"You punished me for my father's mistake?" Sara's voice trembled with pain. "Because you couldn't punish him, so you punished me instead?"
"I'm sorry, Sara… I was stupid," Kairo said, his voice breaking as he cried on her shoulder.
"Get out, Kairo," she said firmly.
"I'm sorr—"
"I said get out!" she gritted her teeth, her voice cracking.
"Sara… please don't—" he tried to plead.
"If you don't want me to leave this place with Zayn, then please, leave me alone," she said, barely holding herself together.
Her words hit him hard. Fear filled his chest; he couldn't afford to lose them again. Slowly, with a heavy heart, he stood up and unwillingly left the room, his eyes red and wet. He knew he had done something unforgivable, something that would haunt her every time she thought about it.
He shut the door behind him, tears spilling silently. Inside, Sara held Zayn tightly in her arms, crying quietly, broken by the thought that she had suffered for something she never did, for a sin her father had committed long ago.
What hurt Sara the most was that the man she loved more than anyone, the man she trusted with her soul, had punished her for her father's mistake without even asking her once. It tore her apart to think how he could? How could the same man who claimed to love her more than anything be the one to break her like this?
What was her fault in all this? What did she ever do to deserve that kind of pain? Why was she the one who had to pay the price for her father's sins?
Tears streamed down her face as those thoughts echoed in her head. She couldn't believe that he had pushed her away, not because of something she did, but simply because she was the daughter of her so-called father. That truth broke her heart all over again every time she thought about it.
On the other side, Liana, Kairo's mother, lay awake in bed. She couldn't stop thinking about her son, the child she had left years ago. Her heart ached again as memories of his cold, hurt expression flooded back.
How has he been all these years? she wondered. Did he hate me? Did he even think about me once? The thought of Kairo's cold, distant gaze returned to her mind, and her chest tightened.
Victor, her husband, seemed to be asleep beside her. She glanced at him, her thoughts spinning. Sara... his daughter. The realization hit her again: Kairo married Sara? she thought.
It seemed like Sara didn't even know that she was Kairo's mother. Liana's heart began to race as her mind replayed his face, those eyes that resembled exactly like hers, but filled with pain and anger.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Quickly, she turned and hugged Victor, seeking comfort. He stirred slightly, pulling her closer to his chest. One tear slipped down her cheek, but she controlled her rushing emotions, not letting Victor know the storm of emotions inside her. She held him tightly, letting his warmth anchor her, as she tried to find rest.
The next day, Sara didn't say a single word to Kairo. He tried to start a conversation, but she ignored him completely, and he didn't push her. The ride to the office was painfully silent.
As soon as they arrived, Sara got out of the car and walked straight to her cabin with Zayn in her arms, without even glancing at him. Kairo stood there for a moment, watching her disappear behind the door, before heading to his own cabin.
He went to check on Zayn a few times during the day, but Sara never spoke to him.
Three days passed
Three days passed like that, cold, silent, distant. At first, Kairo gave her space, respecting her silence, hoping she needed time. But as the days dragged on, the silence started eating him alive. He missed her voice, her warmth, her presence beside him. Every time she looked away, it broke him a little more. He was not able to bear the silence anymore, also didn't have the courage to ask her forgiveness.
That night, after putting Zayn to sleep, Sara went to the kitchen to fill a water bottle. Kairo quietly walked in behind her. She sensed his presence but didn't look back, focusing on her work and ignoring him completely.
"Sara," he said softly.
She didn't respond.
He stood there for a moment, unsure whether to go closer. When she finished filling the bottle and turned to leave, he reached out and held her wrist, stopping her.
"Let me go," she said through clenched teeth.
"Sara, please… don't ignore me like this," he begged.
She stayed silent, refusing to look at him.
"If you're angry, then yell at me, hit me, say whatever you want, but please, don't stay quiet. I can't take your silence anymore. just talk to me, please…" he pleaded, his voice breaking.
Her anger finally burst. She tried to pull her hand free, but he didn't let go. Then she turned around and threw the water bottle at him; it hit his face hard.
He hissed in pain, holding his nose where the bottle hit, but didn't move away. A small trickle of blood ran from his nose. Her eyes filled with tears as he wiped the blood with his hand, trying to stop it, still looking at her with glistening eyes, with quiet guilt and hurt.
"Why did you do that?" she yelled, her voice shaking.
Kairo didn't speak. He only looked at her with the kind of pain that made her heart twist.
"Why did you punish me for whatever my so-called father did wrong to you?" she cried. "Just because you couldn't punish him, you punished me?"
