Chapter 1
I knocked on the VIP room door, holding the hearty corn and rib soup that had simmered for three hours.
Maybe the music was too loud, or maybe they were intentionally trying to humiliate me, but I had to knock for five minutes before they finally let me in.
The moment I stepped inside, a bucket of water splashed all over me, chilling me to the bone.
“Hahaha, I told you Simp Aubrey would show up! What’s a fever? She even came rushing over like a loyal puppy when she was in the hospital with a broken leg, just because Jaxson called.”
“Simp Aubrey, heard you’re running a fever. We’re just helping you cool down, so you really ought to thank us.”
“Simp Aubrey is really something, huh? Always good for a fresh laugh.”
Wave after wave of mockery hammered at my ears, making me clench my hand around the insulated container.
Water dripped from my dress, and drops from my hair clung to my lashes like unshed tears.
I bit back the chattering of my teeth, swallowing the bitter lump in my throat, and said softly, “Jaxson Hayes, your soup.”
“Ohh~ Jaxson Hayes, your soup~”
Listening to their passive-aggressive jabs, Willow Jenkins, Jaxson’s childhood sweetheart, who was practically glowing in the center of their adoration, chose that moment to flash a mocking smile.
Jaxson finally stood up from the VIP booth and slowly walked towards me.
He casually brushed the damp hair from my cheek, his tone almost too light. “Really, Aubrey, that was too much trouble for you. You’re not mad, are you?”
“Look, guys, you went too far with that joke. Aubrey’s sick, and she still dragged herself here to make soup for everyone. We should be thanking her, not this.”
I thought he was genuinely realizing he’d gone too far and was about to say it was nothing, when Jaxson, right in front of me, poured every last drop of the soup into the overflowing trash bin.
His voice was gentle, but his words felt like a knife twisting in my gut. “But Aubrey, didn’t I tell you? What you make is so bad even a dog wouldn’t touch it. How could I possibly eat it?”
I silently met Jaxson’s gaze. My fever-addled brain spun, making me stumble two steps back.
Jaxson instinctively flinched away, leaving me unsupported. My head slammed hard against the doorframe, a dull thud echoing in the sudden silence.
Jaxson’s expression was laced with mockery. “Stop acting all delicate with me, Aubrey. You gave a speech steady as a rock even with a broken leg, and you’d rush to my side after a car crash with just one call. Now you’re just running a fever, so why the sudden damsel-in-distress act?”
“If you think this little stunt will grab my attention, you’ve got another thing coming. I’m not feeling any sympathy.”
“So, Aubrey, if you know what’s good for you, tell your dad to call off our engagement himself. You’ve been clinging to me, begging me daily. You might not have any shame, but I do. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to have you following me around all the time?”
It felt like a giant hand was squeezing my heart, draining the color from my face.
I knew Jaxson resented me because of our arranged engagement.
But this was the first time I’d truly realized that the person who stood before me as a child, promising to protect me forever, had vanished into the unforgiving currents of time.
I braced myself against the wall, barely managing to stand steady.
Before I could even speak, amidst their jeers, Jaxson tossed the ring I had lovingly made for him into the screaming crowd:
“Aubrey Miller, I won’t be showing up to our wedding in three days. Either find some random guy to marry, or get ready for the ultimate public humiliation with your power-hungry dad.”
I watched his smug grin, and a genuine, almost relieved, laugh bubbled out of me.
“Good.” *** 0