The tense silence spread across the room.
Anger and doubt clouded my mind as I walked toward Mayble.
She looked terrified.
"Okay... I know I've made a huge mistake, but—"
"But what, Mayble?" I interrupted sharply.
"I was afraid..." she whispered, tears filling her eyes.
Rusuf gently placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down.
"So you were afraid, and because of that you secretly recorded the conversation and sent it to the police?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No... no..." she shook her head desperately.
"Then explain."
She took a shaky breath.
"Yes, I planned to record it. But I never meant to send it without your permission."
"So what happened?"
"I told you... I was scared. I just wanted to help. My mistake was that I sent it before hearing your entire conversation. I'm really sorry."
Her voice broke as she lowered her head.
"What sorry, Mayble?" I snapped. "Do you even realize how important he was to us?"
"Hey! Relax!" Evelyn stepped forward. "Shouting at her won't fix anything."
"I know..." I muttered, disappointment replacing some of my anger.
"Look, Mayble, don't cry," Rusuf said softly. "And Advik... Evelyn is right. We'll find another way to handle this. Please don't be angry with her."
Mayble suddenly looked up.
"Wait..."
Everyone turned toward her.
"Why are you taking my side, Rusuf?"
Confusion crossed his face.
"You should be with your ex... so why are you here defending me?"
The room fell silent.
Even I didn't know what to say.
Rusuf looked at Mayble, speechless.
Wait! What are you trying to say?" Rusuf asked, his face filled with confusion.
"I... I don't even know how to explain it..." Mayble shouted, her voice trembling with anger and pain.
"Hey! Mayble, calm down," I said, raising my hand to stop her.
"No, Advik! He deserves to know."
Evelyn silently watched from the corner, unable to interrupt.
Rusuf stepped closer and gently held Mayble by her shoulders.
"Mayble... what are you talking about?"
She looked straight into his eyes.
"You're cheating on me with your ex."
The room froze.
"What?" Rusuf whispered in disbelief.
"You heard me." Tears rolled down her cheeks. "You think I don't know anything?"
With trembling hands, she unlocked her phone.
"Let me show everyone."
She searched through her gallery before stopping at a single picture.
Without saying another word, she held the screen toward us.
My eyes widened.
The photo showed Rusuf... kissing his ex.
For a moment...
No one spoke.
Even Rusuf stood frozen, unable to say a single word.
With tears in his eyes, Rusuf took a deep breath.
"How desperately do you want to prove that I'm a cheater?" he asked, his voice shaking.
"You didn't even notice a single detail in that picture."
He pointed at the screen.
"Look... look at my hair. It's much shorter."
He let out a bitter laugh.
"And that shirt... tell me, Mayble, how many times have you seen me wear it?"
She stayed silent.
"You haven't."
"Because I stopped wearing that shirt after my breakup with her. She moved to Canada years ago."
Mayble looked at him without blinking.
"Or maybe... you changed your clothes before meeting her."
"What the hell, Mayble?" Rusuf exclaimed.
"I don't know!" she shouted back.
"What about the long hair I found in your bathtub?"
"My bathtub?"
"Every weekend when I went out with my friends, you stayed home. How do I know you weren't calling her over? Maybe she took a shower there... maybe you both..." Her voice cracked before she could finish.
"Wait."
Rusuf raised his hand.
"Before you accuse me again, let me explain."
He sighed.
"I'm sorry for hiding this from you."
"My friend Crave and his girlfriend weren't allowed to meet because of their families. So... I secretly let them use my apartment on weekends."
Mayble stared at him in disbelief.
"That weekend, I was at another friend's party."
He looked straight into her eyes.
"So those hairs you found... they were probably hers."
Silence filled the room.
"...What?"
Mayble whispered.
"Fine."
"Let's say I believe you."
"And let's also believe that you weren't involved with your ex."
She slowly lifted the phone again.
"Then answer me this..."
"Why was that picture still in your room?"
She swallowed hard.
"Don't tell me..."
"You still miss her."
He took a deep breath.
"We're in a live-in relationship... and this is my house."
"So what?" Mayble snapped. "Are you trying to humiliate me?"
"No." He shook his head.
"I just wanted you to understand something."
