Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Norton’s voice cracked as he pleaded again, his words becoming desperate and fragmented.
“Helen, please, I know I was wrong. I was a fool. I was so insecure. But I loved you, I really did. I just… I never felt like I was enough for you.”
His words hung in the air, heavy and raw. I felt nothing but the weight of his guilt pressing down on me. My mind was cold, detached from the emotional wreckage in front of me. But the truth was, I had already let go of everything we once had.
“You should’ve thought about that before,” I said quietly, my voice calm, almost 100 calm for the situation.
I didn’t mean to hurt you,” Norton continued, his voice barely above a whisper. “I never wanted to hurt you, Helen.”
sood still, watching him tremble, trying to keep my emotions in check. Norton was no longer the man I had known. This person, standing before me, was a shadow of the person I once loved.
I had already come to terms with our past. No amount of pleading, no tearful confession would change what had happened.
“You’ve already hurt me enough,” I replied, my words cutting through the air. “You’ve already destroyed everything.”
He looked at me in disbelief, as though the reality hadn’t fully hit him yet. But there was nothing left to say.
Before I could even turn away, Norton’s next words struck deep.
“Are you really going to let me go? Just like that?”
I said nothing, turning my back to him. He had already made his choice long ago.
Days passed, and life continued, but the echoes of Norton’s words lingered.
The aftermath of the scandal had swept through my life like a storm, but it was beginning to settle. The damage had been done, but I was no longer the same person I was when it all started. There was no going back.
The lawsuit was proceeding, but that, too, felt distant. What mattered now was moving forward.
But the one thing I hadn’t anticipated was what would come next.
Three days after the court hearing, I received a call from an unfamiliar number. My heart sank as I picked up the phone.
“Hello?”
A soft, hesitant voice responded, “Helen… it’s me. Rina.”
I paused. The name took me back–Rina, the one person I had never truly expected to hear from again.
“I know it’s been a while, and I don’t know if you’ll even want to hear this, but… I need to apologize.”
Her voice wavered, as if she was unsure of how to even begin.
I took a slow breath, trying to compose myself.
“Why now, Rina?”
“I… I’ve been thinking about everything. About the things I said, the things I did. I was so angry, and I took it out on you. I know I hurt you, and I never meant to. I just… I was lost.”
I didn’t know how to respond. The weight of her apology hung between us, a moment I hadn’t expected but had been quietly dreading.
“You’ve been silent for so long, and now this?” I said, my voice tinged with bitterness. “I’ve already moved on, Rina. It’s too late for apologies.”
There was a long pause.
“I understand,” she finally whispered. “But I needed you to know that I’m sorry. Truly. And I wish you the best. I don’t expect anything from you, I just… needed you to hear that.”
12:19
Butchered by Love
28.3%
Chapter 8
I stayed silent for a moment, and then spoke, my voice softer this time.
“Take care of yourself, Rina.”
And with that, I hung up.
It was done. She was gone from my life, and it was time to move on for good.
But even as I closed that door, I knew there was still work to be done. The mess Norton had created was far from over. I still had a long road ahead of me, but I wasn’t afraid anymore.
