Chapter 46:
The Ghosts of Who I Once Was

The rooftop of Lorenzo Industries was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city far below. Harry sat alone on the edge of the concrete barrier, his elbows resting on his knees, a half-empty bottle beside him that he hadn't even realized he'd finished. Above him, the sky was a vast, heavy blanket of deep indigo - beautiful, but offering no answers. No stars, no guiding light, just endless, waiting darkness.

What is the right thing to do?

He breathed out slowly, the question weighing heavier in his chest than any burden he had ever carried. He was terrified - terrified of making the wrong choice, terrified that no matter which way he turned, someone would end up broken. He had followed his heart before, and look where it had led him. Into a tangled mess of secrets, lies, and shattered friendships. This time, he didn't want what made him happy. He wanted what was right. Even if it hurt him most of all.

But how could he choose between two versions of his own life? How could he walk away from the woman who had been his wife, who had built a world around him, who was fading away without him? And how could he break the heart of the woman who had given him a son, who had loved him patiently and quietly, who had asked for nothing but his presence in return?

He closed his eyes, and the memory surfaced unbidden - the one he tried hardest to bury.

Flashback - First Year of University

The campus coffee shop was buzzing with excitement, the start of a new school year bringing fresh faces and loud laughter. Harry sat with his friends around a wooden table, casually sipping his drink, thinking about classes and the semester ahead.

"Let's make this year interesting," Louis said suddenly, a glint in his eye. "A bet."

"What kind of bet?" Liam asked, leaning forward.

"See those two over there?" Louis nodded toward the corner by the window.

Harry glanced over his shoulder. Two young women sat together, heads close, sharing stories and laughter. One was dark-haired and striking, the other bright-eyed and elegant. They seemed to exist in a world of their own - untouchable, uncomplicated, happy in a way that made everything else feel small.

"The bet goes like this," Louis continued, a smirk playing on his lips. "Harry, you get close to the dark-haired one - get her to fall for you. And... see what happens with the other one. Make it happen, and you walk away with twenty thousand bucks."

Harry had laughed, easy and arrogant back then. "That's it? You guys make it sound impossible."

"Just remember - no feelings involved. It's a game. Win, collect, move on."

"Deal."

It had sounded so simple then. Just a foolish game between boys who didn't know the weight of a heart they hadn't yet learned to be gentle with. He walked over there expecting nothing but an easy win and some pocket money. He never expected that one of those girls would become the mother of his child. He never expected that the other would become his wife. And he certainly never expected that years later, he would be sitting on a rooftop wondering how to apologize for breaking them both.



Present Day

Harry opened his eyes, his chest aching with shame.

I'm a jerk.

He whispered it into the darkness, and the wind carried it away, but the truth remained. It had started as a game. A stupid, cruel, meaningless game. But somewhere between the laughter and the late-night conversations, between the shared moments and the quiet understanding, he had stopped acting. He had fallen in love - truly, deeply, helplessly in love - with the one he was never supposed to care about.

And in doing so, he had destroyed everything.

Olivia had loved him first, openly, desperately. And he had chosen her best friend instead. Kathalina had never asked for any of this. She had been loyal, she had tried to step back, she had respected her friend's feelings - but Harry had been selfish. He had reached for what made his heart feel full, without stopping to consider the cost. And now, years later, the bill had come due. And there was no amount of regret that could undo the damage.

He thought of Kathalina - quiet, steady, always giving more than she took. She deserved someone who chose her freely, completely, without hesitation. Not someone who sat on a rooftop at midnight wondering if he was in the wrong story entirely.

He thought of Olivia - fierce, fragile, fighting a losing battle against her own heartbreak. She had built her whole life around him. And every day he hesitated, every moment he remained in limbo, she suffered a little more. She was starving herself, crying for him when she thought no one was listening, and slowly disappearing because he couldn't make up his mind.

If I go back to Olivia - how do I trust her again? Everything we built was rooted in a lie. How do you rebuild something that was never truly yours to begin with?

But if I stay with Kathalina - how do I live with knowing I left the woman I married to fade away alone? That I gave up on us because it was too hard, too messy, too painful?

There was no perfect answer. No clean exit. No version of this story where everyone walked away whole.

His phone vibrated in his pocket, cutting through the heavy silence. He pulled it out, his thumb hovering over the screen.

"Hello?" His voice was rough, barely audible.

"Harry. It's Andrei." The voice on the other end was calm, serious. "Olivia's awake. She's asking for you. She says she needs to see you."

Harry took a deep breath, looking once more at the sprawling city beneath him - lights twinkling, lives unfolding, everyone moving forward while he stood still.

This was it. The moment he had been dreading, the moment he had been avoiding. Whatever happened in that hospital room would change everything forever.

"I'm on my way," he said quietly, hanging up the phone. He set the empty bottle down, straightened his jacket, and turned toward the elevator - toward the decision that would define the rest of their lives.

His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic rhythm of fear and resignation. I hope I get this right. Please... let me get this right this time.