CHIARA POV
I gradually awoke to the sudden jolt of the car coming to a halt, realizing that I must have drifted off during our journey.
Blinking away my drowsiness, I glanced outside, curious about our current location. "Are we at your condo?" I questioned Maximo, my mind still slightly muddled from my sleep-induced confusion. He met my gaze with a warm smile and nodded affirmatively. Without hesitation, he exited the car and graciously opened the door for me.

"Thank you," I expressed my gratitude, stepping out of the vehicle as we began making our way towards his condominium.
Both of us remained silent as we entered the condo, our footsteps echoing softly against the walls. It wasn't until we reached the living room that words finally escaped our lips. Exhausted and yearning for some rest, I settled myself on the comfortable sofa, closing my eyes momentarily. Sensing someone's presence beside me, I gradually reopened my eyes, confirming it was Luis who had joined me. He extended two bottles of beer towards me, offering one. My hesitation lingered in the air as I contemplated whether it was appropriate to indulge in a drink at such an early hour.
"Seriously? It's still early for beer, isn't it? Or is this our beer lunch?" I mused aloud, expressing my skepticism about indulging in alcohol at this particular hour. A response eluded Luis as he took a sip from his beer, his silence hinting that he had no intentions of altering his course. Intrigued by his nonchalant demeanor, I opted to join him, reaching out to grab a bottle for myself.
As the taste of the beer greeted my tongue, my mind unexpectedly wandered to thoughts of Xander and Rhian. I found myself wondering what they might be occupied with at that very moment. Frustration tinged my thoughts as I scolded myself inwardly, determined to put those musings aside. "Argh! Forget about it, Mia!" I mentally chided, attempting to redirect my focus.
In an effort to steer the conversation towards a different path, I turned my attention towards Luis and posed a question that escaped my lips before I could fully evaluate its implications. "What's your relationship with that girl Rhian?" I asked, curiosity lacing my tone.
It was then that Luis turned to face me, his expression betraying nothing as he replied, "She's my ex-girlfriend," punctuating his response with another sip from his beer.

Consumed by curiosity, I found myself unable to resist delving deeper into the matter. Taking another sip from my beer, I mustered the courage to ask, "Why did you and Rhian break up?" Perhaps it was the alcohol emboldening me, or perhaps it was my genuine interest in understanding their history.
To my surprise, Luis reciprocated the question, his tone laced with curiosity as he asked, "And you and Alex? Why did you two break up?" His inquiry made me pause, realizing that he seemed oblivious to the connection between Xander and Rhian. Did he really not know? What if he were discover that Rhian played a significant role in the demise of Xander and me? The thought sent a shiver down my spine, urging me to divert the conversation onto a different path.
Trying to change the subject, I inquired tentatively, "Are you comfortable with your friend dating your ex-girlfriend?" As we continued savoring our beers, a mix of frustration and intrigue stirred within me regarding this unconventional exchange of questions.
Confusion clouded Luis' face as my question hung in the air, leaving me with a sense of urgency to clarify. I felt compelled to shed light on the painful truth that lay beneath the surface. "They cheated on me, Xander and Rhian," I confessed, my voice tinged with a mix of vulnerability and disappointment. Luis' surprise was unmistakable, his eyebrows furrowing in a silent acknowledgment of the weight of my revelation.

