Chapter 104 The Truth Hurts
“… Thank goodness.”
It was a text from Jude telling me that Cassandra had agreed to testify against Marcus in court.
Cassandra had been refusing to testify against Marcus for reasons best known to her, but hearing that she had changed my mind made me feel a little bit at ease. At least Marcus would be able to get the punishment he deserved.
I sighed, rested my back on the couch, and closed my eyes.
JOAN COLE’S POV
A month had passed since that embarrassing moment with Dave.
I had stopped reaching out after several unanswered texts and phone calls. Each time I typed his name, my finger hovered on the screen, then I would delete the text. He was ghosting me and I understood why. I had hurt him deeply.
Calling Alex’s name while he was inside me was unforgivable so I didn’t blame him for needing space.
Then one quiet Tuesday evening, my phone rang.
It was Dave.
My heart jumped. I looked away, wiped my face then looked at it again before answering.
“Hi,” I said softly.
“Joan,” he replied.
His voice was calm but I could hear the tiredness in it.
“Can we talk? In person?”
“Sure,” I whispered.
Who was I to say no? If anything I was grateful he reached out after that horrible encounter.
Right after we got off the call, he sent a text with the location.
We met at one of the downtown restaurants. Dave looked the same, he still had those kind eyes.
We sat across from each other with untouched cocktails between us.
“I’m sorry for ghosting you,” he said simply.
“I was hurt… really hurt… so I needed space to process the whole thing,” he added and paused for a while, then he continued.
“Hearing you say his name broke something in me. I kept replaying it and it made me feel like I was never enough and would never be.”
I nodded but my throat was tight.
“I’m so sorry, Dave. I never meant to hurt you like that. You’ve been nothing but good to me,” I muttered.
He looked down at his hands for a moment, then back at me.
“I came back because I realized I owed you a proper conversation.”
I took a deep breath because this was the moment I had been afraid of, but it needed to be said.
“Dave, you are a good man. One of the best I’ve ever known. You deserve happiness and true love. Someone who can give you all of herself without hesitation,” I said and paused.
Why was I saying all that?
Was I really ready to let him go?
“I thought if I got into a relationship with you, my feelings for Alex would fade. I really believed that. But nothing changed.”
This time, he looked at me with slightly raised brows.
“I’m still stuck in the past, Dave. I’m not emotionally ready for a relationship right now, and it’s not fair to keep hurting you while I figure myself out.”
I really meant that.
He listened without interrupting me, his expression gentle even as pain flickered in his eyes.
“I understand,” he said quietly.
“It hurts, Joan, and I won’t pretend I’m not disappointed. I wanted us to work… I saw a future with you, but I won’t force something that isn’t there.”
Guilt was eating me up and I didn’t even know what to say, so we went silent for a while.
Then I finally summoned the courage to say something.
“Thank you for being considerate about this,” I whispered.
“And… thank you for everything you gave me… the car, the gifts, the kindness, and most importantly the patience. I will always be grateful.”
He nodded and let out a small sad smile.
“Take care of yourself, Joan. If you ever need a friend. I’m still here. I can’t hate you, Joan.”
With that, he stood up, nodded once, and walked out.
I watched him go through the window, and I felt a pull in my chest.
I had just let go of a good man.
DAVE WILTON’S POV
I walked into the restaurant feeling like I was carrying a heavy load in my chest.
A month of silence had been hell.
I had stared at my phone countless times, wanting to reply to Joan's texts but I was unable to find the right words.
Every time I closed my eyes, I heard her moan Alex’s name while I was inside her, but I couldn’t keep ghosting her.
When I saw her sitting there, looking nervous but beautiful, something flared inside me.
Part of me still loved her and part of me was still angry.
We sat down. Then we talked.
I spoke first though.
I told her I was sorry for ghosting her and that it was because I was hurt.
She nodded, but her eyes were filled with regret.
I listened as she explained herself. She told me she wasn’t emotionally ready, that she thought being with me would help her move on from Alex, and that she didn’t want to keep hurting me because I was a good man and deserved happiness.
Her words hurt but they were honest.
When she finished talking, I took a moment before replying.
I understood her, but I would be lying if I said it didn’t hurt.
I wanted us to work, but it was obvious we couldn’t and I had to let go.
We sat in silence, then she began to talk.
“Thank you for being considerate about this,” she said.
I had no choice but to be.
I gave her a small smile even though it felt tight.
“Take care of yourself, Joan. If you ever need a friend. I’m still here. I can’t hate you, Joan.”
I stood up and walked out without looking back.
Outside, I got into my car, placed my hands on the steering wheel, and sat there for a long time.
I had lost her… not because I wasn’t good but because she was still in love with someone else.
The pain was deep, but I still felt relieved.
At least I now know the truth.
I started the engine and drove away.
But as I drive down the street, one question kept popping into my mind:
Would I ever be able to love someone else again?
I had barely gotten home when I saw a notification that someone had tagged me in a post.
At first, I wanted to get home first before opening it.
But the first line of the post caught my attention.
Then I parked my car carefully, switched the engine off, and reached for my phone on the dashboard.
I opened the post and the first thing I saw was Joan’s face together with a voice recording.
“What the fuck!”
“How the hell was this recorded?”