Chapter 13
པགས་ནག་འགས
A year after I moved to Portland, my jewelry designs finally caught the creative director’s eye.
He didn’t hold back–gave me real chances, and my career took off like wildfire.[]
Being far away from everything and everyone I used to know… it brought a peace I’d never had before.
For the first time, things were going right.]
And that’s when Everett showed up.
It was right after work. My director had invited me out for dinner.
I’d just stepped outside the building when I saw him–standing across the street, eyes dark, jaw clenched.]
Maybe it was just me, but his whole body looked like it was shaking.[]
“Sloane Mercer,” he choked, voice cracking.
W
”
“I finally found you.“]
I stepped back instinctively, my guard up.
“Could you move? We’ve got dinner reservations.“]
That’s when he finally noticed I wasn’t alone.[]
His face dropped like a stone.
“Who is he?”
I shot him a cold look.
“Does it matter?”
His eyes went red. Then, suddenly, he grabbed my hand like a man about to break
“Baby, please. Come back with me. Let’s not do this anymore, okay?“]
“Everything that happened–it was all my fault. I swear, I swear I’ll never hurt you again.“]
Do this?
He thought I was doing something?
I didn’t want to make a scene in front of my coworkers, so I muttered an apology to my director and dragged Everett to a quiet corner.
“Sloane, please… just give me a chance to explain.“]
I looked him straight in the eye.
“No.”
His voice cracked. His hands trembled. He looked at me like a drowning man begging for air. []
“You can’t do this to me. Yeah, I messed up–I did.“[]
‘But even criminals get a chance to defend themselves. You won’t give me even
that?”
Chapter 13
I’d spent a whole year letting the hurt burn out.[]
So seeing Everett like this–falling apart, desperate–it didn’t move me. Not anymore.]]
“What do you want to explain? The system? The manipulation?“]
“Or the cheating that wasn’t even up for debate?“|||
A flicker of panic crossed his face. He stammered, “I know I hurt you–but I swear, Sloane, I never loved Noelle. I never loved anyone but you.”
Unbelievable.
Even now, he had the nerve to say that with a straight face.
Like I couldn’t tell the difference between a lie and a grave.
To me, emotional betrayal and physical cheating are two sides of the same damn coin.[]
He kept pushing. I
“Sloane, please. You’ve gotta believe me.‘
“O
“How… how do you even know about the system?“]
1 stared at him.
“If I didn’t know, how would I have noticed how calculated you were?“]]
“How fake it all was? Don’t you get it, Everett?“]]
“Your entire approach to me was strategic from day one.‘
e.“]
www
W
I stepped closer.
::“0
“So what now? I already left. I disappeared for a year.‘
“But you still had to track me down–because of your little mission?“||
Everett staggered backward
“No. No, I swear–it’s not about that anymore. I just wanted to see you.“]
“I love you, Sloane. Yeah, okay, at the start it was part of the strategy.”
on anymore—I just wanted you.“[]
“But then it changed. I changed. I didn’t care about the mission “So what?” I snapped.[
“If that were true, then why the hell did you cheat on
me?”
“Why did you string me along while knocking up someone else?”
“Don’t stand there and play the victim, Everett,”
“You’re not some poor guy who made a mistake–you’re a two–faced bastard.”
“Now leave. And don’t ever come looking for me again.”
