Chapter 8
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When the doctor said the chandelier hadn’t broken any bones–just a deep flesh wound–I finally let out the breath I’d been holding.
After they bandaged me up, I went straight home.
Our departure date was getting closer, and the living room was overflowing with suitcases of all sizes.
After resting for two days, I called my closest friends to tell them about our move to Barcelona.
They immediately organized a going–away party for me.
The mood at dinner was bittersweet. Everyone was sad to see me go, making me promise to stay in touch after I left the country.
It was nearly dawn by the time the party ended.
After seeing everyone off, I paid the bill and went back to our private room to get
my purse.
On my way out, I passed by another room and heard familiar voices.
“So, Ryder, how does it feel to finally get the girl of your dreams?”
The door was slightly ajar, and I could clearly hear Ryder’s amused voice.
“If I died right now, I’d die happy.”
His words were met with laughter, followed by a teasing comment.
“What about your childhood sweetheart?”
After a good fifteen seconds of silence, Ryder finally spoke, his tone still casual. “Her? Great in bed, that’s for sure.”
“Having a fuck buddy who comes running whenever you call, with no strings attached—man, Ryder, you’re making the rest of us jealous.”
Amid the boisterous laughter, Ryder just raised an eyebrow but said nothing. “But now that you’re engaged to Elle, what are you going to do about your little playmate?”
“We had our fun, now it’s over. Elle’s the only one in my heart. I don’t want anyone else.”
He sounded so sure of himself that the entire group started praising his devotion. Only I stood outside, my nails digging so hard into my palms that my knuckles turned white.
I’d thought I was beyond feeling pain, but hearing all this with my own ears cut me open all over again.
So that’s what twenty years of friendship, all those late–night phone calls, holding
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08
hands, kissing, fucking…
It all came down to: “Great in bed.”
I bit my lip so hard I nearly drew blood, trying to contain the surge of bitterness rising inside me as I turned to leave, my steps heavy.
It was raining outside. I walked into the downpour with my head down and immediately ran into a group of people blocking my path.
Elle stood there with four or five other women, staring at me without moving.
I said nothing and was about to hail a cab when she grabbed my arm.
“I always thought something was off about you two. Now I know for sure. You’re such a slut, throwing yourself at my boyfriend all these years?”
Her tone was so venomous it made my face pale.
I tried to explain, but Elle didn’t give me the chance, looking at me with contempt. “I could have let the past go, but now that Ryder and I are engaged, you’re still chasing after him? Do you enjoy being the other woman that much?”
My chest tightened as I took a deep breath. “I’m not the other woman. And I didn’t come here to see Ryder—”
Before I could finish, Elle gave her friends a look.
“Drag her upstairs. Then find some homeless guys.”
Her friends immediately grabbed me and started shoving me toward the stairs. “What are you doing?!”
My heart pounded as I struggled, but I couldn’t fight off so many of them. They locked me in a private room at the end of the hall.
Soon after, one of the girls brought in a homeless man.
Elle clapped her hands, stepping aside with a cold smile.
“This woman is desperate for it. She’ll let you have her for free. Make sure you satisfy her, okay?”
As she spoke, she had someone close the door.
In the cramped space, the ragged man with gleaming eyes lunged at me.
I raised my hands, scratching and fighting back with everything I had, but it was useless.
He was so much stronger. My dress was quickly torn open, exposing large areas of my skin.
He bit and pawed at me eagerly, the nauseating smell of sewage filling the air around us.
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In a desperate mix of fear and rage, I grabbed an ashtray and smashed it against his head without hesitation.
THUD–the man collapsed to the floor.
Having narrowly escaped, I grabbed my phone and ran for the exit, only to run into Elle in the hallway.
Seeing me free, her face changed. She quickly grabbed my arm.
“How did you get out?!”
Just as she was about to drag me back, she caught a glimpse of someone turning the corner. Suddenly, her demeanor changed completely as she threw herself backward, tumbling down the stairs.
Ryder, who had just walked out, saw this and ran over in horror, immediately taking Elle into his arms.
Seeing bruises appearing on her body, he turned to me in fury. “Autumn! Why the fuck did you push Elle?!”
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