My need to unburden myself grew stronger, pushing me to open up further. Summoning a bittersweet smile, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as I uttered, "Actually, I just found out that her name is Rhian." The realization carried its own complex emotions, intensifying the context of our conversation. It was now clear that Rhian had played a significant role in the tumultuous downfall of my relationship with Xander.
FLASHBACK
"Happy ninth monthsary," I whispered, a smile spreading across my face as I read the heartfelt message on the cake I held in my hands. Xander is my first serious relationship but also my longest-lasting boyfriend. Right now, I found myself in the elevator, heading towards his condo. It was a surprise visit, I hadn't told him I was coming. I wanted to see the look of delight on his face when he saw me at his doorstep.
As the elevator doors opened, I stepped out with a wide grin, eager to see Xander. Without hesitation, I approached his unit and let myself in using the spare key I had. What greeted me inside shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. Sandals were strewn across the floor, and there were other women's belongings scattered about. Panic set in, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes. "No, no," I reassured myself, desperately trying to deny the painful reality that crept into my mind. "You're thinking wrong, Chiara. Xander wouldn't do this to you."
Compelled by a mix of curiosity and dread, I noticed that Xander's bedroom door was slightly ajar. With trembling hands, I pushed it open, only to be met with a devastating sight that caused me to drop the cake I was holding. Xander lay naked on the bed, alongside a woman who was also unclothed, their bodies concealed by a blanket. The room was in disarray, with their discarded clothes scattered haphazardly.
The noise of the fallen cake stirred them from their slumber. The woman blinked her eyes, her beauty magnified in that moment. Searching for answers, she demanded, "Who the hell is that?" But before Xander could respond, I couldn't bear to hear any explanations. In an instant, I stormed out of the room, my vision blurred by the tears that streamed down my face. The pain that consumed me was unbearable, and I couldn't fathom how someone I trusted so deeply could betray me like this.
"Chimi, let me explain!" Xander pleaded, his voice carrying a mix of sorrow and desperation as he reached out to hug me.
Turning to face him, I unleashed my anguish, channeling it into a powerful slap across his cheek. "Explain? Explain my ass!" I yelled, my voice shaking with a mixture of anger and heartbreak.
"You've got it all wrong, Chiara! I love you, I love you so much. Please, let me expla-," his words were cut short by my piercing gaze. I trusted him with every fiber of my being, and the magnitude of his betrayal crushed me.
"I trusted you! You know that! How could you do this to us? How could you be unfaithful?" I whispered weakly, my voice barely audible through the sobs.
"Please, Chimi, don't do this. I love you!" he cried, clinging tightly to me, desperate for forgiveness. My body trembled, torn between the desire to believe him and the reality of what I had witnessed. I pushed him away, removing his hands from my waist.
"We're done. I don't want to see you anymore," I declared, determination seeping into my voice. As I turned to leave, Xander dropped to his knees, tears streaming down his face, as he desperately kissed both of my hands.
"Please, Chimi, don't do this to me. I'll explain! Let me explain, please! I-I can't," he pleaded, his heartache evident in his tear-stained face.
Calmly, I met his gaze, my tears subsiding. "I hope you thought about it before you do that to me," I replied, my voice steady. And without another word, I withdrew my hand from his grip and walked out of his condo, leaving behind a shattered relationship and a heart in need of healing.
PRESENT
As my tear-streaked face told a tale of its own, I became acutely aware of the raw emotions welling up inside me. The pain was palpable as I delved into the painful story, unaware of the steady stream of tears cascading down my cheeks. It was as if the weight of my heartbreak had finally manifested physically, making it impossible to conceal the depths of my anguish.
Upon hearing my account, a heavy remorse settled upon his voice as he murmured, "So that's why she broke up with me." The regret hung in the air, a tangible presence that underscored the significance of my revelation. In that moment, it was clear that he too had been blindsided by the truth, grappling with a betrayal that had torn his world apart.
The realization that his former love had fabricated her reasons for leaving him struck with indignant force. "She said she didn't love me anymore," he confessed, his voice tinged with a mixture of sadness and frustration. "But to my surprise, the real reason was my friend. I trusted him, he was my friend, and yet he remained silent about what was happening between them. They made me look like a fool. It's infuriating!" His words echoed with resentment, reflecting the depth of his anger and hurt.
His trembling hands moved instinctively to his face, hastily wiping away the remnants of his tears. Frustration etched itself across his features, as if the sheer act of erasing the visible signs of his pain could provide some semblance of control. Yet, it was evident that beneath the surface, his emotions were still turbulent, threatening to spill over at any moment.
In disbelief, I mustered the strength to ask, my voice heavy with incredulity, "So you didn't know?" His response came in the form of a silent shake of his head, his gaze unable to meet mine. The weight of his ignorance hung between us, mingling with the heaviness of the truth that had just unraveled before him.
In that moment, I realized that my own journey of healing and moving on had been thrown into disarray. The sight of them together earlier had shattered the illusion of progress, plunging me back into a state of confusion and disorientation. Every emotion became tangled, blurring the boundaries between love and betrayal, leaving me adrift and questioning the very essence of my feelings.