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Antonio, the guy who never hid his feelings, could let loose around her.
I didn’t bother to see it.
Who said first love was so special? It was just a fancy word for a silly crush.
Antonio’s heart has always been set on one person: himself.
I turned around, and there was Antonio, right behind me.
He was a wreck, nowhere near the put–together guy he used to be.
His hair was all over the place, and his eyes were all red.
He was in the clothes I had picked out for him.
He rushed to Stella, giving her a slap.
“Shut up. I won’t let you come between Grace and me. I’ve gotten to the bottom of this. You never loved me, and you deliberately seduced me to hurt Grace.
“Back at the hostel, you weren’t working hard to get by. You took off with a broke artist and split when the going got tough.
“You’ve been lying to me. You’re the reason I lost Grace. She’s the best in the world, the one who loves me the most.”
Stella was in shock, covering her facé.
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Antonio turned to face me.
“Grace, you knew all about her. Why did you keep it from me? Why did you stand by and watch me being deceived?”
I stood there, too stunned to say anything for a beat.
“Would you even hear me out? Or would you just call me jealous? We’ve grown up together, and you still don’t get who Stella really is?
“You’re lusting after her body but not willing to take responsibility. Antonio, you’re a real piece of work!”
My words must have hit home because Antonio kept a distance for a while.
Stella didn’t dare to pull her usual stunts around me anymore.
I got a job at my mom’s company and slowly but surely, I was getting the swing of things.
After work, I would hang out with my colleagues, grab a bite, and just chat it up.
Life was peaceful, almost too good to be true.
Right when I thought I was back in the groove, something crazy happened.
Walking home late from work, I got this creepy feeling I was being tailed.
It was one of those sketchy areas where the streetlights were hit or miss.
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I didn’t want to risk calling the cops and setting the person off, so I played it cool.
As I walked past a dense bush, he jumped me from behind.
I was terrified, crying, shaking like a leaf.
“Please, don’t hurt me. Take my money. It’s all I have,” I begged.
He stayed silent, gripping me like he was scared I would bolt.
Then, the streetlight flickered on.
In that split second of light, I caught a glimpse of a pearl tattoo on his chest.
With a tone of disbelief, I stammered, “Antonio?”
He went rigid.
I pushed him off with all my strength, and once I got a good look at his face, I let him have it with a slap so hard that it stung my hand.
“Antonio, what the hell do you think you’re doing? You’re acting worse than a wild beast!”
His cheeks flushed red in a flash.
Instead of losing it, he tenderly took my hand and blew on it with a soft breath.
“Grace, I’d never lay a finger on you. I couldn’t if I tried. All I want is to bring you back home.”
I recoiled in disgust from his touch.
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I had known him for years, and witnessed his stubbornness, the way he’d never retreat until he was cornered.
But this level of fixation, this madness? I had never expected it.
I was all but slumped against the wall, trembling with fear.
Antonio pressed in closer.
“Grace, it’s a jungle out there. It’s safer with me, isn’t it?
“I swear I’ll shield you and cut Stella out of my life. To be honest, I never had feelings for her. I was just stressed, momentarily lost my way.”
I had no clue whether he truly loved her.
What I did know was Antonio had a knack for playing the besotted lover.
He fancied himself a devoted lover, but he didn’t care one bit about how the other person felt.
I clutched my chest, my heart thumping like a drum.
“Antonio, stay the hell away from me.
“If you pull this again, I won’t hesitate to pull the trigger.”
Once I got my nerves under control, I messaged my mom, filled her in on the basics, and asked her to pick me up.
Until now, my legs were like jelly, unable to carry me an inch.
Antonio was like a kid who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, looking all confused. He was on the verge of
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speaking several times but then stopped himself.
My mom didn’t waste any time getting there. She showed up with a whole squad of cops in tow.
When they hauled Antonio off, he didn’t even try to fight it but just gave me this quiet look.
His eyes seemed to hold a myriad of reluctance.
My mom was dead set on Antonio getting locked up.
In the end, my dad and Antonio’s folks were all up in the mix.
They began with pleas, but it didn’t take long for the insults to
start.
I was labeled shameless, and accused of ditching my wedding without a valid reason.
They said I was cold–hearted, trying to throw my ex–lover behind bars.
Antonio, who had been silent all along, finally broke his silence to argue against them.
