The Comments Said He Loved Me But He Never Did Chapter 05
I didn’t open the door. Zane didn’t keep beating down my door any further.
I don’t know how long he stood out there. All I knew was that by the time I finished clearing out a whole drawer full of his random things, the other side of the door had gone dead quiet.
I walked to the window and pulled back the curtain just an inch. The street below was completely deserted. Just leaves scattered everywhere, blown by the wind, covering the ground. Cold and still
as a grave.
I gently let out a slow breath and pushed down the last bit of feeling left in my chest.
Eight years together wasn’t something you could just cut away without any pain. But even the worst pain couldn’t compete with the slow buildup of disappointment, day after day.
Meanwhile, the entertainment industry’s public opinion had completely gone off the rails.
Zane’s fans, who had originally been holding on for dear life to control the narrative, completely lost their grip after my public announcement and resignation.
Someone dredged up the details of the past eight years. All the high-paying offers I’d turned down for him. My own career prospects I’d abandoned. Every single thing I’d given up to wholeheartedly
support him.
Compared to his endless, shameless fake relationships and the sight of him cutting me down in public over and over again, the casual onlookers were up in arms.
#EdenDeserves Better
#ZaneSterlingIsUngrateful
Both trending topics shot to the top of the list instantly. The buzz crushed everything else.
I turned off my phone’s internet and tuned out the whole world. Then I started packing. I was getting ready to move out of this apartment overflowing with nothing but regret.
I’d rented this place back then for the convenience of taking care of him. Every single thing in it- every corner, every detail-was soaked in my pathetic, desperate love. And now? I couldn’t get out
of there fast enough.
On the other side of town, Zane went back to his own villa.
Three years later, she returns as a top surgeon and pianist with a powerful…
Back then, he used to come straight here the second he finished work. No matter how late it was./ he’d knock on my door, being a needy little brat just to get my attention.
But today, the villa was cold and empty. No warm food on the table. No neatly put away clothes anywhere. And definitely no me-the one person who’d always put up with all his terrible moods.
He sat in the middle of that empty living room, refreshing Twitter over and over, staring at that
public relationship announcement. His face fell.
His team’s calls kept coming. His staff was panicking in a frenzy, asking him how to handle the
backlash, whether he should immediately post a denial to do damage control.
Zane stared at the words on his screen-“Eden Mercer resigns, breaks up and leaves for good”.
his fingers trembling slightly. He didn’t answer for a long time.
Casey Morgan, his assistant, finally spoke up, careful and tentative. “Zane, everyone’s trashing you online. They’re saying Bianca’s just riding your coattails, and they’re saying you did Eden dirty. We should really clear things up quickly. Just say it was all a misunderstanding…”
“Clear what up?” Zane’s voice came out suddenly, very hoarse and rough.
“That you and Bianca were never a thing,” Casey said quickly. “That your heart’s only ever been Eden’s. Fix your reputation a little. Maybe even ease things between you
two.’
Zane lowered his eyes and looked down at his phone. At that final, cold-blooded breakup text I’d sent him. His chest felt like someone had reached inside and was squeezing his heart raw-a dull,
unbearable pain.
He used to be dead certain I’d never leave. So sure I’d always stay right where I was, waiting. No matter how much he acted out or how many times he tested me, I’d always forgive him unconditionally. I’d always come back and coddle him.
He enjoyed my special treatment and tolerance. He burned through my love like it meant nothing. He treated every single thing I did for him like a birthright. He treated my compromises like a doormat he could wipe his feet on.
He really thought every mood swing, every stupid test, would only ever make me roll over and take it a little more. He never once thought I’d actually have enough disappointment to drown in and walk away for good.
“No denial,” Zane said. His Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice sounded completely unmoored. “She’s really gone.”
Not a tantrum. Not a cry for attention. Not waiting for him to come fix it. She really was done with
him.
That truth hit him like a punch to the chest. He didn’t know what to do with himself.
Back then, every time a rumor blew up, I’d be the one to clean it up right away. I’d do crisis PR, calm him down, clean up the mess, protect his career, guard his reputation.
But this time? I didn’t save him. I pulled the rug out from under him with my own hands and let everyone see every selfish, cold, bratty thing he’d ever done, exposed for everyone to see.
Casey watched him, looking completely lost and spiritless, and couldn’t help but say quietly, “Zane, you clearly cared about her so much back then. Why did you always have to test her with all those fake relationships? And now…”
He didn’t finish. He didn’t have to. The regret was already hanging in the air.
Zane raised a hand and covered his eyes. His fingers went white.
He was insecure. He had no sense of security. He was scared he wasn’t good enough for me-for the woman who kept leveling up all along the way while he stayed the same.
So he could only test me in the most immature, backhanded ways possible. Over and over, just to confirm I wouldn’t leave. Over and over, burning through all the love I had for him.
He really thought I’d always be there. He forgot that people aren’t built of stone. They can’t take day after day of wear and tear and neglect forever.
And then, right at that moment, Bianca Blake called. Her voice was soft and whiny, sounding hurt and wronged. “Zane, the comments online are so scary. Everyone’s attacking me. Did I cause trouble for you…”
Before, he would’ve softened immediately, comforted her in a soft voice, and protected her from everything.
But hearing her voice now? It was incredibly grating on his ears. All he felt was endless annoyance and disgust.
This was the woman who’d disrupted our relationship again and again. Who’d used his indulgence to provoke me recklessly, shoving me out the door with her own hands.
His voice went cold. “Don’t call me again.”
He didn’t wait for her to respond. Without hesitation, he hung up, blocked her, and deleted her contact. Clean. Decisive. Final.
Right then, he finally woke up.
Every single one of his insecurity games, every stupid mood swing, every test-he’d won the fights. He’d won the public battles. He’d won all the scenes. But he still lost the only woman who ever really loved him.
