at most of your friends. They’re all married. You can’t keep wasting time on these dead-end relationships. Find a good man and settle down.”
• My best friend, Anna, would always joke with me, “Crystal , when’s the engagement party?”
• That pressure had weighed heavily on me, driving me to make choices I wasn’t sure about. But with Tony, I had convinced myself it was the right choice. Despite all the signs, despite his coldness and the way he made me feel small recently, I was optimistic that I could fix things. I could make him love me the way I loved him.
• But now, standing in this house, everything felt like a lie.
• A BMW car pulled up outside, and Lilian ’s high-pitched laugh rang through the air. She wore a tight, purple gown, her eyes gleaming with something cruel. Before getting inside, she said, “Babe, I’m sorry I came a little late.”
• “Isn’t that your boss’s daughter? The one you drive for?” I asked, almost immediately before she got inside.
• Tony’s expression shifted, his coldness melting away as he looked at her with a warmth I hadn’t seen in months. My stomach churned as he stepped toward her.
• “Hi, Lilian ,” he greeted her softly, wrapping his arm around her waist.
• I stared at them, my entire world collapsing around me. “What is going on? Tony, what is she doing here?”
• Lilian smirked, casting a quick glance in my direction before focusing on him again. “Is this your aunt you mentioned? The one that came with you for the interview?” she asked.
• My heart stopped. Aunt? Am I that old? What had Tony told her before now? I waited for Tony to correct her, to laugh it off as some kind of mistake. But when he looked at me, his expression was blank.
• “Yes, she is,” he said coldly.
• I felt the ground slip from beneath me.
• “Tony?! What are you talking about? You’re calling me your aunt? Are you cheating on me?” It was like a nightmare. I was the one who searched for this job for Tony, because I didn’t want him to be idle indoors and I was the one who even persuaded him and followed him to the interview. Is this how he introduced me to her?
• Lilian wrapped her arm around him, her body pressed against his as if she owned him. “Come on, babe. We don’t have time for this,” she purred.
• Without another word, they kissed right in front of me, a gentle smack resounded as their lips touched. Hot tears came down my eyes. This was the man I had given everything to. The man I had sacrificed for, splitting my salary to support him, fighting to prove to everyone—including my mother—that he was worth it.
• “I’ve been trying to end things with you for a while,” Tony said, his voice cutting through my thoughts. “This is the best way I could think of.”
• His words hit me like a slap, and I felt my knees buckle under the weight of it all. I had sacrificed so much for him, and this was his way of ending it?
• “To hell with your virginity and your so-called morals,” he sneered.
• I stood there, motionless, as they walked toward the door. Lilian smirked at me over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, sweetie,” she said with a laugh. “He rides me during the day, and I ride him at night.”
• Their laughter lingered in my ears as they walked out. I didn’t know what came over me, but as they were about to pass through the door, I ran and pulled Lilian away from Tony. He thought I was going to fight, but I had something different in mind. Tony gently pushed Lilian away and stood between us, saying,
• “Honey, leave this to me. Let me handle her. She gets paranoid sometimes, one of the reasons I can’t be with her.”
• Tony was lying right in front of me, knowing full well that I wouldn’t hurt a fly. He rolled up his sleeves as if he was ready to fight me, someone he had always promised to be with no matter what. But I wasn’t confronting him this time. I wanted to warn Lilian , someone who was as naïve as I had once been, who had fallen for his charm and deceit. Despite my pain, I wanted to help.
• “For your information, he’ll leave you too. I’ve done everything for him. Everything. When he finds someone richer, he’ll leave without looking back.”
• Lilian didn’t even flinch. She just shrugged, a smug smirk spreading across her face as if she had already won. Her gaze was full of fake pity as she said, “I’m sorry.” The insincerity in her voice made my skin crawl. “But we both know who he really wants now.
• Their last gesture—the smugness in Tony’s eyes, the way Lilian had flaunted herself—hurt more than the betrayal itself. It wasn’t enough that they had broken me; they had to humiliate me too.
• I watched my man, some I held so dearly walked away from me with someone’s else. I kept watching as they distanced themselves and got closer to the car that she brought. They got into the car and they never looked back again. Tony never thought he was leaving his house unlocked in the hands of the lady he had just rejected. I stood there dead and alive. What am I going to tell my mum? Someone who had thought that this vacation was all about my engagement. How was I going to tell her what had happened? What would I have done to keep Tony in this relationship?
• As I walked out of the sitting room without even knowing my pace, my phone rang. I have a good reason not to think it was Tony and that was what I thought. I reached out to my phone and brought it out, and to my dismay, it was Tony. Why on earth will he be calling me? Was all of these a prank or what?
• “Crystal, I was in a rush and I didn’t have time to lock the door,” his voice came through, as if nothing had happened. “Can you lock it and leave the key in the usual place?”
• I stared at the phone in disbelief. His request must have paused my brain as I stood and looked at his entrance door before hanging up without a word. I held the door handle and closed the door. What I was about to do for me was the only thing I could do to pay him back. After locking the door, I removed the key from the padlock. I took some steps away from the door and turned towards the building. With all my might, I threw the key on top of the roof.
• “That’s the new place,” I whispered before walking away.