The Twisted Obsession-Chapter 331: The Truth

The night air was cool, carrying the faint scent of the city streets as Remo and Abby strolled down the sidewalk hand in hand. They had just left a cozy little ice cream shop, a spontaneous decision after their conversation about the future. Abby was still buzzing with warmth from Remo’s reassurances, and she felt lighter than she had in a long time. The therapy sessions had been tough, but slowly, she was finding her way back to herself, to them.

They each had a cone of ice cream—Abby’s was vanilla with sprinkles, while Remo had chosen chocolate fudge—and they were laughing as they walked, playful in their mood. Remo, ever the tease, swiped his cone lightly against Abby’s cheek, smearing a bit of chocolate on her skin.

"Remo!" she shrieked, giggling as she tried to dodge his antics.

"Oops," he said, smirking, his eyes glinting mischievously. "Looks like I missed."

Abby retaliated, dabbing her own cone against his nose, and they both burst out laughing. It was a rare, carefree moment, one that reminded Abby of what it felt like to simply enjoy life.

"Payback," she said triumphantly, licking her ice cream and grinning up at him.

Remo chuckled, wiping the vanilla off his nose with a playful shake of his head. "You’re lucky you’re cute," he muttered, pulling her closer by the waist as they continued walking.

They were almost back at the car when Abby’s body suddenly stiffened. She felt the color drain from her face as they approached a woman standing by the curb, seemingly waiting for someone. Her hair was a familiar shade of dark brown, her posture tense, but it was the woman’s face that made Abby’s stomach drop.

She recognized her immediately. The woman’s eyes lit up when she saw Abby, and she smiled brightly, her surprise evident.

"Abby? Oh my God, is that you?" the woman exclaimed, stepping forward with a kind of joy that Abby hadn’t expected. "You’ve grown up so well!"

Abby forced a smile, though the awkwardness was impossible to hide. Her mind raced, trying to remember the last time she had seen this woman, but the years felt like a blur. She was fumbling for something to say, anything, but the shock of seeing her had thrown Abby completely off balance.

"Uh, hi... I—" Abby stammered, glancing at Remo for some kind of support. His expression was hard, his body stiffened beside her. He hadn’t said a word, but she could feel the change in his demeanor almost immediately.

The woman’s attention shifted from Abby to Remo, and her face paled when she recognized him. Her eyes widened in shock, and for a moment, it seemed like she couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.

"Remo?" she managed to choke out, her voice shaking slightly. The color drained from her face as she looked between the two of them, confused. "Are you two... together?"

Abby felt her heart skip a beat. She could feel the weight of the woman’s eyes on her, the unspoken questions hanging in the air. This wasn’t just an old acquaintance. This was someone who knew Remo, someone who clearly had a history with him, and the sudden tension in the air was thick enough to cut through.

Abby’s mouth went dry as she fumbled for an explanation. "I—uh, yes, we—" she stammered, completely unsure of how to navigate the situation. She glanced at Remo again, but his face remained unreadable, his jaw clenched. The woman’s gaze had fixed on him now, as if searching for something in his eyes.

But then, to Abby’s surprise, the woman’s expression shifted. Tears welled up in her eyes, and before either of them could say anything, she broke into sobs.

"I’m so glad," she cried, her hands shaking as she wiped at her tears. "I’m so happy that you’ve found happiness, Remo. You deserve this."

Abby blinked, startled by the sudden emotional outburst. She glanced at Remo, who looked as confused as she felt.

"What?" Abby whispered to herself, her mind racing. Wasn’t Mrs. Moretti supposed to be upset? Abby had expected anger, maybe even accusations. After all, she had married her late best friend Isabella’s fiancé. Her daughter.

Instead, Mrs. Moretti seemed... relieved.

Remo’s brows furrowed, his body tense as he tried to process the situation. "Mrs. Moretti, what are you talking about?" he asked, his voice low but edged with caution.

Mrs. Moretti wiped her tears, her eyes softening as she looked at Remo. "What Isabella did to you... it was cruel," she said, shaking her head. "You didn’t deserve what she put you through."

Abby’s heart skipped a beat, her mind struggling to grasp what she was hearing. What Isabella did to Remo? All these years, Abby had believed that Isabella had loved Remo—every letter, every whispered word of affection had painted that picture. But now, hearing Mrs. Moretti’s words, something didn’t add up.

"What are you talking about?" Remo asked again, his tone sharper this time, though his confusion was palpable.

Mrs. Moretti sighed, her hands trembling as she spoke. "Remo, Isabella didn’t love you. Not the way you thought." She glanced at Abby, her expression softening. "I never told you because I didn’t want to hurt you... but Isabella was going to leave you."

The words hit Abby like a freight train. She felt dizzy, her chest tightening as she tried to understand. "What?" she breathed, her voice barely audible.

Remo’s jaw clenched. "That’s not possible. Isabella was in love with me." His voice was cold, but Abby could hear the underlying confusion, the cracks forming in his once sure understanding of his past.

"No," Mrs. Moretti shook her head. "She wasn’t. Isabella was planning to run away, Remo. She was seeing someone else... someone she planned to leave with."

Abby felt her legs go weak, and she leaned against the car for support. The letters she had read, the love she had believed Isabella felt for Remo—it had all been a lie?

Remo stood still, his expression a mixture of shock and disbelief. His world was unraveling, just as Abby’s was.

"Who?" Remo asked, his voice deadly calm.

Mrs. Moretti hesitated, guilt flashing in her eyes. "It doesn’t matter anymore, Remo. What matters is that you’ve moved on. I’m so happy that you’ve found happiness with Abby. You deserve it, after everything you’ve been through."

Abby’s head swirled with a thousand questions, none of them making sense. She stared at Remo, who looked as lost as she felt. The truth about Isabella—the woman who had brought them together, the woman Abby had idolized and envied—was far more complicated than she had ever imagined.

And now, standing here in the cold night, everything she thought she knew felt like it was slipping away.

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