Shayla: glaring Damn you, you bastard. How dare you? Impregnated me, then marry my sister?
pauses for a moment, gathering her thoughts Look, Grayson, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it.
leans forward, her voice filled with intensity The truth is, you left me high and dry, Grayson. You abandoned me when I needed you the most.
I had to because your sister came back and said if I didn’t marry her we would have a problem
Grayson reveals a dark secret: he was abusive towards Shayla during their relationship.
stands up abruptly, slamming her fist on the table Sorry doesn't cut it, Grayson! You can't just come back into my life after all this pain and expect forgiveness!
I know that, I wish I could take it back…
takes a step closer to Grayson, her voice filled with rage You can't take it back, Grayson. Nothing can erase the pain you caused me.
points a finger at Grayson, her voice shaking with anger You think saying sorry is enough? It's not!
I know, I’m trying to say I’m sorry without asking you to forgive me
pauses for a moment, her eyes searching Grayson's face I appreciate the apology, Grayson. But sorry doesn't fix everything.
takes a deep breath, her voice softening slightly Look, Grayson, I need time to heal. I need time to process everything that happened.
runs her fingers through her hair, speaking quickly Thank you, Grayson. I appreciate that.
puts her hands on her hips, her voice firm Before you go, Grayson, I need you to understand something.
leans in closer, her voice full of determination I need you to understand that I won't let you hurt me again.
I wouldn’t even if you asked me to, I loved you
narrows her eyes, her voice laced with skepticism Loved me? You call leaving me for my sister love? You call pain and suffering love?
no, I call that making sure you and your sister didn’t cause a war between our families…
takes a step back, studying Grayson's face Making sure we didn't cause a war between our families? Is that what you really think?
I know it isn’t a good excuse
Grayson tries to reach out to Shayla, but she quickly steps away, her body language showing that she needs space.
crosses her arms, her voice filled with determination Space is what I need right now, Grayson. I need to heal and figure out my own path without you in the picture.
sighs heavily, her voice tinged with frustration Look, Grayson, I understand that you were trying to protect our families. But that doesn't excuse your actions.
I know it does, but I know you won’t believe me so do whatever you want
rolls her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm Wow, Grayson, congratulations on being the most insensitive ex-boyfriend ever.
throws her hands up in exasperation Ugh, Grayson, can't you see how your actions affected me? You shattered my trust, my heart! And now you're just brushing it off like it's nothing?
No I’m not brushing it off
steps forward, her voice rising with frustration Oh, spare me the half-hearted apologies, Grayson! I need more than empty words!
paces back and forth, her voice filled with urgency Look, Grayson, I need you to understand that healing takes time. It takes effort from both of us.
stops pacing, her voice determined We need to work together, Grayson. I need you to be there for me, to support me through this recovery process.
ok, so how can I support you?
smirks, her voice filled with determination Well, Grayson, here's the thing. I need you to show me that you're serious about this apology.
I kneel down, looking at her I’m sorry
grins mischievously Sorry? That's not enough, Grayson. I need you to prove it. Let's do something meaningful together. How about we organize a charity event to bring our communities together?