The sterile aroma of antiseptic lingered in the air as Arthur lay in the hospital bed, his body still feeble, but his mind awake. The constant beeping of the monitor was the only sound in the room—until the gentle creak of the door broke through the silence. He turned his head, anticipating a nurse, but instead, he found Mia and Pim waiting cautiously at the doorway.
Arthur's stomach twisted. A mix of relief and terror poured through him. He had scarcely seen either of them since the night his world crashed.
Pim was grasping the hem of her sweater, her fingers white from how hard she grabbed onto the cloth. Her eyes were already crimson like she had been crying before even stepping inside. Mia, always so composed, looked different—exhausted as if she had been carrying something awful for too long.
They strolled in slowly, their gazes flitting between each other as if asking the other to speak first. Arthur didn't say anything. He simply observed them, waiting.
Finally, Mia took a big breath and stepped closer. "Arthur…" Her voice was faint, frail.
Arthur's hold on the bedsheet tightened. "Why are you here? He wasn't sure if he wanted to hear whatever they had to say.
Mia swallowed, stepping beside his bed. I am so sorry, Arthur. I am sorry I followed Nick's plan to make you jealous. I am here to apologize
"I am here to tell you the truth."
Arthur scoffed "The truth? His chest tightened. "What truth?"
Mia flinched, and Pim brushed at her already damp cheeks.
"Because I was a coward," Mia acknowledged, her voice shaking "Because I chose wrong."
Arthur didn't reply, but his silence demanded more.
Mia breathed shakily, her hands clenched. "I agreed to the fake relationship with Nick because I thought it wouldn't be something so important. I thought you wouldn't believe it at first. I was really hoping you would know that Nick was faking it in the real sense."
Arthur's breath hitched. He had assumed, but hearing her confirm it still felt like a punch to the belly.
"I agreed to it. I felt I was protecting him, shielding everyone from more agony. But that's not all." She took another breath, her voice trembling. "My cousin, Tee… he was part of it too."
Arthur's head snapped up. "What?
Mia nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Tee was the one who helped Tyler set you up. The guy that was with you that day in the bar and in the room when you woke up was Tee, my cousin. I found out not too long ago.
Arthur felt like the air had been sucked out of the room. His mind tried to grasp her words. Tee. He didn't even know Mia had a cousin named Tee.
Mia dried her tears harshly. "That's why Tyler used him, Arthur. Because he knew you wouldn't suspect someone you didn't even know existed." And Tyler had no idea Tee was my cousin. And Tee had no knowledge that we were buddies; he later found out after the whole thing had been done.
Arthur's hands were shaking now. "You—" His voice cracked, raw with emotion. He clenched his jaw now, attempting to keep himself together. "You knew. You knew and said nothing." Why are you telling me now?
Mia wept, shaking her head. "I was torn! I didn't want to believe it at first, but when I discovered the truth… I didn't know what to tell Arthur; Tee is family. You are family too. And I—"
"You chose him," Arthur murmured, his voice raspy. "You chose silence over me."
Mia went to her knees by his bed. "I did, and I regret it every single day." I let things go this far
Pim, who had been holding back, eventually broke down. "And I was no better." Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Mia begged me to stay silent. And I did."
Arthur turned his gaze to her, betrayal and grief shining in his eyes. "You knew too?
Pim let out a choking sob. "Not everything at first. But when I figured it out, I was too terrified. I told myself I would tell you, but I didn't know it would come to this stage.
Arthur couldn't hold back the tear that ran down his cheek. His dearest friend—the person he had trusted—had known. She had known and let him suffer.
"You should have told me," Arthur muttered, his voice shaking with controlled wrath. "You should have trusted me."
"I know," Pim wailed. "And I am so, so sorry, Arthur. Please… I know I don't deserve it, but please, forgive me."
Arthur pushed his palms to his face, trying to regulate his breathing, trying to make sense of the storm inside him.
The ache was excruciating.
He thought about the nights he had spent wallowing in self-doubt, questioning himself, and feeling abandoned. He thought of the way Nick had stared at him with hatred that night. He thought about how he had begged, how he had proclaimed his innocence.
And all this time, Mia was involved in the whole thing, and Pim had known something. Maybe not everything, but enough.
Arthur let out a weak breath, his chest rising and falling unevenly. "I needed you." His voice trembled. "I needed you both, and you were there, but you didn't say anything; you let me suffer.
Mia gripped his hand. "I know. I know, Arthur. And it kills me every day."
The dam inside Arthur cracked, and he sobbed, letting out all the agony he had been holding in. Mia cried too, squeezing his hand, murmuring apologies over and over. Pim was crying so hard she couldn't even talk, merely putting her forehead on the mattress, praying for pardon in silence.
It was a long time before Arthur could talk again.
"I don't know how to forgive you for this," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't know how to forget that you let me suffer."
Mia's shoulders shook, but she nodded. "I understand."
Pim sniffled. "We won't ask you to forget. But please, let us make things right."
Arthur glanced at them, his heart still aching. But as much as he wanted to hold onto his wrath, he knew it wouldn't erase what had already happened.
After a long silence, he nodded. "I forgive you."
Mia let out a quick, trembling exhale as if she had been holding her breath. Pim fell into fresh tears, clutching Arthur's hand and holding it fiercely.
It didn't eliminate the anguish. It didn't undo what had been done.
But that was a start.
And for now, that was enough.
Mia and Pim stayed with Arthur the entire evening. They talked, sobbed, and started the arduous process of healing what had been broken.
Mia pledged to assist Arthur in searching for Nick too.
Pim pledged to stand behind Arthur no matter what.
And Arthur, despite everything, found himself choosing to trust them again—because even though they had hurt him, even though they had let him down, he knew that in the end… They were still his greatest friends.
And he still needed them.
This wasn't over.
If anything, it was only the beginning