Richard

I exit Maya’s hospital room with a tight throat and a burning sensation in my chest. Hurting her was the last thing I wanted to do, but it’s necessary. Loving her isn’t an option. I have too much at stake and not enough flexibility to have her and the lifestyle I’ve spent my entire life pursuing. Earning my shares of the company needs to come first. If not for me, then for my brothers.

Maya might not see it my way, but this is all for the best. We never had a future past two months, and it would have been cruel for both of us to keep pursuing something that had an end date. I didn’t realize how much my feelings were developing until I found her bleeding in my bathroom. Breaking her heart was inevitable. But I found my timing less cruel than leading her on because…