Chapter 81
Ivy’s POV
The moment I saw the pictures, it felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. There he was Asher, my husband–his arms around Tayer, my ex–best friend.
The woman I once trusted like a sister. The woman who had already betrayed me once before. And now, she had struck again.
My chest tightened, and a cold, sharp pain stabbed through me. It felt like my heart had been ripped out, tossed to the ground, and stomped on repeatedly.
My breath caught in my throat, and my vision blurred as tears welled up in my eyes. Betrayal crushed down on me, a weight so heavy thought I might collapse. My hands trembled as I clutched my phone, my fingers turning white.
Why wasn’t I enough? That thought screamed through my mind, louder than anything else. Anxiety crept up inside me, twisting into unbearable knots. Had I ever been enough for anyone?
My ex didn’t love me. And now Asher didn’t either. The lie I had clung to- that Asher could change, that he was different–unraveled before my eyes.
“Flower…” His voice cut through the silence. “I have an idea of what we should do later.”
How could he call me that? How could he act like he loved me, like I was his everything, after what he’d done? The sound of his voice only added to the ache in my chest, and the tears I had been holding back broke free, streaming down my face.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. I needed to get out.
I turned and ran, ignoring his pleas and his apologies that sounded so empty, so hollow. My hands shook as I stuffed a few things into my suitcase, not caring if I packed correctly. I was still in my nightwear, house slippers on my feet, but it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore.
When I reached the car, the cold night air hit me, but I barely felt it. My heart was pounding too hard, my mind racing with all the things I should have seen – all the ways I had been blind.
Did he laugh at how stupid I was behind my back? Did he talk to Taylor about me? The image of them naked and curled up in bed, laughing at my expense, made my blood boil with rage.
The car roared to life, and I sped off into the night, tears blurring my
vision. I could hardly see the road, but I didn’t care. Maybe I didn’t want to.
It was my fault. All of it. I believed him when he said he loved me, I even told him I loved him too, but unlike him, I wasn’t lying. Somehow, I had fallen head over heels for Asher Sterling. It was my fault. I believed anyone could love me. Stupid, stupid Ivy.
The headlights of an oncoming car snapped me out of my spiral. I swerved, narrowly avoiding a crash. My heart thudded painfully in my chest, my hands gripping the steering wheel so tightly they ached.
I didn’t know where else to go, so I found myself at Janine’s apartment. The moment she opened the door and saw me standing there, shivering and broken – she didn’t say a word. She just pulled me into her arms, holding me tightly.
I clung to her, sobbing into her shoulder as all the pain and heartbreak poured out of me. She didn’t let go, even as my cries quieted into hiccups.
Finally, she draped a coat over my shoulders and looked at me with that firm, reassuring gaze of hers. “We could go on that girls‘ trip now,” she said
softly.
blinked at her, the idea almost foreign in my state of despair. “I… I don’t know,” I murmured, my voice hoarse.
Janine shook her head. “Forget work. Forget your obligations. And most especially, forget about my brother.” Her lips curved into a small, determined smile. “We’re going, Ivy. Just you and me. We’ll figure everything else out later.”
I nodded weakly, leaning into her warmth, thankful for her in a way I couldn’t yet put into words.
1/3
10:32, Wed 2 Jul GOD
Chapter 81
“It’s okay, Ivy. I’m here,”
Janine’s POV
The sun was warm on my skin as I stretched out on the lounge chair, sipping from a coconut drink laced with alcohol. Beside me, lay lay silently, for sunglasses shielding her eyes. She had on a red bikini, her whole frame rigid as if bracing against unseen waves.
I glanced over at her, worry tugging at me. This trip was supposed to help her unwind, but Ivy seemed miles away. Setting down my drink, I slid off my white sunshades and turned toward her. “Do you want to talk about what happened?” I asked softly.
She didn’t answer at first, her gaze locked on the ocean in front of us. Finally, she sighed and said, “He was cheating on me. With my ex–best friend.” Her voice was hollow, but then she let out a dry, humorless chuckle. “Funny thing is, I also caught her cheating with my ex. They all seem to really like her.
It took me a second to process her words, and when I did, anger flared in my chest. “Isn’t it time we jump her?” I said sharply.
Ivy turned her head, raising an eyebrow at me.
“No, I’m not joking,” I said seriously, sitting up and leaning over to hug her. “But you know what I think you should do?” I pulled back, a mischievous grin spreading across my face. “You should take pictures with all these hot guys prancing around and post them to your private story. Especially that hot chocolate standing over there with the camera, acting like he isn’t taking pictures of you.”
Ivy shot upright, startled. “What?” she exclaimed, her voice pitched higher than usual.
I tilted my chin toward him. Sure enough, there was a tall, athletic guy with warm brown skin and a camera slung around his neck, snapping photos in our direction.
She stared, blinking. “Oh my god.”
“I’ll go talk to him for you,” I offered, already standing.
“No, Janine, wait-” Ivy tried to stop me, but I waved her off.
I sauntered over to the guy, grinning when I noticed him blushing. “Hey, handsome,” I said smoothly, crossing my arms. “You’ve been staring at my girl for too long. Want to talk to her?”
His eyes widened, and he stammered, “I… yes, I do.”
“Good,” I said, smirking. “But first, I need a good picture of you two together.”
“What?” he asked, confused, but he handed over the camera when I extended my hand.
“You better know how to pose because my girl’s a model,” I teased, already adjusting the settings on his camera.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Ivy burying her face in her hands, trying to suppress a laugh as she reluctantly walked over.
Later, as I lounged back in my chair, sipping a cocktail, my phone buzzed. Seeing Asher’s name on the screen, I couldn’t resist smirking as I picked up.
“Who’s the guy she’s with?” he demanded immediately, his voice sharp with jealousy.
I rolled my eyes, holding back a laugh. “Hello, brother. How are you? I’m fine, thank you for asking. And you?” I replied sarcastically.
“Janine, who is he?” he snapped, ignoring my tone.
I let the phone drop to the side as he continued ranting, sipping my drink and nodding to myself while he went on about Ivy. When he finally quieted, I picked the phone back up. “Are you quite done?” I asked flatly.
Silence.
2/3
Chapter 81
“Asher,” I said, my tone firm, “what you’ve done to lvy cannot be undone. You’ve hurt her. You’ve broken her spirit. She deserves time away to heat, to do whatever she wants. So if you really care about her, you’ll back off and let her be.”
He didn’t respond, but I didn’t need him to. I hung up, tossing the phone onto the table beside me. Turning back to Ivy, who was laughing at something the camera guy was saying, I couldn’t help but smile. She’d get through this–I’d make sure of it.
