Chapter 377

Chapter 377
Mateo’s POV
I stood outside the hospital entrance, waiting for Hattie while trying to calm the storm inside me. Today had been overwhelming, especially seeing Serena in that condition at the hospital. My emotions were a tangled mess I couldn't sort through.
Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind.
"Mateo." Hattie's voice was soft against my back.
I turned around and gently removed her arms from my waist. For some reason, I didn't want this intimacy right now.
Hattie's brow furrowed, a flash of hurt crossing her eyes. "Do you dislike me touching you?"
"No, that's not it," I quickly explained, searching for an excuse to avoid the embrace. "How can we walk if we're hugging? Let me hold your hand instead."
I reached for her hand, maintaining our usual gesture of affection, but today it felt mechanical, forced. I didn't miss the flicker of disappointment in her eyes. Hattie had always been perceptive to the slightest shifts in my mood.
We got into the car, and an oppressive silence filled the space between us.
"Mateo, have you noticed how much you've changed since returning home?" Hattie finally broke the silence, her voice quiet but direct.
I chose to remain silent. She was right—I had changed—but I wasn't ready to admit it, let alone examine why.
"Back when we were abroad, you wouldn't even look at other women. But ever since you met Serena, your eyes constantly find their way to her," Hattie continued, staring at me with sorrow in her gaze.
I swallowed hard, my Adam's apple bobbing visibly.
I couldn't deny her words. They were true. My feelings for Serena...
I couldn't even clearly define why I cared so much about Serena. Why seeing her neglect her health today had filled me with such rage. Was it purely anger, or was it something more tender—concern?
The thought unsettled me. I turned away, looking out the window, trying to escape these feelings as my expression darkened.
"Mateo, do you... not love me anymore?" Hattie's question pierced my heart like a blade.
As soon as she spoke, tears began streaming down her face. Seeing her like this filled me with guilt.
"No, that's not true," I answered immediately. It wasn't entirely a lie, but it wasn't the complete truth either.
I turned back to face her, watching as tears cascaded down her cheeks. My mind flashed back to that memory: during my darkest year, Hattie had been the one who stayed by my side. I owed her too much.
"Please don't stop loving me. If I've done something wrong, I can change. Just please don't fall for someone else." Hattie completely broke down.
Her body shook with uncontrollable sobs. Seeing her like this made my heart ache with both guilt and sadness.
"I won't. Don't overthink things," I said, reaching out to wipe away her tears, trying to make my voice sound firm yet gentle.
"I don't want to overthink, but you've changed so much. Before, your eyes were only for me, but now, your gaze follows Serena..." Hattie clutched my hand tightly, her voice filled with fear. "I'm so terrified!"
"That won't happen. We're getting married soon," I tried to reassure her, to give her some certainty. "Once my father returns from abroad, our wedding will be the next priority. Don't worry."
As I spoke these words, I couldn't meet her eyes. I wasn't sure if I was truly ready.
"I actually spoke with Serena earlier," Hattie said, looking at me through tear-filled eyes.
I didn't ask for details. Part of me didn't want to know, and part of me feared my reaction might reveal something I wasn't ready to face.
"I told her to stay away from you, to never speak to you again."
Hearing this, my eyes flickered slightly. A nameless feeling washed over me, as if something important had been taken away.
"Are you angry?" Hattie quickly noticed the shift in my emotions, however slight.
"No," I forced myself to remain calm. Angry? What right did I have to be angry? Hattie was my fiancée, and Serena was... I didn't even know how to define her place in my heart.
"Serena agreed. She promised she'd have no further contact with you. I know my behavior is despicable, but I can't help it. I'm terrified you'll be drawn to her. She's so beautiful, so captivating." Hattie gripped my hand tightly, as if afraid I might slip away.
"If she agreed, then that's fine," I said, feigning indifference. But inside, an inexplicable sense of loss was spreading. Serena agreed so easily? Just like that?
"Will you promise me that you won't approach Serena either?" Hattie looked at me with hopeful eyes.
"I won't approach her on my own," I answered with conviction. At least this, I could promise.
"And if you happen to be around her, will you promise not to speak to her?"
"Hattie..." I hesitated. This demand was beyond reasonable.
"I'm sorry, Mateo. I don't want to be so controlling or selfish about your life. I know there's nothing between you and Serena right now, but you're both such extraordinary people. I'm afraid that once you spend time together, you'll be drawn to each other. I can only use this shameful tactic to end things before they begin. Maybe I'm being too sensitive, maybe I'm being petty, but I can't risk it because I'm too afraid of losing you."
Faced with her honesty, I chose silence again. She was right—there was an undeniable attraction between Serena and me. It both frightened and excited me, but I couldn't admit this to Hattie.
"You don't hate me for this, do you?" Hattie asked pitifully.
"No, I don't," I nodded. With Hattie, I'd always instinctively protected her, never wanting to cause her pain.
Besides, Hattie wasn't wrong.
The idea that we would be drawn together if we spent time with each other...
I never imagined there would be a day when I might betray my relationship, but reluctant as I was to admit it, Serena affected me differently. This feeling was both foreign and familiar, leaving me at a loss.
"Mateo, I'll be so good to you. We'll be so happy together," Hattie buried herself in my embrace.
I held her, but my thoughts had already drifted elsewhere.