Quinn's eyes turned red with panic.Her voice trembled.
"Shelly… I really only wanted to see Ivan one last time. I didn't want anything to happen. I even wished him and his girlfriend well. I just… wanted closure."
Seeing Quinn on the verge of crying, Shelly's tone softened.
"I know," she said quietly. "I know you wouldn't hurt someone on purpose. We grew up together. I trust your character."
"But you can't deny that you once had feelings for Ivan. And that means the boundary should've been handled very carefully."
"Even if absolutely nothing happened between you two, the moment you went to meet him alone, you created room for suspicion."
She tapped her fingertips lightly against the table.
"And once suspicion exists… the damage is already done."
Quinn bit down hard on her lip, her chin trembling.
Alice immediately jumped in:
"But Quinn really didn't do anything wrong! Jason was literally there! He saw everything. Quinn was the one who got hurt!"
Shelly shook her head gently.
"Alice… you're still thinking about it from Quinn's perspective."
She looked directly at Quinn.
"But relationships don't operate by what you meant. They operate on what the other person feels."
"Let me put it simply."
Shelly's Explanation (sharp but calm)
"Imagine someone goes on a work trip with a coworker of the opposite sex. The hotel is full, so they share a room — two separate beds. Nothing happens."
She raised her eyebrow.
"You believe that instantly?"
Alice froze.
Shelly continued:
"And now imagine there had been past romantic feelings involved. What then? Even if nothing happened, your head starts spinning."
"It becomes a seed. And seeds don't disappear; they grow."
She let the silence sit for a moment.
"Now imagine a person meets their ex privately while already involved with someone new. Even if they swear it was 'just closure,' the current partner still feels like they were put last."
"That's not betrayal.But it is neglect."
"And neglect can hurt more than betrayal."
Alice tried again:
"But Jason is close to other women too! Quinn had one coffee, what's the big—"
Shelly cut her off — not unkindly, but firmly.
"And Quinn and Jason weren't officially together, right?"
Alice blinked. "…Right."
"Then Jason has no obligation to stay and try to work it out."
Shelly leaned back, eyes calm and precise.
"If they weren't officially dating, Jason can simply decide:
'I don't like how this felt.'And walk away."
"No argument.No explanation.No closure."
Alice's words died in her throat.
The Part That Landed Hardest
Shelly turned back to Quinn.
"Even if you weren't officially dating, the moment you agreed to see Ivan, it showed that in your heart, the emotional boundary was still loose."
"And if that boundary is loose before the relationship even starts…"
She didn't finish the sentence.
Because Quinn already understood.
If she and Jason had become official at that time—
She still would have gone.
She still would have believed it was harmless.
And Jason would still have felt the same way:
That she could leave him behind — even a little — for someone else.
Quinn sat frozen.
Her eyelashes trembled.
Her hands were clenched so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.
Her breath shook.
She had finally seen it clearly:
It wasn't about Ivan.
It wasn't about guilt or innocence.
It was about trust.
And Jason — the man who had countless paths, countless women, countless futures he could choose —would not chase someone who made him feel neglected even once.
He simply… stepped back.
And Quinn, who cherished him, had not stepped forward.
Now the distance between them was real.
And possibly irreversible.
Quinn's eyes turned red, her voice trembling as she tried to explain:
"Sis… I really only went to see Ivan that day because I wanted closure. I really didn't want anything to happen. I wished him and his girlfriend well."
Seeing Quinn about to cry, Shelly's tone softened slightly.
"I know," she said. "I know you wouldn't intentionally do anything to hurt someone. We grew up together. I understand your heart."
"But you did once have real feelings for Ivan. And because of that, the boundary should've been handled very carefully."
"Even if nothing happened… just meeting him alone is enough to create suspicion."
"And once suspicion exists—"She tapped the table lightly."—the damage is already done."
Quinn lowered her head; tears dropped onto the back of her hand.
Alice immediately stepped in:
"But Quinn really didn't do anything wrong! Jason was there and saw everything. Quinn was the one who was misunderstood and humiliated! Jason stepped in because she was the victim!"
Shelly sighed.
"Alice… you're still thinking from Quinn's perspective. But relationships aren't built on what you meant. They're built on what the other person feels."
"If you cause a situation that puts someone in the position to feel replaced, even for a moment, that moment stays."
She turned to Quinn.
"And that time at the restaurant—being accused of being a mistress—Jason stepped forward, yes. He saved you."
"And from your perspective, because he helped, the embarrassment faded."
"But from his perspective… in that moment, your position in his heart took a fall."
"Men love being heroes. Especially rescuing someone they care about. They feel proud of it."
"But if the trouble came from you being unclear with another man—then it stops being something he wants to protect.He only stepped in because he was soft-hearted."
"After helping once, he may decide he doesn't want further involvement."
Alice tried again:
"But Jason has other girls around him too! Why can't Quinn—"
Shelly interrupted, calmly:
"Then the answer is simple:If Jason having other girls makes Quinn uncomfortable, then she should stop liking him.End it. Move on. Be well."
Shelly leaned back.
"But the problem is exactly the opposite, isn't it?"
"He doesn't seem to need Quinn.""And Quinn can't forget him."
"You're crying here… but still not facing the real issue."
Quinn's breath hitched.
Shelly continued:
"You didn't even properly explain that situation to Jason, did you?"
"You had a flaw in your approach. You didn't reflect. You didn't clarify. You just accepted his help and then hoped it would fix itself."
"And you don't understand what it meant for him to spend millions just to protect a girl who wasn't even his girlfriend yet."
"That kind of man was your Prince Charming."
"But he's probably no longer your exclusive Prince Charming."
Alice wanted to defend her again, but Quinn gently stopped her.
Her eyes were red to the point of trembling, tears falling freely.
Before, she thought she had made a small mistake.
Now she understood—
It was a matter of emotional principle.
That day, she found her prince.
But that same day—
She lost him.
And it wasn't fate.It wasn't misfortune.It wasn't another woman.
She lost him because of her own decision.
Quinn wiped her tears, but new ones blurred her vision instantly.
"Sis… you're right. That day… even if Alice was free, I still shouldn't have gone. I just— I didn't understand."
"It was my carelessness that hurt him."
Her voice broke:
"But now… how do I fix it? Is it even possible to fix?"
Shelly looked at her long and quietly.
Then she sighed.
"At this point… the best outcome for both of you is to part and live peacefully."
"You said Jason is surrounded by many girls. That kind of young man—wealthy, powerful, handsome—he's too dazzling. Even without this incident, exclusivity would be unlikely."
"And now that there's a rift…"
"Why cling?"
"Just accept that this is a story of encounter without destiny."
Quinn shook her head, tears falling faster.
"But I think… I've really fallen in love with him."
Her voice broke into open sobs.
"I don't want to lose him."
She clutched her chest, as if the pain there was physical.
She realized—
She hadn't just wanted a prince's lifestyle.
She had truly fallen for Jason Carter himself.
And now…
The fear of being forgotten by him was enough to shatter her.
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