You Were My Mistake

Twenty-four hours after returning to the city, an old friend dragged me to our college reunion.

And there she was - Ava Hamilton, my first love, appearing before me after five long years.

Without warning, she produced a dazzling diamond ring and proposed before our entire class.

The room erupted.

Everyone watched expectantly, certain I'd say yes immediately.

After all, hadn't I been the one desperately chasing her, practically begging on my knees until she finally agreed to be mine?

But they'd all forgotten.

Forgotten how at graduation, Ava had publicly accused me of plagiarizing my thesis - all for another man's affection.

Forgotten how she fabricated evidence, claiming I'd cheated on exams and bullied classmates.

The university revoked my degree.

They ejected me from the ceremony as hundreds of eyes burned into my back.

That same day, I fled overseas.

Now, back in the city I'd sworn never to return to, her best friend Grace revealed the truth:

"After you left, Ava pulled every string. Used all her family's influence to reinstate your diploma."

"She never stopped waiting, Liam. You've always been the love of her life."

"Liam, are you even listening to me? I'm trying to tell you something!"

Grace, Ava's closest confidante, had practically glued herself to my side the moment I walked in, unleashing a torrent of words.

Her expression was a mix of exasperation and something close to desperate pleading.

Around the room, the gazes of our other classmates converged on mea cocktail of curiosity, pity, and outright mockery.

Honestly, hearing the name "Ava Hamilton" again after five years felt eerily distant, almost unfamiliar.

The fierce, all-consuming love I once held for her had long since been swallowed by the relentless current of time, drowning in the depths of a past I preferred to forget.

Five years ago, I'd vanished without a trace, leaving the country.

So, few in this city knew I'd built a new life, a new family, overseas.

I honestly couldn't tell if Grace's breathless monologue was born of her own conviction or if she was merely delivering a carefully rehearsed message.

Frankly, it didn't matter.

I pressed my lips together, gathering my thoughts, before speaking in a low, measured tone.

"Ava and I are a closed chapter, Grace. What you're saying holds absolutely no meaning for me anymore."

Not just Grace, but everyone in the room stared, eyes wide, as if I'd just announced I'd grown a second head.

After all, I had pursued Ava relentlessly, almost obsessively, for three whole years.

My relentless campaign was so public it nearly put me on the dean's radar.

Rain or shine, I'd delivered her a warm breakfast and a fresh coffee every single morning.

When her chronic stomach issues flared up, I once scoured every pharmacy in a snowstorm just to find a specific brand of antacid.

Every time some clueless guy tried to confess his feelings for Ava, I'd appear, practically materialize out of thin air, to stake my claim.

When she dreamed of starting her own business but lacked the capital, I not only drained my entire college fund and savings but even sold the vintage watch my parents gave me for my eighteenth birthday.

In places no one saw, I, who had never known hardship, lived on instant ramen and stale bread for an entire semester to make sure she had enough.

Finally, after my relentless efforts, Ava agreed to be my girlfriend.

She played the role of the perfect girlfriend, attentive and sweet.

She'd stand up for me, a fierce glint in her eyes, whenever someone dared to call me a 'doormat' or whisper about me being a 'kept man.'

She'd even let me dream with her, sketching out our future together the day she signed her first big contract.

I truly believed she was my soulmate, the woman I'd spend my entire life with.

Until our senior year, when Brandon Hayes suddenly emerged.

He was Ava's childhood friend, a ghost from her past who suddenly materialized, transferring into our very own class.

At first, I didn't think much of it.

I even made an effort to be welcoming, to connect with him.

But slowly, subtly, Ava stopped seeking me out.

Our calls grew shorter, our meetups less frequent.

When I tried to make plans, she'd suddenly have a million excuses.

On my birthday, she stood me up again.

She told me she had an urgent business trip to a neighboring city.

A knot of unease tightened in my stomach, so I discreetly went to her company.

And there he was: Brandon.

Surrounded by a circle of laughing employees, practically on a pedestal.

Even more infuriating, some of them were openly calling him "the boss's Prince Charming."

This, despite every single one of them knowing I was Ava's boyfriend.

The woman who'd told me she was out of town C Ava herself C stood among them, smiling serenely, not bothering to correct a single word.

