6:00 PM.
I arrived five minutes early.
Not because I was eager.
But because I don't walk into unknown situations unprepared anymore.
The location was… strange.
Not a café.
Not a public place.
A quiet, almost abandoned-looking lounge at the edge of town.
Dim lights.
Few people.
Too quiet.
Perfect for secrets.
I stepped in slowly, my eyes scanning the room.
Then—
"Over here."
The voice came from the corner.
Low.
Familiar.
But not in a way I expected.
I walked closer.
And the moment I saw the person sitting there…
I stopped.
Completely.
"…You?"
Sade.
My best friend.
The same girl who sat beside me in class.
The same girl who asked me what was wrong.
The same girl who watched me fall apart.
She smiled slightly.
But it wasn't the smile I knew.
This one?
Was calculated.
"You look surprised," she said calmly.
My heart didn't race.
Didn't panic.
It just… slowed.
Because somehow…
This made sense.
"You sent the message," I said.
Not a question.
A fact.
Sade nodded. "Smart."
I pulled out the chair across from her slowly, sitting down without breaking eye contact.
"Start talking."
She leaned back slightly, crossing her legs.
"I was wondering when you'd get here," she said. "I thought heartbreak would slow you down more."
I ignored that.
"Why?" I asked simply.
Her smile faded slightly.
And for the first time…
I saw something real.
Not guilt.
Not regret.
Something else.
Resentment.
"Because you were never supposed to get this far," she said quietly.
My brows furrowed.
"What does that mean?"
She tilted her head slightly, studying me.
"You really don't know, do you?"
"Know what?"
Sade leaned forward.
And everything about her energy shifted.
"Daniel didn't leave because of you."
My chest tightened slightly.
"He left because of me."
Silence.
I blinked once.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"…Explain."
Sade smiled again.
Dark.
"I told his parents about you."
The words hit.
But not the way she expected.
Because instead of breaking…
I listened.
"They already didn't like him being distracted," she continued. "So when I told them he was in love with a girl who had a boyfriend…"
She shrugged lightly.
"It was easy."
My fingers tightened slightly under the table.
"So they forced him away," I said.
"Not forced," she corrected. "Pressured."
"And the girl at the beach?"
"Set up."
Everything paused.
"She's not random," Sade added. "She's part of the plan. Someone 'better.' Someone his parents would approve of."
A slow realization crept in.
"So all of this…" I said quietly.
"…was arranged."
Sade nodded.
"And you thought telling me this would break me?" I asked.
She frowned slightly.
Because that's exactly what she expected.
"It should," she said. "Because if I didn't step in… he would've chosen you."
There it was.
The truth behind the truth.
"You love him," I said.
Her expression changed instantly.
Just for a second.
But I saw it.
"No," she said quickly.
"You do," I repeated calmly.
Silence.
Then—
A soft, bitter laugh left her lips.
"I liked him first," she admitted quietly. "Before you. Before all of this."
There it was.
Not just resentment.
Jealousy.
"But he never saw me," she continued. "It was always you. You didn't even try, Amara. And he still chose you."
I leaned back slightly.
Studying her.
"So you decided to ruin everything."
"I decided to fix what should've been mine."
The audacity.
But I didn't react.
Not emotionally.
Not anymore.
Instead…
I smiled.
And that?
That confused her.
"Why are you smiling?" she asked slowly.
"Because now I understand everything," I said calmly.
"And?"
I leaned forward slightly.
My voice lower.
Sharper.
"You made one mistake."
Her eyes narrowed.
"What?"
"You told me."
Silence.
And in that moment…
Something shifted.
Because this wasn't just heartbreak anymore.
This was war.
Sade leaned back slowly, her expression changing again.
"You think you can do something?"
I stood up.
Calm.
Controlled.
Dangerous.
"I don't think," I said softly.
"I know."
Then I turned…
And walked away.
But just as I reached the door—
"Amara."
I paused.
"If you go against me," Sade said quietly behind me…
"…you'll lose more than just Daniel."
I didn't turn.
Didn't respond.
But as I stepped out into the night…
A slow smile formed on my lips.
"Then I guess…" I whispered to myself,
"…it's time to take everything back."