Chapter 2 Never a choice
The distant crackle of fireworks briefly filled the silence on Bradley’s end, followed by a weary sigh.
“Ashley, not this again,” he said, his tone dripping with exasperation.
Not this again? How dare he? He broke his promise, yet I was the one being blamed for feeling hurt?
A fiery anger surged through me. “I know exactly where you are and what you’re doing, Mr. Martin!” I spat, my voice trembling with frustration. “Social media exists, you know! Maybe tell Hallie to stop plastering your pictures everywhere if you don’t want the world to see!”
Maybe tell
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+ 5 Points:
Without waiting for a reply, I ended the call and flipped my phone to silent.
I rose from the bed, pacing toward the closet where my suitcase had been tucked away
for years. As I opened the door, my eyes fell on a red gift bag hidden behind it–the one I’d bought just last week. Inside was a custom–made, deep navy–blue dive bag, perfectly matching the shade of the ocean at dawn. Bradley’s favorite time to dive.
I shoved the gift aside and yanked out my suitcase. I packed quickly, moving with purpose. This penthouse wasn’t mine- it was his. If anyone was leaving tonight, it would be me.
Two hours later, my things were packed. The sight of the neatly zipped suitcase brought a strange sense of finality. I called a cab, loaded everything, and directed the driver
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to a modest apartment in the suburbs–my home from two years ago.
It had been a long time since I’d set foot in this place. My parents had given me the apartment when I first landed a job as a writer at Luminous Pages. Back then, I chose to stay here to avoid relying on Bradley for anything, wanting to stand on my own.
But Bradley had other plans. It wasn’t long before he insisted I move in with him. “It’s more practical, he’d reasoned. He had chauffeurs to take me anywhere, and living together meant we’d see each other more often.
I had believed him. But now, unpacking my suitcase in the silence of this small, familiar space, I realized how much I had sacrificed for his convenience.
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Bradley had insisted on the arrangement, and lacking a solid reason to refuse, I had agreed. Since then, I’d been living in his world, a world that never truly felt like mine.
A sharp pang of regret sliced through me- a reminder of how far apart we had drifted. It felt almost tragic that I hadn’t noticed how often he was with Hallie until I moved in with him. What was the point of sharing a space if our hearts were worlds apart?
Exhaustion weighed on me as I stumbled into my old apartment. I left my belongings scattered in the living room, too tired to unpack. Pulling off the plastic cover from ..the mattress, I grabbed a clean sheet from
the linen closet and collapsed onto the bed, letting sleep take me.
Bradley and 1–so close in proximity, yet so distant in every way that mattered. How had
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it come to this?
The harsh buzz of my alarm yanked me awake the next morning. Instinctively, I reached for my phone.
Bradley’s messages greeted me:
[Ashley, don’t be envious. I saw the post on Tattle. Hallie needed my help with an overseas deal–it was a last–minute business meeting.]
[Stop being immature. We’re adults. Come home when you’re ready to be reasonable.]
Immature? The word burned into my mind, its sting impossible to ignore.
I tossed the phone onto the bed and stalked into the combined living room and kitchen, grabbing a bottled drink left over from the
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day before. But no amount of cold liquid could quench the fire of frustration his words had sparked.
Immature? Really?
My thoughts churned as I recounted the endless times Bradley had canceled plans, postponed meetings, or disrupted family dinners–all because Hallie needed him for one of her so–called “emergencies.”
I couldn’t forget the night she’d called him in a panic after watching a horror movie at one of her family’s private residences. Seriously? Who gets so scared by a movie that they need someone to come over? Besides, she was never truly alone–her staff was always nearby, catering to her every whim.
Still, Bradley had changed out of his pajamas, pulled on casual clothes, and said,
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“Hallie needs me. I’ll just be gone for a bit.”
I’d been appalled, and I tried to stop him. “You can’t keep dropping everything for her, Bradley!”
He sighed, rubbing his temple and deliberately avoiding eye contact. “There’s nothing going on between us, Ashley. How many times do I have to tell you this?”
Then he finally looked at me, his voice heavy with irritation. “But if you’ve already decided what you believe, is there any point in me trying to convince you otherwise?”
With that, he stormed out of the penthouse, grabbing his car keys and driving off to
wherever Hallie was, refusing his chauffeur’s assistance as he always did.
The following day, as if on cue, Bradley
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would orchestrate some elaborate romantic gesture to win me back. A surprise dinner at an exclusive restaurant, a private concert, or even a spontaneous weekend getaway–he knew exactly how to make me forget. And, without fail, I always forgave him.
Our reconciliations felt like a reset, a chance to rebuild what was breaking. But it never lasted. The cracks always reappeared, widening each time. Every date we went on, every tender moment we shared, was inevitably tainted by the shadow of Hallie. Especially after we made our relationship public, it seemed her presence was always lurking in the background, no matter how much Bradley tried to assure me otherwise.
Did he truly believe I was blind to the pattern?
I wasn’t.
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Yes, I let him off too easily–I know that. But it wasn’t because I was oblivious. It was because I didn’t want to fight with someone I loved so fiercely. I thought compromise was the price of love.
But not this time.
This time, I saw things clearly.
Bradley’s feelings for Hallie were undeniable, whether he confessed them or not. I couldn’t keep deluding myself, clinging to the scraps of a love that wasn’t fully mine.
For my own sake, I had to walk away. I had to. break the cycle.
It was time to let go. Time to stop loving him. Once and for all.
