New Year\u2019s Eve. Five hours on a train to surprise my boyfriend.<\/p>\n
Guess what?<\/p>\n
The man was playing Truth or Dare with his secretary grinding on him.<\/p>\n
Jade lost. He jumped in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll trade one of Stella\u2019s secrets instead. Same as always.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then he dropped it loud to a room full of men.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe got violated. Years ago.\u201d<\/p>\n
The world went silent in my head.<\/p>\n
His friends went feral.<\/p>\n
\u201cHoly sh!t, that\u2019s wild!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWait, don\u2019t violate victims usually act all prude? Stella\u2019s out here posting butt pics every day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBet she was asking for it. Ashton said she wears s1utty lingerie.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf she acted more like Jade, nothing would\u2019ve happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
His secretary\u2014the one he\u2019s been screwing for a year\u2014played innocent.<\/p>\n
\u201cMaybe Stella just likes feeling pretty?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cJade, you\u2019re too sweet. Not everyone\u2019s like you, honey. Some girls are wild behind closed doors.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think, Ash?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton sipped his drink. Said nothing to defend me.<\/p>\n
Just let them call me a s1ut who deserved to be assaulted.<\/p>\n
My hand stopped shaking.<\/p>\n
I left. Sent one text: \u201cWe\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton had introduced me to these guys before.<\/p>\n
Back then they surrounded me the same way, calling me \u201csis-in-law\u201d.<\/p>\n
Now they were tearing me apart with rumors and dirty guesses.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlright, that\u2019s enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton frowned. Like he actually felt bad.<\/p>\n
Even with my heart already shattered, I felt this stupid flicker of hope.<\/p>\n
Maybe he\u2019d shut them down. Tell them I wasn\u2019t like that.<\/p>\n
Then he crushed it.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s still my girlfriend. If this gets out, I look like an idi0t. Drop it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oh.<\/p>\n
Not defending me. Just protecting his reputation.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re seriously gonna marry her after all that?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jade leaned into him, swaying his arm with a pout.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat about me? I\u2019m not gonna be a side chick.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you don\u2019t give me an answer soon, we\u2019re done.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo way!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton panicked, visibly.<\/p>\n
His fingers clenched tight.<\/p>\n
He\u2019d never looked that desperate for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would I settle for damaged goods like her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly reason I haven\u2019t dumped her yet is because my parents keep nagging me to take care of her.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he spoke, his face hardened, disgust written all over it.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t believe what I was hearing. My hand dropped to my side.<\/p>\n
He hated me this much.<\/p>\n
Then why didn\u2019t he just say so?<\/p>\n
Were all those years\u2014his tenderness, his patience\u2014just an act?<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter New Year\u2019s I\u2019ll go home and end it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton turned and kissed Jade, voice all sweet.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen I\u2019ll introduce you to my parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
The room erupted in cheers. Glasses were raised everywhere.<\/p>\n
\u201cCongrats to the future Mr. and Mrs. Reed!\u201d<\/p>\n
Inside it was all noise and celebration.<\/p>\n
I felt like I was freezing to death.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t know how long I stood there.<\/p>\n
When I finally came to my vision was blurred.<\/p>\n
My fingers were numb. I typed out each word slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s break up.\u201d<\/p>\n
A message notification chimed inside.<\/p>\n
Ashton picked it up and sent a voice message.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey Mom and Dad. Got this international deal I\u2019m closing tonight. Can\u2019t make it home.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, I\u2019ll let you know when I book my flight back.\u201d<\/p>\n
He put the phone down. That was it.<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
Then it hit me.<\/p>\n
I wasn\u2019t pinned, and he\u2019d muted me.<\/p>\n
We were long-distance, miles apart.<\/p>\n
Sometimes he wouldn\u2019t reply to me until the next day.<\/p>\n
