"Tell me you don't need me, that you don't want me in your life. And I'll disappear."

~•~

Haydée stood in front of Charles's apartment door, where she was supposed to meet a few friends for the evening. She had hesitated for a long time about even coming. After everything that had happened, she felt overwhelmed with confusion and pain. She wanted to be alone, but Charles and Alexandra convinced her that a little social interaction might help. But when she knocked on the door and Charles opened it with a smile, she knew this was not going to be an ordinary evening.

She had a bad feeling even when she was driving towards Monaco. She knew something unpleasant was going to happen. She knew there was a high likelihood she would run into the person responsible for her and Hugo's breakup—though she was partly to blame, it was easier to place the blame on someone else because it hurt less that way.

Inside the apartment, other friends were already there, and the atmosphere was relaxed, but Haydée immediately noticed something else—Arthur. He was standing there, leaning against the door frame leading to the balcony, and when he saw her, their eyes met. At that moment, as soon as she saw him, a surge of anger erupted within her that she had been trying to suppress since their last meeting. She remembered how he had kissed her, how he had tangled up her already complicated life, and how that had led to her losing Hugo.

Arthur looked at her calmly, as if expecting something to happen. Haydée immediately approached him, her steps quick and filled with the emotions that had built up inside her. Before he could say anything, she slapped him hard. The sound of the slap echoed through the room, and all voices fell silent. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise, including Charles, who watched the scene in confusion.

He could have defended his brother, but he was too involved in their drama to do so. He knew his brother had messed up badly. This time, he was on his friend's side. He loved his brother, but kissing a girl who has a boyfriend is wrong—no matter how close to falling apart that relationship might be. It simply shouldn't be done.

"He broke up with me, Arthur!" Haydée shouted, completely ignoring the stares from everyone else. She was ignoring the fact that there were at least seven or maybe ten other people in the room. Let everyone see what this brunette had done.

"Haydée!" Arthur exclaimed, stunned by her action, but he quickly recovered. He placed his hand on his cheek and looked at her pained. "So I'm the one to blame?"

Haydée looked at him with tears welling up in her eyes, but she held them back. She couldn't cry, not here in front of everyone. Especially not in front of Arthur, because then he would just be concerned about how she was feeling and would never take to heart what she was telling him. And she also didn't want to show that she was weak—that was something she had already done too often. She was not weak. She was strong.

"That's not what I'm saying," she replied, her voice trembling with suppressed anger.

Arthur laughed, but it was not a joyful laugh; it was bitter and full of irony. "Well, it sounds like it! 'That's not what I'm saying,' but it sounded damn well exactly like that!" he retorted, straightening up, his stance shifting from surprise to defensiveness.

"You destroyed everything!" Haydée shouted, her emotions finally surfacing. "You destroyed the relationship I had, you destroyed everything I cared about! I hope you're happy!"

Arthur stood there stunned. His eyes filled with sadness for a moment, but he quickly pushed it aside and returned to his defensive posture. "You think I'm the one who destroyed everything?" he asked quietly. "That I'm the one to blame for all this?"

"If you hadn't kissed me..." Haydée began, but Arthur immediately interrupted her.

"If I hadn't kissed you, what?" he asked harshly. "Would you have stopped lying to yourself? Would you have stopped pretending that you still cared about Hugo?"

"That's not fair!" Haydée yelled, her voice trembling. She knew very well that Arthur was right, but she couldn't admit it. The girl knew all too well that Hugo had long ceased to be her focus, and she had stayed with him only because they had been together for three years and she couldn't imagine not being with him. She was afraid to break up with him because it meant she would be alone, and she didn't know how to be alone again after so many years. She had been afraid of that feeling of loneliness. "We were friends! You should have known this would destroy everything!"

Arthur closed his eyes, as if trying to contain the wave of emotions that was overwhelming him. Then he looked at her again, his gaze now filled with pain and sadness. "Tell me you don't need me, and I'll leave," he said quietly, his voice barely audible.

Haydée stared at him, shocked by the simplicity of his offer. Tell me you don't need me... But she couldn't bring herself to say anything. The words were stuck in her throat because even though she felt anger and confusion, she knew it would be a lie. She knew Arthur was right, at least in that there had always been something more between them. Something that pulled her towards him despite all the complications and pain it had caused her.

"Say it, Haydée," Arthur repeated. "Tell me you don't need me, that you don't want me in your life. And I'll disappear."

"I..." she whispered, but couldn't bring herself to say the words.

"See?" Arthur laughed again, this time sadly. "You can't say it because it's not true. You know it and I know it too. Maybe you think I've ruined everything, but we both know you haven't been happy for a long time."

Haydée felt her world collapsing. She wanted to argue with him, wanted to tell him he was wrong, but she knew he was right. She hadn't been happy with Hugo for a long time; she just didn't want to admit it. Arthur had only accelerated what was meant to happen. But that didn't change how much it hurt her.

"It's not just about that, Arthur," she finally said, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't hold it in. She couldn't be strong, not in front of Arthur. "All of this... it's so complicated. I loved Hugo, even though I know it wasn't working a long time ago. And you... you've made everything even more tangled."

