Never in his life had Tom felt such a deep, unforgivable sense of foolishness.

He stood there, among his usual group—Draco, Mattheo, Blaise, Lorenzo, Theodore, and the others. Despite the gnawing reluctance within him, he had acquiesced to their suggestion of playing truth or dare. Of course, the game had devolved into a series of increasingly ridiculous and cruel dares, but this one—this one was different.

When the moment came for him to take his turn, he had been dared to break up with his girlfriend, Anastasia. Tom had hesitated at first, a flicker of something indecipherable crossing his usually cold gaze. He did not want to do this, not in the slightest. Anastasia had been kind, beautiful, and devoted to him. He had no real reason to end things with her, but the pressure to maintain his reputation among the group of boys was too great. What kind of man would he be if he backed out now? What would they say of him?

So, despite the voice of reason in his mind telling him to stop, he walked to the corridor where Anastasia waited, her expression already a mixture of confusion. The others loitered just out of sight, their eyes gleaming with the thrill of the dare, anticipating what would happen next.

Tom took a deep breath, steeling himself. He could do this. He would do this.

"Anastasia," he began, his voice colder than he intended, as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest, a defensive gesture. "It's over. I’ve grown bored of you, and there’s someone else I desire more than you."

The words left his mouth with a chilling finality, but the moment they were spoken, a wave of regret rushed over him. He had spoken with such calculated cruelty, and yet, as he looked into Anastasia's eyes, the regret hit him like a physical blow.

Her eyes—those beautiful blue eyes—widened in shock and pain, the glimmer of tears already starting to form at the corners. Her lips trembled slightly, as though struggling to hold back the flood of emotion threatening to overtake her. Tom's heart lurched in his chest.