I always told myself he was just swamped with work.<\/p>\n
Turns out he just didn\u2019t want to deal with me.<\/p>\n
Tears hit my screen one by one.<\/p>\n
I called him anyway.<\/p>\n
This time Ashton glanced at his phone.<\/p>\n
Then he muted it and tossed it back onto the table.<\/p>\n
Like it didn\u2019t exist. He pulled out a deck of cards and started dealing.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStella. Calls me nonstop. It\u2019s annoying.\u201d<\/p>\n
Someone frowned. \u201cWhy not just hang up?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton kept shuffling, didn\u2019t even pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I hang up she\u2019ll spam me with texts. I\u2019ll let it ring out. Tell her later I was too busy to notice.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHahaha, Ash you\u2019ve got her trained.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t listen anymore.<\/p>\n
I staggered away.<\/p>\n
New Year\u2019s Eve. The streets were packed.<\/p>\n
Couples everywhere, loud and cheerful.<\/p>\n
I dragged my suitcase through the crowd, completely out of place.<\/p>\n
A young couple walked past carrying grocery bags. A long scarf wrapped around both of them.<\/p>\n
The girl looked worried.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just us tonight. Think we can pull off a New Year\u2019s dinner?\u201d<\/p>\n
The guy ruffled her hair.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ll order takeout if it flops. Long as we\u2019re together, it doesn\u2019t matter what we eat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before coming here, that\u2019s what I\u2019d imagined too.<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t understand it.<\/p>\n
Why was Ashton being so heartless.<\/p>\n
We were fine. We were so good.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m twenty-eight this year.<\/p>\n
And we\u2019ve known each other for twenty-eight years.<\/p>\n
At four years old, on our first day of kindergarten, he grabbed my hand.<\/p>\n
\u201cStella, when we play house, you\u2019re the only one I want as my wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
At twelve, clueless about love, he\u2019d rush over to me every recess, ignoring all the teasing around him.<\/p>\n
At fifteen, puberty hit hard. Acne everywhere, bottom of the class, parents disappointed, confidence shattered.<\/p>\n
\u201cStella what if I\u2019m a total failure?\u201d<\/p>\n
I held his hand, told him the secret I\u2019d buried deep.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wanted to die back then.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I got through it. And it wasn\u2019t the end of the world. You\u2019ll get through this too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shock and pain in his eyes, the way he broke down and cried while holding me\u2014I still remember it clearly.<\/p>\n
On my eighteenth birthday, just after midnight, he confessed.<\/p>\n
\u201cStella I\u2019m gonna treat you right forever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Later we both got into New York for college.<\/p>\n
He was in NYU. I was in Columbia.<\/p>\n
He made the trip every single week just to see me.<\/p>\n
After graduation we were still solid. He stayed in New York to start his company. I went home to find work.<\/p>\n
This year, our families had already started planning our wedding.<\/p>\n
I quit my job before New Year\u2019s.<\/p>\n
I was gonna move to New York after the holidays. We\u2019d finally be together for good.<\/p>\n
Now it was all gone.<\/p>\n
Ashton had someone else he wanted to bring home to his parents.<\/p>\n
He was disgusted by me.<\/p>\n
Took the worst wound I ever told him and turned it into a party joke.<\/p>\n
Night fell, and the streets slowly emptied out.<\/p>\n
I checked into a random hotel nearby.<\/p>\n
Just got settled when my phone lit up.<\/p>\n
Mom.<\/p>\n
\u201cSweetie have you guys eaten yet? We\u2019ve got so much food here!\u201d<\/p>\n
Photo attached. New Year\u2019s dinner spread.<\/p>\n
All my relatives gathered around the table, everyone smiling.<\/p>\n
Cold air blew through the hotel window. I shivered.<\/p>\n
I swallowed the lump in my throat, trying to sound normal.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood\u2019s almost ready. About to eat now. Don\u2019t worry about us.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t tell them the truth\u2014didn\u2019t want to ruin their New Year\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Then, without thinking, I opened Ashton\u2019s chat.<\/p>\n
Empty as always.<\/p>\n
Midnight. Fireworks outside.<\/p>\n
Too loud to sleep.<\/p>\n
I t0rtured myself scrolling through Ashton\u2019s IG looking for proof he\u2019d been cheating.<\/p>\n
He\u2019d hidden her well, covered his tracks perfectly.<\/p>\n
Finally I found her username in a work group chat screenshot.<\/p>\n
Jade Winter.<\/p>\n
Distinctive name.<\/p>\n
I searched it across every platform.<\/p>\n
Among all the duplicates, I spotted her instantly.<\/p>\n
Profile picture looked familiar. It was the matching half of Ashton\u2019s couple avatar.<\/p>\n
