The Jilted Lover's Fierce Comeback

ing, they cam

my bedroom window. Her, Brooke, and Zoe. The th

orbell rang. Grandma was already t

who' s here

om of the stairs, m

sk of concern. "Alex! We were so worried.

just enough for her hand to miss its mark. It was a

" I said, m

e heard what happened, about Stanford. We just want you to

d innocence, as if she were a mere spectator to this dram

fake concern would have melted me. I would have confided in them, believed their empty

p a bag from our favorite Italian place. "Thought we

ke. Our "old times" were a car

t hungry,

ltered for a second. "We

e place. I followed slowly, feeling like a stranger in my ow

e and Brooke flanking Zoe, a pr

at' s going on? You can tell us. We' ve known each other

ere for each other? You w

hanged my mind. It' s

used to an open book, an Alex who wore his heart on his

e small and trembling. "Is

ke immediately

don't be silly," Chloe said

"About Alex being privileged. I was just upset, I didn' t mean it. I' m so sorry

nce. She played the victim perfectly, confessing to a minor sin to mask her mu

t was ins

ever, ever received from her. "You have every right to feel that way. Your life is

the one who had hurt Zoe. "Alex has no idea what it' s l

ing her feigned pain. They promised to help h

seating display, and a bitter, a

of debt and a crumbling family business, did they rush to my side with such fierce l

hing, did they promise to help me? No. They to

s piled up, did they offer this kind of unconditional su

r ticket to the good life

hand, was their

had never tasted, not even a single drop. And in that moment, seeing it so clearly, the l

ness. The part of my heart tha

r people to me. Th