My heart felt like it was being systematically shredded.

When Ava finally spotted me, there wasn't a trace of shame or guilt on her face.

Only a cool, almost casual question.

"What are you doing here?"

She was my first love, the woman I'd envisioned spending my entire life with.

I didn't want conflict, not with her.

So I spoke directly, pointing at Brandon.

"Is your 'business trip' really just throwing a party with him in the office?"

There was no anger in my voice, no accusation, just a quiet, almost desperate question.

Ava's brow furrowed instantly, a flicker of impatience crossing her features.

"Brandon's just starting his internship here, I was just hosting a welcome party for him. Can you stop being so ridiculously jealous? Honestly, Liam, it's suffocating!"

I froze, utterly stunned.

I never imagined the woman who, just days ago, had been clinging to me, whispering 'honey,' would so ruthlessly criticize me in front of her entire staff.

Perhaps my expression was too nakedly shocked, because a flicker of realization crossed Ava's face.

A faint flush of panic spread across her cheeks as she quickly stammered an apology.

"Liam, I'm so sorry, I misspoke. That's not what I meant."

My hands clenched into tight fists.

I looked her dead in the eye and asked, each word a hammer blow.

"Then what did you mean? And why did you lie about going on a business trip?"

Ava took my hand, her fingers intertwining with mine.

"I wasn't lying, honey. My plans did change suddenly, the client rescheduled, and I just hadn't had a chance to tell you yet!"

Her voice was so affectionate, so natural, that it chipped away at the wall of resentment I'd built.

But the phantom echo of 'Prince Charming' still grated on my nerves.

"Then why were your employees calling Brandon 'the boss's Prince Charming'?"

"Oh, come on, Liam, it's just a silly office joke! Who here doesn't know you, my big jealous bear, are my man?"

As she spoke, she squeezed my palm, her thumb tracing patterns on my skin.

"Honey, please don't be mad, okay? It's your birthday, after all. Tonight, I'll take you somewhere special for dinner."

I was just about to warn Ava against such 'jokes' in the future when Brandon suddenly rushed over, looking utterly distraught.

Gone was his earlier meekness, replaced by an unmistakable swagger in his voice.

"Mr. Caldwell, I am so, so sorry if I caused any trouble. If it really bothers you, I... I can just leave Ava's company and find an internship elsewhere. Anything, just please don't let me cause arguments between you two."

His head hung low, his gaze fixed on the floor.

Everyone else looked on, convinced I was some kind of arrogant bully.

They dared not speak, but their eyes silently pleaded with Ava.

Seeing Brandon's act, Ava immediately let go of my hand and walked over to him.

She spoke to him in soothing tones, her movements gentle and comforting.

She didn't stand me up that night; she really did take me out for dinner.

But the food tasted like ash.

Because even though she was sitting across from me, her words, every single one of them, were about Brandon.

"Brandon and I grew up together, he's practically my brother."

"His parents asked me to help him get an internship, so I brought him into my company."

"I was worried you'd overthink things, so I just... didn't tell you."

"If there was truly something between us, we would have been together years ago, wouldn't we?"

"Liam, I know how good you are to me. My heart and my eyes are only for you."

Ava sounded so earnest, I found it hard to argue.

I just nodded, a dull ache settling in my chest.

She pulled out a pair of simple silver couple's rings.

She slipped the female one onto her own finger, then gently slid the male one onto my ring finger.

"Liam, with my current finances, this is all I can afford. I know it's not much, it feels like I'm underserving you."

She smiled, a hint of false sincerity in her eyes.

"But I promise, when I make it big, I'll put the most expensive ring in the world on your finger."

Looking at the girl nestled in my arms, and the ring glinting on my finger, the last of my unease finally began to dissipate.

But she eventually broke that promise.

After that night, Ava stopped pretending.

She and Brandon began openly moving around campus together.

Whispers started circulating around campus, that Ava had dumped me for Brandon.

Before I could even trace the source of the rumors, Brandon himself showed up at my dorm.

He'd shed his meek facade completely, now radiating an obnoxious arrogance.

"Liam, do you know what kind of man is truly pathetic? It's a doormat like you!"

he sneered.