I Don't Need Love

Clara had planned to end this conversation calmly, to walk away with dignity. But the emotions she had buried for so long had erupted, leaving her raw and exposed.

Dylan's face paled, his usual composure crumbling under the weight of her words. He leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the table as if to steady himself. "Clara, it's not what you think. I didn't leave because I wanted to. I didn't choose any of this."

Clara's breath hitched, her anger faltering for a moment. "What do you mean you didn't choose any of this?"

Dylan's voice was thick with emotion, his words tumbling out in a rush. "I tried, Clara. I tried to fight for you, but your family made it clear I was not an option. My past, my divorce—they used it all to dismiss me."

"And when my family realized I might disrupt their meticulously planned alliance, they sent me abroad and cut off all communication. I couldn't reach you, Clara. I couldn't even explain. By the time I returned, it was too late. You were already married to Aiden… " His words hung in the air, raw and unfiltered, revealing the depth of the manipulation and control that had torn them apart.

Clara stared at him, her chest tightening as the truth sank in. All this time, she had believed Dylan had willingly abandoned her, that he had chosen his family over her. But now, hearing the full story, she realized how much they had both been pawns in a game they never asked to play.

Dylan's voice softened, his eyes pleading for understanding. "I never wanted to leave you, Clara. I fought for us, but they took away every means I had to reach you. By the time I could do anything, it was already over. I'm so sorry."

Clara's anger faltered, replaced by a wave of sadness and disbelief. The weight of their shared history pressed down on her, and for the first time, she saw Dylan not as the man who had abandoned her, but as someone who had been just as trapped as she was. The tears she had been trying to hold back finally spilled over, and she reached up to wipe them away, her hands trembling.

"I didn't know," she whispered, her voice breaking. "I didn't know any of this."

Clara thought of her family, of their insistence on her marriage to Aiden. They had always been controlling, always dictating what was best for her. But this... this was beyond anything she could have imagined. They had known about her feelings for Dylan, and yet they had prevented him from contacting her. It wasn't until now, when Dylan finally told her everything, that she knew the truth.

Dylan reached out, as if to take her hand, but then hesitated and pulled back. "I wanted to tell you sooner, Clara. But by the time I could, it felt like it was too late. I didn't want to disrupt your life, but I couldn't stay away either. I needed you to know the truth."

Clara's heart ached as she looked at him, the man she had once loved so deeply. The man she still loved, if she was honest with herself. But the reality of their situation was inescapable. She was Aiden's wife now, bound not just by vows but by the expectations and reputation of their families.

Divorce was unthinkable, and the idea of leaving Aiden for his brother—a man with a "tainted" past—was out of the question. Their families would never allow it. The scandal would be unbearable.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath to steady herself. When she opened them again, her expression was resolute, though her voice still carried a hint of sorrow. "Dylan, I… I don't know what to say. This changes everything, and yet… it changes nothing. I'm married to Aiden now. We can't go back. We can't undo what's been done."

Dylan's shoulders slumped, his face etched with pain. "I know. I know it's too late. But Clara, I can't just… let you go. Not completely. Even if we can't be together, even if it's just as friends, I need to know you're still in my life. Please."

Clara hesitated, torn between her feelings for Dylan and the life she had built with Aiden. She knew what she had to do, what was expected of her. But the thought of cutting Dylan out of her life entirely felt like losing a part of herself.

"We can't go back to how things were," she said finally, her voice firm but gentle. "But… we can find a way to move forward. As friends. As a family. That's all we can be now, Dylan. Anything else… it's impossible."

Dylan nodded slowly, though his eyes still held a glimmer of hope. "I understand. And I'll take whatever I can get. Just… don't shut me out, Clara. Please."

Clara reached across the table, placing her hand over his. "I won't. But we have to be careful. For Aiden's sake, and for ours. This… this is the only way."

As they sat there, the unspoken truth hung heavy in the air between them. Their love, once so full of promise, was now a quiet ache, a bittersweet memory of what could have been.

But life had moved on, and so must they. Clara would play her role as Aiden's wife, and Dylan would remain her brother-in-law, her friend. It was the only path left to them, a path paved with sacrifice and unspoken longing.

As they parted ways that evening, Clara couldn't help but wonder if things might have been different—if she had known the truth sooner, if Dylan had fought harder, if their families had been less rigid. But those were questions without answers, and she knew she could never dwell on them.

The past was behind her, and the future was set. All she could do now was move forward, one step at a time, and try to find peace in the life she had chosen—or rather, the life that had been chosen for her.