Chapter 3

3

I expected Zane to show up alone, but of course, he had Roxie clinging to his arm.

This was the lowest point of my life.

"Alright, Zane," Jaxson said, gesturing to me. "Tell everyone the truth. Who is this girl, and how long has she been stalking you?"

Zane looked around, clearly caught off guard.

He hated Jaxson. He always complained that Roxie's brother was a meathead with no class.

But right now, he needed Jaxson to be his muscle. He forced a tight smile.

"We met while I was on a solo road trip right after college," Zane lied, his voice loud enough for the crowd to hear.

He was framing it like a random, meaningless encounter.

He was literally erasing three years of our lives together.

I stared at him, my heart breaking all over again. He was willing to let these people destroy me just to keep his lies alive.

"You hear that?" Jaxson shouted to the crowd. "She's been obsessed with him ever since he was nice to her on a trip. And my sister was waiting for him at home the whole time!"

The crowd started jeering. The judgment was thick in the air.

"She's so young, why would she do that?" an old woman asked.

"Some girls just love the drama," a man replied.

"She should be run out of town for this," someone else added.

I noticed one of Jaxson's friends was filming the whole thing on his phone.

My heart sank. My entire reputation was being burned to the ground on a live stream.

"We didn't just meet on a trip, Zane! You lived in my apartment!" I screamed.

He looked at me with mock pity. "Cassie, please. Get help."

Roxie stepped forward then, looking like an angel of mercy.

"Jaxson, stop," she said softly. "You're embarrassing her. This is enough."

Jaxson shook his head. "You're too kind, Roxie. This bitch tried to ruin your life."

I wanted to vomit. "Roxie, if you've been with him this whole time, show us the proof. Show the messages from three years ago."

Zane had been single when we met. They had been broken up for ages.

Roxie bit her lip, looking nervous for a split second.

Then she shook her head sadly. "I don't think that's a good idea, Cassie. It'll only make you look worse."

"Do it!" I yelled, struggling to stand up.

I was sick of the acting. I was sick of them being the golden couple while I was the dirt under their shoes.

Roxie sighed and pulled out her phone. She scrolled for a second and then showed the screen to the people closest to her.

My jaw dropped. There were messages, clear as day, showing they were in contact during the time we were together.

They were full of pet names and heart emojis.

I felt like the world was spinning. Had they really been talking behind my back the entire time?

Was I actually the other woman without even knowing it?

"Can you just stop now?" Zane asked, his voice cold. "Stop harassing us, Cassie. It's over."

Tears finally spilled over. I couldn't believe the man I loved was this cruel.

I remembered when he first moved to the city. Roxie had stayed behind in our hometown.

They had kept meeting up while I was at work, and I never suspected a thing.

"No wonder your own parents disowned you," Zane suddenly spat. "You're a parasite. You don't deserve to be loved."

The park went dead silent for a moment.

That hit me harder than any fist.

"Oh, so she's got family issues too? Figures," someone laughed.

"Broken home, broken girl," another person chimed in.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. That was my darkest secret, something I only told Zane in the middle of the night.

I grew up in a tiny, conservative town where my parents treated me like a servant for my younger brother.

I had to beg them to let me go to college. I promised I'd pay for everything myself and send money back for my brother's house.

I spent my childhood working in the fields, and if I messed up, I didn't get to eat.

I told people I was an orphan because the truth was too painful.

And now, the man I trusted with my soul was using my trauma as a weapon to humiliate me.

He knew exactly where to twist the knife to make me bleed the most.