Falling For My Ex's Dad by Oma Green

Chapter 166: Losing The Love Of My Life

Clairessa's POV

As soon as the door slammed shut, it felt like my entire world collapsed.

A sharp, jarring pain tore through my chest, and I clutched at my heart instinctively, as if holding it might stop it from breaking apart.

My legs buckled beneath me, and I crumpled to the floor, gasping for air as a sob ripped from somewhere deep inside me.

I tried to silence it-to swallow the sound-but it was no use. I didn't just cry.

I broke down.

Tears streamed down my face, falling freely onto the wooden floor beneath me.

Gabriel's last words echoed in my head again and again, each repetition cutting deeper into my already shattered heart.

"We're done. Nothing is ever going to happen between us again."

But it wasn't just the words.

It was the look in his eyes.

A look that will haunt me forever.

Disgust.

Disdain.

Like I was a mistake—a betrayal he regretted ever letting into his life.

And what hurt the most wasn't just losing him... it was knowing that someone who once loved me so deeply, so fiercely, could now look at me like I was the most vile thing he'd ever seen.

And the worst part?

I had no one to blame but myself.

I did this.

My mind flashed back to that day when Adrian kept calling and I lied.

Gabriel had every reason to doubt me, but he chose to trust me anyway. He asked me begged me-not to hurt him.

He opened up about his past, his trauma. He let me in.

And I still lied.

One lie turned into two, then three, until I was drowning in them—and pulling him under with me.

He gave me his heart, his fears, his history. I knew how deep his scars ran, how much pain he carried... and I still chose to lie.

I destroyed what we had.

And it broke me in ways I never imagined. I did the one thing I swore I wouldn't—I reopened wounds he trusted me to protect. I was supposed to be different. Safe. Honest.

I wept so hard, it felt like my lungs might give out.

Because I hadn't just lost a man.

I'd lost the man.

as sobs shook me. It felt like something

room, filling

love of my life. Every beat of my heart, every glimmer of light in my soul -it all

what came after... that was real. So real it

deep down, I wanted to believe it. I needed to believe

But I was wrong.

knew him well enough

loved me the

had ever looked at me like

Not even Adrian.

Adrian could never compare.

of fierce tenderness I

me-in ways no man

me the things I didn't even know I needed until I

me. Made me feel

reasons I loved him could

empty air. My cheeks were soaked, my throat dry and aching, and every breath felt like it tore my chest open

seemed to slip away-minutes, maybe hours, I couldn't tell. All I knew was that I couldn't breathe without hearing Gabriel's voice

house-now. Not a second

His final words.

my safety-I knew Gabriel would never physically hurt me. But the fury in his voice... that

never seen him like that-so broken, so consumed by pain and

I had

I did this.

no choice

I had to leave.

and

and

sore, but

spotted theme folded neatly at the edge of the bed.

need them

I fumbled with the buttons of

slipped on my shoes.

scanned the room, desperate to leave

piece of myself Gabriel might

drawer and a

the bed, a thousand thoughts

you say to the man you

The man you broke?

man who may never look at you the same way

trembled as I

Gabriel,

I'm sorry.

never for that—but for

only real thing in

one day you'll

-Clairessa

the note and left it in the center of

out

Still. Adrian was gone.

sure he did that on

outside and pulled

me. The estate was massive-expansive,

distant way

places can