The Truth About Anthony” – Amber Opens Up to Victor
The Truth About Anthony” – Amber Opens Up to Victor
The sun was beginning to set over the city, casting an orange glow across the skyline as Amber sat quietly on the edge of the hotel balcony in Barcelona. She held a warm cup of tea in her hands, but her thoughts were colder than ever. Behind her, Victor stood by the glass doors, watching her. He knew something was off. Amber hadn’t been herself all day—distant, quiet, and somewhere else mentally.
“Amber,” Victor said gently, stepping outside to join her. “Talk to me. What’s going on?”
She looked up at him slowly, her eyes heavy with emotion. She knew this moment had to come. She owed him honesty—especially after everything he’d done for her.
“Sit down, Victor,” she said softly, patting the cushion next to her.
He obeyed without hesitation. “Is this about Anthony?” he asked.
Amber nodded.
Victor sighed, bracing himself. “Did he contact you again?”
Amber didn’t respond right away. She stared out at the fading sun, her voice quiet. “Not just contact. He’s... trying to come back.”
Victor clenched his jaw. “After everything he put you through? Now he wants to come crawling back?”
“I didn’t want to tell you like this,” Amber began, “but you deserve to know. You’ve been patient with me, understanding. I don’t want to keep secrets from you.”
Victor leaned in, concern in his eyes. “Then tell me everything. I want to understand.”
Amber took a deep breath. “It started a few weeks before we left for Spain. Anthony started showing up again. Not directly—just... checking in, texting me late at night, asking how I was. At first, I thought he was just trying to co-parent better, but then it became clear. He didn’t want to just ‘check in.’ He wanted me back.”
Victor frowned. “But why now? He’s with Shayla.”
Amber laughed bitterly. “That’s the thing. Shayla’s lies are starting to unravel. Anthony found out things she was hiding. About Kai, about Mike, about her manipulating people around her. And when the truth started to show, Anthony didn’t know who to turn to... so he turned back to the one person he knew was real.”
“You,” Victor said flatly.
Amber nodded. “He came to me broken. Apologizing. Saying he never stopped loving me. That he made the biggest mistake of his life. That he finally sees everything clearly.”
Victor stared ahead, his jaw tight. “And do you believe him?”
“That’s the hardest part,” Amber said. “A part of me does. Because I know Anthony. I know when he’s lying, and when he’s lost. And right now, he’s lost. He’s drowning. But the truth is, I don’t know if he wants me back because he truly loves me... or because I’m just his safe place. His shelter after the storm.”
Victor was silent for a long moment. Then he asked, “And what do you want, Amber?”
She turned to him, tears threatening in her eyes. “I want peace. I want honesty. I want love that doesn’t come with betrayal. I want someone who chooses me every day—not just when everything else falls apart.”
“And is that someone Anthony?” Victor asked softly.
Amber looked away, shame flashing across her face. “I don’t know. I’m scared that even after everything he did, part of me still loves him. But I also know that love shouldn’t hurt the way it did. And you, Victor... you’ve been nothing but good to me.”
Victor placed his hand over hers. “Amber, I didn’t come into your life to compete with ghosts. I came because I saw the real you—strong, passionate, loyal. But I won’t beg for love, and I won’t stay where I’m second choice. So if you’re going to go back to Anthony, I need to know now.”
Amber’s heart pounded. “I’m not going back to him,” she said firmly. “I told him that. I told him he needs to figure out his life, and until then, I can’t be part of his confusion. I won’t let myself be his fallback plan.”
Victor exhaled slowly. “Then what now?”
Amber smiled sadly. “Now, I heal. I stay here in Spain with you. I focus on building something real. But you needed to know the truth, because if we’re going to build something together... I can’t leave things buried.”
Victor pulled her into a hug, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Thank you for telling me. And just so you know—I’m not going anywhere. As long as your heart is with me, I’ll fight for us.”
Amber closed her eyes, holding onto him tightly. In that moment, the pain began to lift. Not completely—but enough for her to breathe again.
Anthony sat in the back of a cab outside the airport, staring down at the message Amber had just sent.
“I told Victor everything. I’m staying here. I hope you figure things out—for you, not for me.”
He felt the weight of her words like a stone on his chest. He had lost her again. Maybe for good.
And this time... he had no one to blame but himself.
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