"I never cleaned my room before you came to live with me."
"So, it that your answer? " She asked in questioned..
No , "Because I never thought I had to erase every memory of my past just to prove my loyalty."
"I never pretended to be someone I wasn't."
"I showed you my real self from the very beginning."
"I... I don't know what to believe anymore."
She lowered her head.
"Maybe..."
"...I misunderstood you."
"I'm sorry."
Rusuf looked at her with disappointment.
"Misunderstood me?"
"Did it never occur to you that if someone was really cheating... they wouldn't leave obvious evidence lying around?"
Mayble remained silent.
"I just wanted to..."
She slowly looked up.
Their eyes met.
After a long pause, Rusuf spoke.
"I want to leave you."
"What...?"
Her voice broke.
She stared at him in disbelief, as if those were the last words she had expected to hear from him.
"Why?" she cried.
Even we tried to stop him.
"Rusuf... don't do this."
Evelyn wrapped her arms around Mayble, trying to comfort her.
Rusuf closed his eyes for a moment before speaking.
"You believed a photograph more than you believed me."
"I'm not leaving because I don't love you."
"I'm leaving because I need you to decide whether you trust me..."
"...or whether you'll always trust the evidence before trusting me."
Without another word...
He walked away.
Mayble collapsed into tears.
She tried to stop crying...
But no matter how hard she tried...
She couldn't.
Later that evening, we returned to my house.
Evelyn informed her father that she would be staying with us for two nights.
I quietly walked toward Mayble with a glass of water.
She sat on the sofa, her eyes swollen from crying.
Evelyn remained beside her, gently trying to comfort her.
I looked at both of them.
For the first time...
The silence felt heavier than any argument.
I asked Evelyn to come with me into the other room.
She followed me, raising an eyebrow.
"What is it?"
I took a deep breath.
"Let's buy some clothes for you and Mayble."
She looked at me in surprise.
"In this situation? I don't think it's right to leave her alone."
"I know," I replied. "But staying here won't help either. She needs some time to herself... and honestly, both of you need a change of mind."
Evelyn remained silent for a moment.
"...Alright. I'll come with you."
She informed Mayble that we'd be back soon, and together we left the house.
Inside the clothing store...
Evelyn stopped in front of an emerald-green dress.
She gently ran her fingers across the fabric.
"Can I try this one?"
"Of course."
A few minutes later, she stepped out of the trial room.
For a brief moment...
I forgot everything.
The noise of the store faded away.
She looked... beautiful.
I couldn't tell whether it was love... or simply admiration that quietly found its way into my heart.
"Am I looking that bad?" she asked with a nervous smile.
I quickly came back to my senses.
"N-No... You look beautiful."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Then... I'll take it."
"And I'm going to choose another one for Mayble."
"Good idea."
After finishing our shopping, we decided to grab something to eat.
We were talking peacefully while walking down the street...
Suddenly...
A loud screech echoed through the air.
SCREECH!!
BANG!!
A car crashed right in front of us.
People rushed toward the accident.
Blood slowly spread across the road.
The moment Evelyn saw it...
She froze.
Her breathing became heavy.
She grabbed her head tightly.
"No..."
"Evelyn!"
She stumbled backwards.
I caught her before she could fall.
She was trembling.
Without wasting another second, I took her home.
After laying her gently on the bed...
She began murmuring in her sleep.
"Vidhit..."
"Please..."
"Don't go..."
"I didn't do it on purpose..."
"It was... a mistake..."
"I'm sorry..."
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Her hands trembled as though she was reliving that moment all over again.
Mayble stood beside me, equally worried.
Together, we tried everything we could to calm her down.
After some time...
Her breathing slowly returned to normal.
Mayble quietly prepared tea for all of us.
When Evelyn finally woke up, she ate a few pieces of fruit.
No one spoke.
The silence in the room felt heavier than before.
Every one of us was thinking about only one person.
Yuvaan.
After what felt like forever...
Evelyn finally broke the silence.
"So..."
"What do we do now?"
I looked at both of them.
Then I answered calmly.
"We're going to get Yuvaan out of jail."
Mayble frowned.
"...Legally?"
I slowly shook my head.
"No."
"Illegally."