"I didn't complicate things, Haydée," Arthur replied calmly. "I just made you face the truth."

Haydée turned her back to him and took a deep breath. She needed a moment to compose herself. Her mind was swirling with thoughts and emotions, and she wasn't sure what she wanted to say, what she wanted to feel, or what she wanted to do. She was torn between anger, disappointment, and something she couldn't name.

Arthur approached her and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I don't want to lose you," he said softly, but Haydée flinched away from his touch. She didn't know what to say or what to feel.

"You can't give me what I need," she whispered. "And I can't tell you because I don't know what I feel."

Arthur nodded, his face full of sadness but also understanding. "If you need time, I'll give it to you. But I can't keep pretending that I don't care about you. I can't."

Haydée knew it was true. She couldn't expect Arthur to just wait until she figured out what she wanted. But at that moment, she was too confused to find a clear path. She needed time.

Arthur took a deep breath and stepped back. "I'll be here when you need me," he said finally and slowly left the room, leaving Haydée alone with her thoughts.

She stood there in the middle of Charles's apartment, lost in her own feelings, while the world continued to spin around her.

Haydée stood in the middle of the room, her breath catching in her throat. Arthur's words still resonated within her, and she didn't know what to say or how to end it all. She felt like everything was collapsing, and the pressure inside her was unbearable. She couldn't take it anymore. She couldn't face Arthur, couldn't pretend she could make any significant decisions at that moment. She needed to be alone. But in the crowded apartment, she certainly wouldn't be alone.

"I have to leave," she breathed suddenly, without looking at Charles, who was standing with Alexandra a short distance away, looking sad. He felt sorry for what was happening in her life but was also angry that it was all happening because of his younger brother. He was upset that Leclerc was behind her suffering.

She didn't wait for a response. She simply turned and headed for the door. She didn't stop or look back. She felt Charles and everyone in the room watching her, but she couldn't stay. She had to get out before all those emotions overwhelmed her. She needed space to think and sort out her thoughts. What she had just experienced had drained her to the bone, and she realized she needed comfort, but not from Arthur.

She stepped out onto the street, the wind lightly tousling her hair and briefly bringing her a sense of relief. She wasn't far from her car, and when she got in, she turned on the radio to drown out the silence in her head. She felt tears streaming down her face, but she didn't have the strength to wipe them away. She had no strength for anything. She sat there, thinking about where to go. In the end, one option came to mind—home. She needed her parents, someone who would love her regardless of what had happened.

Her father, Olivier Panis, had always been able to remain calm, and her mother was a constant source of love and comfort. She longed so much to be safe at home, so she started the car and drove off.

The journey felt endless, even though her parents' house was in Monaco, but when she finally arrived at their home, her body shook with relief. She parked in front of the house, turned off the engine, and sat there for a moment. It was the silence she needed. Silence and peace.

When she finally got out of the car and made her way to the front door, she was surprised by how hard each step felt. The weight of the day still suffocated her. She knocked on the door, and a few seconds later, her mother opened it, her face lighting up with a smile when she saw her daughter.

"Haydée!" she exclaimed joyfully, but quickly noticed that something was wrong. Her smile faded rapidly, replaced by a worried expression. "What's wrong?"

Haydée couldn't find the words. She stood there with tears in her eyes and a trembling voice. As her mother embraced her, she could no longer hold back the sob that escaped her throat. Her mother held her close, as if she wanted to protect her from the world, and stroked her hair.

"Come inside," her mother whispered soothingly, leading her into the living room, where Olivier, her father, was also present. When he saw his daughter in tears, he immediately stood up and rushed over.

"What happened?" he asked softly, his usual calm replaced by concern. He sat next to her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder.

Haydée tried to compose herself and, between sobs, began to recount what had happened. About Hugo, the breakup, the kiss with Arthur, and how she now felt lost and confused. It was as if everything around her was falling apart and she didn't know what to do next. It was hard to articulate everything out loud, but as she started to tell her story, she felt a gradual relief, even though the pain was still present.

"I should have hit Arthur harder," she whispered finally with a bitter smile, although tears still streamed down her face.

Her father sighed and gently patted her shoulder. "I know it seems like everything is falling apart right now, but it will get better with time," he said in a calm, steady voice. "You're in shock right now, and you have every right to be sad and confused. But life always gives you new opportunities, Haydée. I know it doesn't seem like it now, but you'll find a way to cope."

Her mother still held her in an embrace, as if she didn't want to let go. "You'll stay with us, darling," she whispered. "You can be here as long as you need. You're not alone in this."

Haydée rested her head on her mother's shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment. She needed to hear that. She needed to know that she wasn't alone, that she had a place to belong even though her world seemed to be falling apart.

"Thank you," she whispered softly, and even though she was still broken, she knew she was in the right place. With her parents, who loved and supported her no matter what was happening. Now she could be herself, with her feelings, without needing to hide from reality.

It was only the first stage of the journey, but she knew she would be able to stand on her own again. Not immediately, but someday.

~•~