Two people sat across the table, an invisible tension hanging between them like a thick fog. He scrutinized her, observing the way she kept her head down, her gaze fixed on the tablecloth's intricate design as though it held the answers to all the world's mysteries.

After an agonizing silence, he finally decided to break the ice. "I assume you called me here to discuss something," he stated nonchalantly. She lifted her head, meeting his icy blue gaze that had once ensnared her heart. Quickly averting her eyes, she scolded herself inwardly for succumbing to his captivating stare. Despite the years that had passed and the betrayal she had endured, her heart still fluttered in his presence, a fact she loathed.

Summoning her resolve, she cleared her throat and spoke. "Um… Yes… actually, I wanted to talk about Gwen. I want her to live with me."

He arched an eyebrow, his piercing gaze unyielding. "What do you mean?"

"I want to revise our agreement about Gwen's custody," she managed to say without stumbling over her words this time. However, the tightening of his jaw at her words sent a pang of dread through her heart.

"And what made you think I would agree to that?" he questioned, his glare piercing.

"Alex, I am also her parent, which gives me equal rights. Furthermore, Gwen wants to stay with me, and as she approaches adolescence, she needs a woman she can trust and confide in. It is my responsibility as her mother to care for her," she stated matter-of-factly, burying her own anxieties.

"I never knew you had such a selective memory that you can't recall when you left her for a whole month when she was just four years old. Wasn't she your responsibility back then? Didn't she need you more than she does now?" His tone dripped with sarcasm, causing her to grimace in frustration. How dare he insinuate it was all her fault?

"And I am surprised you don't remember the reason behind it," she retorted sharply, glaring at him.

"You didn't give me a chance to explain. You blindly believed him instead of trusting me," he shot back, still playing the victim, she snapped.

Oh, so you're still playing the victim here? Even after what you did, you have the audacity to talk about trust?

“I never cheated on you. I was drugged, and I tried to explain, Mandy. You're the only one I—”

"Enough! I don't want to hear it!" she shouted, her anger trembling beneath the surface. But the prying eyes of the café patrons made her swallow her rage, and she continued in a calmer tone.

"Alex, I'm not saying what I did was right, nor do I want to revisit our past. I simply want to be with my daughter. I don't want to fight for custody in court. Can't you understand that, for Gwen's sake?"

"Will you never listen to my explanation? Will you hate me forever?" His voice cracked with sorrow, pleading for understanding. She remained silent, biting her lip to suppress the turmoil in her heart.

"As I said, it's not about us anymore. It's about Gwen and her well-being," she managed to respond, her own words feeling like daggers to her soul.

"You left me, and now you're taking her too? Isn't that too cruel?" he questioned, the pain evident in his voice. But she couldn't bring herself to respond, consumed by her own inner turmoil.

"But of course, it's not about me. It was never about me to begin with, right?" he laughed bitterly, rising from his seat. She watched in silence as he coldly uttered his parting words.

"Alright, Mrs. Eastwood, you've won this time too," he said, before turning and leaving her alone with her thoughts.