Our Anniversary Ends with an End

Chapter 8

Yohann and Zandria had arrived before us, so naturally, they left first. But Yohann had barely taken a few steps away from their table when he spotted us. The moment his dark eyes landed on me, they flickered with panic. For a second, he looked caught off guard. Then, his gaze shifted to the man sitting across from me, and his expression hardened into something darker, anger.

His jaw clenched.

"Who is that?" he demanded, glaring.

I stayed calm, casually dabbing my mouth with a napkin before replying,

"That's none of your business."

"Ysha!"

Zandria let out a dramatic gasp, covering her mouth like she'd just uncovered a scandal.

"Don't tell me you came here… just for him?"

As expected, Yohann's face twisted at her words, rage flashing in his eyes like he was barely holding it together. My brother sat in silence, casting me a quick glance but staying out of it, he was clearly leaving this one for me to handle.

I stood up, cold and composed.

"I can have dinner with whoever I want. You don't get to ask questions. You lost that right."

Then I turned to my brother, signaling we were leaving.

But before I could take another step, Yohann lost it. He grabbed my arm and dragged me outside. The second we were out the door, I yanked my arm free.

"Are you out of your mind?" I snapped.

"You owe me an explanation! Who is that guy, and what is he to you?"

His voice was raw with frustration.

"I don't owe you anything!" I shot back, the memory of what I'd overheard earlier still burning in my chest.

That only made him more agitated.

"You're my girlfriend! How can you say it's none of my business when you're out with another man?"

I stared at him, disgusted.

"We broke up, Yohann! Stop pretending like you didn't get the memo."

"I don't agree!" he shouted, as if that alone could change reality.

I let out a bitter laugh.

"Who do you think you are? You don't get to decide if we broke up or not. I'm not your property, Yohann. I don't need you. You don't get to control me anymore."

He looked stunned. He'd never seen me like this, sharp, unapologetic. For years, I'd been the one to smooth things over, to shrink myself just to keep the peace. But not anymore.

"Ysha, you…" he started, but I cut him off.

"I heard everything earlier."

His face paled, and panic crept into his eyes.

I smiled coldly.

"You didn't date me because you loved me. You dated me because Zandria turned you down and you needed someone, anyone, to patch up your ego."

He didn't respond. He didn't have to. His silence told me everything I needed to know.

"You pushed me to become more independent, to take up all those so-called adventures, not for me, but because you wanted me to be more like her. You were chasing her shadow in me."

I paused, letting that sink in. And when I spoke again, I was calm.

Yohann looked like he was grasping for something, anything.

"I… I thought that way at first, yeah," he admitted.

"But I really did fall for you. I swear I won't pressure you anymore. You don't have to change. Just be yourself, okay? Ysha, please. Don't end this."

"If you come back with me," he added quietly, voice almost trembling, "I'll do whatever you say. I'll listen. Just… please don't walk away."

But I felt nothing. His desperation didn't move me, not even a little. What we had was long gone, rotted from the inside out. Love shouldn't feel like manipulation. It shouldn't be rooted in selfish motives.

And yet, that's all our six years had been reduced to, a painful, humiliating joke.