When he changed his avatar back then, I\u2019d happily searched for the matching one and switched mine too.<\/p>\n
He looked annoyed.<\/p>\n
Said he\u2019d just picked a random image and didn\u2019t want to broadcast our relationship like that.<\/p>\n
In the end, he half-forced me to change it back.<\/p>\n
Jade\u2019s account had barely any followers.<\/p>\n
But hundreds of posts.<\/p>\n
All documenting her relationship with Ashton.<\/p>\n
It started last May.<\/p>\n
\u201cPoor boss working late for a month, living on takeout. Brought him homemade chicken soup for lunch today. He literally cried. Wonder what kind of girlfriend he has.\u201d<\/p>\n
That was when Ashton\u2019s dad broke his leg.<\/p>\n
So he could focus on work, everyone kept it from him.<\/p>\n
I took a month off and spent every day at the hospital helping his dad.<\/p>\n
My boss took me off the promotion list after that.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoss canceled so many projects just to take me on this work trip. Being the favorite really feels amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
That day was our ten-year anniversary.<\/p>\n
And my birthday.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d pulled an all-nighter to finish a project, squeezed out three days off just to see him.<\/p>\n
He told me he had some urgent business trip he couldn\u2019t reschedule.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoss bought me a bag! The charm that came with it is ug1y though. I\u2019ll let him keep that part.\u201d<\/p>\n
I froze and looked at my phone case.<\/p>\n
Same exact charm\u2014a \u2018make-up\u2019 birthday gift he\u2019d given me later.<\/p>\n
I\u2019d treasured it, even put a protective film over it.<\/p>\n
It took me two hours to scroll through her entire account.<\/p>\n
My heart went ice cold.<\/p>\n
None of the photos showed Ashton\u2019s face.<\/p>\n
But I recognized everything else\u2014the clothes\u2014the couple ring on his finger matching mine.<\/p>\n
Ashton had been cheating for a long time.<\/p>\n
Fireworks exploded in the distance.<\/p>\n
I snapped out of it, ripped the charm off my phone, and tossed it into the garbage.<\/p>\n
Ding.<\/p>\n
Jade posted again.<\/p>\n
This time, it was an audio clip.<\/p>\n
In it, she asked in a fake-sweet voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cAsh who do you love more? Me or your girlfriend?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHm?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton sounded drowsy, voice soft and affectionate.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou. I love you most. She doesn\u2019t even compare.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBabe\u2026 wanna fu\/\/ck again?\u201d<\/p>\n
The sound of heavy breathing said the rest.<\/p>\n
I shut off my phone and rushed to the bathroom, dry heaving.<\/p>\n
I looked up at the mirror.<\/p>\n
At some point, my face was covered in tears.<\/p>\n
I immediately booked a 7 AM train ticket home.<\/p>\n
I just wanted to leave.<\/p>\n
As fast as possible.<\/p>\n
Leave New York.<\/p>\n
Leave Ashton Reed.<\/p>\n
I don\u2019t remember getting home.<\/p>\n
When I came to it was already six days into the New Year.<\/p>\n
Mom and Dad saw I was off, but didn\u2019t ask.<\/p>\n
They just kept trying to joking, distracting me.<\/p>\n
That morning Mom asked carefully.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Reeds invited you for dinner. Do you want to go?\u201d<\/p>\n
I glanced at my phone.<\/p>\n
Ashton had finally replied yesterday.<\/p>\n
Two messages.<\/p>\n
One deleted.<\/p>\n
The newest one just said: \u201cOkay.\u201d<\/p>\n
I agreed to go anyway.<\/p>\n
Some things needed to be faced head-on.<\/p>\n
There was a crowd outside the Reed house.<\/p>\n
Their eyes were strange when they saw me\u2014some pitying, some just curious.<\/p>\n
My heart tightened. I walked in and saw Ashton kneeling in the middle of the living room.<\/p>\n
Standing awkwardly beside him was Jade.<\/p>\n
He must\u2019ve brought her home the second he saw my breakup text.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Reed\u2019s face was bright red, slamming the table.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou ungrateful brat! How could you do this to Stella!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton looked rough, but his expression stayed defiant.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll explain it to her. I don\u2019t love her anymore. Jade\u2019s my girlfriend now.\u201d<\/p>\n
It felt like someone was squeezing my heart.<\/p>\n
Hearing him say it out loud still hurt like he11.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Reed was almost laughing in anger.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen tell me what\u2019s so special about her that you\u2019d throw away ten years with Stella.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton\u2019s face lit up with happiness and pride.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe cooks for me. Smooths out my always-wrinkled shirts.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEven when the company hits a crisis, she stays up all night with me, working through it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStella just hid back home ignoring me. Couldn\u2019t even bring me a hot meal.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo why would I stay with her!\u201d<\/p>\n
