Chapter 3

3

My heart shattered, and a wave of nausea and embarrassment washed over me. I fought back the tears; I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

Phones were right in my face. I swatted them away, furious, and knocked the cake over, sending frosting flying.

They all scattered, cursing, trying to wipe themselves off.

Some of the goo splattered on Tiffany's dress.

"Suzie, are you crazy?"

Jake yelled, grabbed a paper towel, and started carefully dabbing at Tiffany's dress.

He treated her with more care than he had my face!

"Jake, do you even know what day it is?" I asked.

Without even glancing back, Jake shot out, “Apologize! Or we're over!”

I laughed without humor, "Funny, that’s exactly what I was about to say, I am so done with you!”

I stormed out of there.

Behind me, I could hear Tiffany saying, “Jake, you should go after her.”

“Nah, she’ll be back, she's got nowhere else to go. The family business went down the toilet, she's just a financial bailout, think she can act all high and mighty.”

A financial bailout?

That’s what I was to him?

I thought our connection, our history meant something. I thought he saw more to me than my family's money.

That’s why he was all too eager to give money to my dad, with no paperwork, just saying, “Suzie, you’d make a great wife.”

Now I get it. He wasn’t confessing his feelings. He was buying a compliant “wife”.

He got to look like a great guy, and could still do whatever he wanted on the side.

I needed to wake up.

That sweet, smiling boy who used to ride his bike to school and give me his umbrella was gone.