C111 The Truth That Came Too Late

A soft knock echoed through the spacious Vice Director's office. "Come in." I slowly pushed open the door. The office was far larger than I had imagined, decorated with elegant wooden furniture and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city. It was a room that represented authority.

Standing beside the window was Samantha. She wore a fitted black business suit that perfectly matched her new identity as the Second Vice Director of Wood IT Company. Her long hair rested neatly over her shoulders, and the diamond wedding ring on her finger sparkled beneath the afternoon sunlight.

For a brief moment, memories overwhelmed me. There had once been a time when I imagined us building an office together. A future together. Now she belonged to another world. The young secretary quietly asked behind me. "Vice Director, shall I prepare coffee?" Samantha gently shook her head. "No." "Please leave us." The secretary bowed respectfully before walking out. Click. The office door closed.

Silence filled the room. Neither of us knew how to begin. Finally, Samantha spoke. "Thank you for coming." I nodded without saying anything. She slowly walked toward her desk but remained standing instead of sitting. "I asked you here because... now that I've moved out of Ben's bedroom..." She paused, taking a shaky breath. "...I finally have the chance to tell you everything."

My eyebrows knitted together. "Everything?" She nodded. "The truth." "The truth about the Year-End Function." My heart suddenly skipped. For over two years, that night had remained the deepest wound between us. I had convinced myself that Samantha had betrayed me. That she had chosen wealth over love. That she had willingly climbed into another man's bed.

Seeing my expression, Samantha lowered her head. "It wasn't me." "I never betrayed you." I remained perfectly still. She continued speaking, her voice trembling. "That night... Ben drugged me." "He arranged everything." "He wanted to separate us." "He slept with me while i was unconscious." "He spread the rumors." "He manipulated the situation until I couldn't escape." "He Impregnated me that night."

Every sentence struck me like lightning. "No..." I whispered. "That can't be..." She nodded through the tears already gathering in her eyes. "It was all him." "He planned everything." "He destroyed us." The office became deathly quiet. I couldn't hear anything except my own heartbeat. Ben... The man who had smiled at me countless times. The man who had acted like an older brother. The man I had never once considered my enemy. "When..." I finally asked. "When did I become his enemy?"

Samantha slowly shook her head. "I don't know." "I've asked myself the same question countless times." "I never found an answer." I lowered my head. My mind replayed every moment. Every accusation. Every hateful thought. Every lonely night I had convinced myself Samantha had abandoned me. Every tear I had blamed on her. All of it... Had been built on a lie.

A crushing sense of guilt settled inside my chest. I had misunderstood her. For years. Neither of us spoke. The silence stretched endlessly. Samantha looked at me hopefully. She thought I was considering everything. Perhaps... Perhaps there was still a chance. Perhaps after knowing the truth... Mike would forgive her. Maybe they could slowly rebuild what had been stolen.

She waited. Her heart pounded harder with every passing second. Finally... I looked up. Our eyes met. Then I quietly asked, "You knew this before the wedding..." "...and you still chose to marry him?" Her hopeful expression froze. The question hit her harder than she had expected. She opened her mouth. "I..." "I did." "But I had no choice." "I did it for Monica."

The moment I heard her daughters name, something inside me cracked. I slowly nodded. "Monica." I repeated softly. "The name we chose together." A tear escaped Samantha's eye. "You still remembered..." "How could I forget?" I forced a bitter smile. "We spent an entire afternoon arguing over baby names." "You wanted Monica." "I wanted Emma." "You kept saying Monica sounded warmer." "So I gave in."

I looked directly into her eyes. "And now..." "You tell me you married Ben for Monica." She nodded desperately. "I wanted her to have a complete family." "I wanted her to grow up without suffering." "I wanted..." I gently interrupted her. "No." She froze. "No?" I slowly shook my head. "To me..." "I don't see sacrifice." "I see selfishness." Her face instantly turned pale. "I see greed." "No..." "You tasted the power of the Wood family." "You became part of one of the richest families in the country." "And even after discovering the truth..." "You still chose to stay."

Her tears fell uncontrollably. "Mike..." "You don't understand..." "I understand enough." My voice remained calm. Almost too calm. "If you truly wanted to leave..." "You would have." "I know it would've been difficult." "I know people would've judged you." "But at least..." "You would've chosen yourself." "You would've chosen freedom." "You would've chosen us."

Samantha covered her mouth as sobs escaped. "I couldn't..." "You don't know what Ben threatened..." "But you never told me." She took one helpless step toward me. "I wanted to..." "There were too many people watching..." "I was afraid..." "I didn't know who to trust..." "I thought if I endured everything..." "...Monica would be safe."

I closed my eyes. The old Mike would have walked over immediately. He would've wiped away her tears. He would've held her until she stopped crying. He would've believed every word. But that Mike... No longer existed. When I opened my eyes again, I quietly said, "I'm glad I left." Samantha stared at me. "If I had stayed with you..." "I wonder what other compromises you would've made." "What other powerful people you would've chosen." "What other excuses you would've told yourself."

She shook her head frantically. "No..." "That's not who I am." "It isn't." "I never wanted any of this." Words continued forming in her mind. But they refused to come out. Only tears remained. She realized something terrifying. No explanation could erase the years that had passed. No apology could return the life she had dreamed of. The future we had imagined... Had died long ago.

My own chest ached. Seeing Samantha cry was still painful. It felt as though invisible hands were squeezing my heart. No matter how much I tried to deny it... She had once been the woman I loved more than my own life. But love alone could not erase reality. I slowly walked toward the door. Behind me, Samantha whispered through broken sobs, "Mike..."

I stopped. Without turning around, I spoke one last time. "You know how deeply I loved you." "I loved you with all my heart." "I truly believed we would spend our lives together." "My biggest dream wasn't becoming successful." "It wasn't becoming rich." "It was simply growing old with you." A painful silence followed. "Unfortunately..." "...you were taken away from me." I finally turned around.

Tears continued streaming down Samantha's face. For a second... I almost walked back. Almost. Instead, I smiled sadly. "I hope you'll always remain the Samantha I once knew." "The gentle Samantha." "The kind Samantha." "The woman who made everyone around her feel comfortable." "I sincerely wish that part of you never disappears." I lowered my head respectfully. "Goodbye..." "...Mrs. Wood."

Without waiting for another word, I opened the door and walked away. Click. The office became silent once again. Samantha stood completely motionless. Her tears refused to stop. She stared at the closed door for what felt like an eternity. Then she slowly collapsed into her chair. A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "He called me..." "...Mrs. Wood." Not Samantha. Not Sam. Not the woman he once promised forever. Just... Mrs. Wood.

That single title had drawn an uncrossable line between them. For the first time since marrying Ben... Regret consumed her completely. If she had refused... If she had run away... If she had trusted Mike... Would everything have been different? She buried her face in her hands. The old Mike would never have left her crying. He would've embraced her. He would've comforted her. He would've told her everything would be alright. But the man who had just walked out... Had looked at her with kindness... Not love. Someone had changed him.

Someone had slowly taken away the gentle boy who always forgave everyone. Her trembling hands slowly clenched into fists. Images appeared one after another. Alicia. Always standing beside him. Always making him smile. Then Laura. The woman now trying to enter the place that once belonged to her.

The pain inside Samantha slowly transformed into something darker. "If I can't have the Mike I once knew..." She whispered through gritted teeth. "...then the people who changed him..." "...will pay." Her tears continued falling. But now, hidden beneath them, a seed of resentment had been planted. And once resentment took root... It rarely stopped growing.