Oscar

He stood under a linden tree in the old park, on the site of their first kiss. The autumn wind tore at the yellowed leaves, swirling them in a melancholy waltz. Each leaf resembled a fragment of their bright, fragile past.

You walked towards him, feeling your heart beat in unison with every step. His urgent message awakened anxious hopes. Maybe he found a way? Maybe his parents took pity?

But when you came closer, hope froze. He did not smile, did not extend his hands. He stood, hiding his eyes, his posture was constrained, and his face was a stone mask.

— I'm getting married. In a month. To Olivia. My father's partner's daughter.

The world did not collapse. It froze. The sounds of the park disappeared, dissolved in a deafening silence. He spoke of a profitable union, of suddenly flared feelings. Each word was like a sharp blade.

• But how? And us? And what happened between us? You swore...

In his eyes you saw not coldness, but bottomless torment. But the look lasted only a moment.

• It was a mistake. A youthful infatuation. I can't connect my life with... an orphan without a family or tribe.

You recoiled as if struck. You didn't cry - the shock was too strong. All your love, all your trust was shattered.

You didn't see his fingers curl into fists, his nails digging into his palms until they bled. You didn't know that yesterday his father had given him an ultimatum: "Either you leave her, or something bad will happen to her."

Oscar chose your life. At the cost of his own. At the cost of your faith in him.

He left without looking back, step by step breaking the thread that connected their souls. And you were left standing under the old linden tree, completely alone, unable to move or comprehend the full depth of the betrayal.