He sounded so righteous, so convinced.<\/p>\n
Like he was trying to convince his parents. Or maybe himself.<\/p>\n
Someone in the crowd muttered.<\/p>\n
\u201cGuess the Morrison girl wasn\u2019t cutting it. Relationships are about being there for each other right?\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped, a bitter knot rising in my throat.<\/p>\n
Hilarious.<\/p>\n
Nobody knew I\u2019d planned to stay in New York too.<\/p>\n
Better opportunities. Better career prospects. My dream jobs were all here.<\/p>\n
But Ashton wanted to start his business, and his parents were worried.<\/p>\n
They were older and wanted him close after marriage.<\/p>\n
So I gave up my plans for his dreams, took some boring job and stayed home to take care of his parents.<\/p>\n
During those brutal startup years I gave him every paycheck.<\/p>\n
When his parents got sick I handled everything.<\/p>\n
And now he was saying he preferred another girl\u2019s company.<\/p>\n
Fingers dug into my palms without me realizing.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Reed rushed over when she saw me.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m so sorry Stella. Ashton\u2019s just confused right now. Let me talk to him\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton jumped up.<\/p>\n
\u201cStella YOU broke up with ME. Tell my parents! Tell them Jade\u2019s not a homewrecker!\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr. Reed had enough, kicked him to the floor.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou piece of sh!t!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cKick that mistress out. Apologize to Stella, or get out of this house!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton curled on the floor, unable to move.<\/p>\n
Jade shrieked and ran over to help him up.<\/p>\n
She lifted her head, eyes stubborn.<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. and Mrs. Reed, people are free to love who they want. Ashton doesn\u2019t have feelings for Stella anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then she glanced at me.<\/p>\n
My stomach dropped.<\/p>\n
Next second she raised her voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can\u2019t force your son to waste his life taking care of Stella, just because she was abused as a child!.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not fair!\u201d<\/p>\n
The words hit me like thunder.<\/p>\n
Gasps rippled through the crowd.<\/p>\n
Everyone\u2019s eyes on me, pointing, murmuring.<\/p>\n
My mind went blank.<\/p>\n
The thing I\u2019d feared my whole life just happened.<\/p>\n
Terror and rage flooded through me.<\/p>\n
I lost control, rushed her, shoved her down, yanked her hair.<\/p>\n
A powerful hand grabbed my arm and slammed me away.<\/p>\n
I slammed into the corner of a table. Pain blacked out my vision.<\/p>\n
Ashton pulled Jade into his arms, eyes blazing with fury.<\/p>\n
\u201cStella are you insane!\u201d<\/p>\n
I screamed back hoarse.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t see she did that on purpose?! She WANTED everyone to know!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what!\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton cut me off furious.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s telling the truth!\u201d<\/p>\n
The whispers around me got louder.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my god it\u2019s real. That poor girl.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStill she shouldn\u2019t have hidden it. That\u2019s tricking someone into being with damaged goods.\u201d<\/p>\n
The words\u2014pity and scorn\u2014pricked at my back like needles.<\/p>\n
I swallowed hard, tears bu\/\/rning.<\/p>\n
\u201cI told you that secret so you could announce it to everyone?\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashton looked at me without an ounce of the care he used to have.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou told me yourself. If you didn\u2019t care, why should I keep it secret.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd why did it even happen to you anyway.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTakes two to tango. Maybe if you didn\u2019t dress so s1utty all the time\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n
SMACK.<\/p>\n
Ashton\u2019s head whipped to the side. Red handprint on his cheek.<\/p>\n
Mrs. Reed hit him with everything she had, eyes full of disappointment.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou monster!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know Stella went through all that because of YOU!\u201d<\/p>\n
Princess Without Pack by Mark Twain 1 New Year\u2019s Eve. Five hours on a train to surprise my boyfriend. Guess […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-new-year-celebration-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22860\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}