He lowered his gaze, silent tears falling from his eyes.
"If you had any other reason, I would've accepted it… But this?" she said, her voice cracking. "What was my fault in all this, Kairo? What was my fault?"
Her words shattered the air between them, raw and echoing.
"You chose to punish me in the worst way possible because my father stole your mother from you," she said, choking on her sobs. "But have you ever thought that your mother is equally responsible for my broken family?"
He looked up, startled, eyes widening.
"Did you ever think," she continued, her voice trembling, "that because of your mother, my father divorced my mother and abandoned us? That whatever pain you lived with, I went through it too, maybe worse, because of your mother?"
Her tears fell freely now. Each word struck him harder than the last, slicing through the layers of anger and guilt he had buried deep.
Kairo's heart crumbled under her truth. She was right. His mother's choices had hurt her family, too.
"You punished me for my father's mistakes," she said hoarsely. "So tell me, Kairo, should I punish you for your mother's?"
Her words fell like knives.
"Should I abandon you, too? Should I leave you with Zayn and let you suffer the way I did?" she whispered, voice breaking, the fury in her tone softening into pure pain.
His knees gave out. He fell before her, his body trembling as he clutched her feet.
"Please don't leave me, Sara," he sobbed, voice raw and desperate. "Please… I know I was wrong. I was blinded. I can't undo what I did, but please… don't leave me."
His tears fell on her skin, hot and broken. Sara took a step back, her heart breaking. She was furious with him, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't bring herself to hate him. He stayed there on the floor, crying, completely broken.
She wiped her tears and sat down in front of him, then gently grabbed his shoulder and lifted him to sit up. He hunched over, head bowed, still crying; blood trickled from his nose where she'd hit him. Her chest tightened, guilt mixed with regret for hurting him.
She turned his face toward her, making him meet her eyes. His were raw and red. She brushed the tears from his cheeks and dabbed at the blood to stop it.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, voice breaking.
"I deserve it," he said, head dropping again.
She held his chin and made him look at her. Her own lips trembled as she spoke, every word shaky. "You know what? I want to hate you. I want to punish you. But I can't."
Her voice broke, tears streaming down her face. "Because I'm foolish enough to love you more than to hate you. My heart is stupid enough to keep beating for you even after everything you did."
Kairo's chest tightened. His tears returned, silent and heavy.
"Since you realized your mistake and you've apologized," she said softly, brushing his cheek, "I don't want to punish you. But if you ever repeat it again… don't expect forgiveness."
He nodded quickly, obediently, still unable to lift his head.
She watched him wipe his nose again and again, the bleeding refusing to stop. His shirt was stained with small patches of red. With a sigh, she said softly, "Come here," and pulled him toward the couch.
She fetched the first-aid kit and carefully cleaned his nose, pressing the cotton against it until the bleeding slowed. He didn't say a word, just sat still, obedient, eyes lowered like a child being scolded.
When she was done, she noticed the blood stains on his shirt. Without saying anything, she began unbuttoning it. He didn't resist; he just watched her quietly. Once she was done, she cupped his cheeks gently and said, "Go wear something and get some rest. It's late."
He looked up at her, eyes soft and pleading. "Can I... Can I… sleep with you tonight?" he asked in a small voice, almost innocent.
She froze for a second, staring at him. He quickly looked down, afraid of her reaction. "Please…" he added quietly.
Her heart softened, but she forced herself to stay firm. "You're asking for too much. Go back to your room," she said, standing up. Then she turned and walked toward her room without looking back.
He sat there in silence, shoulders slumped, watching her walk away, his heart sinking with every step she took away from him.
As she reached her room and was about to close the door, her gaze met his, he was still sitting there, eyes fixed on her with that quiet, longing look. She let out a tired sigh, her heart softening despite herself.
"Come," she said finally.
He didn't waste a second. He stood up and hurried toward her, slipping into the room before she could change her mind.
As soon as they reached the bed, he wrapped his arms around her tightly, burying his face in her warmth as if he'd been missing it for a lifetime.
She froze for a moment, then gently placed a hand on his back, feeling his breath slow against her.
"I love you," he mumbled, his voice weak and sleepy. Within seconds, his grip loosened slightly as he drifted off in her arms.
Sara lay still, her eyes staring into the dark. Her heart was aching, but a part of her, the part that still loved him, found a small, fragile peace in his arms.
Because even through the pain, even through the cracks, she still loved him.And that love, broken as it was, still chose to stay.
.