**Diary Entry – 14th June**
I always believed in second chances—that true love could find its way through pain and pride. So when my ex, James, messaged me after two years apart, something inside me stirred. A mix of hope and nostalgia filled the silence between us.
We’d ended badly—arguments, harsh words, too much pride on both sides. I’d moved on, or tried to. Dated someone else, built a new life. But James? He lingered like a scar that never fully faded. So when he suggested meeting up—just to talk—I agreed. Foolishly, I thought it might be something real. Just two adults reconnecting. What could go wrong?
We met at a quiet café near Covent Garden. I arrived early, and when he walked in, my chest tightened. There he was—same confident posture, same slight scruff, same warm eyes. He smiled, hugged me, and for a second, I was back in the past, where things were simpler.
We talked for hours. Work, life, the years between us. His voice was gentle, his gaze attentive, like he truly cared how I’d been. And I, like an idiot, softened. Maybe we could find something again—even friendship.
But then… something shifted.
He leaned back, his expression darkening. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy.
“Emily… I need to tell you something.”
My stomach dropped. “What’s wrong?”
He sighed, rubbing his temples. “I didn’t come here to reconnect. This—none of this is because I missed you.”
The air left my lungs. “Then why?”
A pause. Then, coldly: “I’m using you. To get back at your sister. Charlotte.”
The room tilted. “…What?”
“Your sister played me,” he said flatly. “Made me think she loved me. Then laughed behind my back. Now I want her to feel the same pain.”
My hands shook. My sister—my best friend, the one I trusted most—couldn’t have done that. And James… had every word tonight been a lie?
“You’re hurting me to hurt her? Why? I never did anything to you!”
“I know. I’m sorry. But she needs to understand what she’s done.”
Tears burned. Shame, anger, betrayal—all twisted inside me.
“You played with my feelings,” I whispered. “I actually thought—”
He looked away. “I was hurt too, Emily. I didn’t know how else to make it stop.”
I stood, fists clenched. “No. I won’t be part of this. I’m not some pawn in your revenge. And I won’t let you break my heart again.”
He didn’t stop me. Just sat there, silent, as I walked out into the cold London night, tears streaming. One thought looped in my mind: *How could I have been so blind?*
Never again. I won’t be anyone’s weapon—not James’, not Charlotte’s. Even if it means cutting them both out. Because lies, even in the name of love, are betrayal. And I choose truth—no matter how much it hurts.
**Lesson learned:** Trust isn’t earned back with pretty words. Some scars should stay closed.
