"Did that bastard hurt you? I’ll make sure he regrets it!" My dad, always protective, was ready to confront Zachary without even needing the details.
I forced a bitter smile, swallowing the pain. "Dad, let me handle this one."
My voice cracked, but I couldn’t let him hear how much I was hurting. I quickly hung up, but my eyes stayed locked on that chat window, the words still burning in my mind. My heart felt like it was shattering into pieces.
Zachary Donovan was my senior in college.
I could still remember during my freshman year, I was cornered by a group of thugs and Zachary stepped in without hesitation, getting into a brutal fight to protect me.
That was when I fell hard for him. He was the first man, besides my dad, to stand up for me so selflessly.
From that moment on, I chased after him for years, through our college days. Yet, he never accepted my feelings.
Back then, I used to think his indifference made him more desirable, as if his coldness was a challenge I was meant to overcome.
But looking back now, I see how naïve I was.