Winning My Ex-Crush

Fenella’s POVOwned by NôvelDrama.Org.

I woke up with my eyelids still half-closed. I felt like I was still in a state of jet lag. Or maybe all of this was just the effect of the lack of sleep since last night.

Forcing myself to get up, I finally saw that the bed next to me was empty, and the gap in the window curtains showed the lamp light from the neighboring apartment building.

A thick blanket covered my body, and I gazed at my reddened body in some spots with small bite marks. Setting aside the painful fact, I immediately picked up my clothes from the floor in the corner of the bed. I walked out of the room while rubbing my eyes and blinking to see more clearly in the darkness.

The atmosphere in Laird’s apartment was not much different from the last time I saw it. It was almost entirely dark, with only two bright sources of light: the bathroom and the balcony. My eyes glanced at the clock on the living room table and were surprised to see the time.

Eight o’clock in the evening? Does that mean I slept naked and entwined with Laird for more than 6 hours?!

Then I turned to the balcony, where the door was slightly ajar. I stepped out and slid open the door. Sure enough, I immediately saw Laird sitting on his wooden chair with a cigarette between his index and middle fingers.

He looked up and gazed at me for a long moment. Without saying anything, he looked back at the nighttime view of New York City and took a deep drag of his cigarette.

“Laird, you’re breaking your own promise,” I said softly to break the silence.

“What promise?” he replied coldly.

“You said you’d face everything together. You said you wouldn’t leave me,” I demanded his promise.

“Oh, you forgot one thing, Fenella. In any agreement, both parties must fulfill it equally.” He didn’t even look at my face as he spoke.

“I didn’t leave you. Didn’t I keep inviting you to sit with me, but you didn’t want to?”

“Yes, then go suck their asses for fleeting fame?” he scoffed.

“That’s called marketing strategy. Doing a presentation for investors can also be called sucking up to them.”

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and stared at the man in annoyance. How dare he criticize me after leaving me high and dry in Mexico? And now, after leaving so many bite marks on my unconscious body, he’s protesting against me.

“Please listen to me. Alan set everything up so I could enter Mallory West’s circle of friends. This is Mallory West! You understand that, right?”

“Oh, yes, I understand. I clearly heard how that pop diva raised a toast for everyone for you and Alan, the cute and fun couple. Congratulations.” Laird shook his head with a sardonic smile on his face.

I stepped closer to his chair. This time, I sat in the chair on his side.

“Hey, I’m also angry at Alan for lying to the public like that and not telling me beforehand. I had no other choice, and it was all just an act, nothing more,” I said.

Laird gazed at me for a long moment before shaking his head. He kept smiling. His index finger was raised, and he waggled it in front of me.

“No, Fenella. Everyone can choose, and you chose to follow your ambitions. Maybe what Alan told me before is true; you’re just like the other girls.”

“You’ll choose more money, more fame, and a man who can give you more. Foolishly, I believed you were still the good girl I used to know,” he said as he slipped the cigarette back between his lips.

I held my breath and blinked. My hands were raised in the air, and I really had to restrain myself from shouting at him in anger. Eventually, I groaned irritably with my mouth agape.

“You have no right to judge me. You know how much this means to me, just like your dream of building a business. We’re talking about Mallory West, and oh boy, I definitely can’t pass up that opportunity,” my voice now higher and firmer.

“Why do you have to make everything so difficult for me? We should be able to work together to make this relationship work,” I explained.

“Ha! Working with a cheater? No, thank you.” Laird laughed at me.

“Hey, I can accept if you insult me as stupid, crybaby, bitch, or whatever you want to call me, except a cheater. In this case, I didn’t cheat on you and betray you,” my voice rising even more.

“We never know what the future holds. Just yesterday, you clearly betrayed me by choosing Alan,” he shrugged.

“You know, you’ve done this to me multiple times. You’ve always chosen other men over me for as long as I can remember,” his voice now resembling a low growl.

“What do you mean? Did I have a misunderstanding? This is the first time something like this has happened, and in the past, it has always been you who left me without a clear reason.” I furrowed my brow.

“Oh, come on, Fenella. Stop acting like you’re the victim here.”

“You know, I even think I have trust issues with you because of my trauma from prom night.” This time, Laird flicked the cigarette butt into the ashtray. I snorted.

“Isn’t this the other way around? I was the one traumatized by your rejection! You know I pursued a career as a model and the type of girl you like with all my might. Did you really forget?” I stood up from the chair in anger.

Laird also stood up from his chair. Now he faced me directly, his face right in front of mine. He hissed, gritting his teeth in anger.

“I will tell you straight. I rejected you because I was already heartbroken by your act of leaving me alone on the dance floor,” he expressed.

“My rejection and all about the type of girl I like are just bullshit, I said out of anger and disappointment towards you, who betrayed me.”

His jaw tensed, and his heavy breathing told me how hard he was trying to restrain himself.

My heart clenched upon hearing that confession. My heartbeat quickened. Everything seemed ridiculous, and our memories seemed to have no coherence about all the events during high school.

“How dare you say that to me? I never once betrayed you. You should know all the sacrifices I made during my teenage years to be with you,” I whispered.

My eyes felt hot, and tears gathered in the corners of my eyes. Where did all this nonsense Laird was saying come from?

“Oh, yeah? Then tell me, Fenella.”

“Tell me honestly how you dumped me like trash during prom night. Tell me everything and show me where it differs from your bad acting out with Alan yesterday,” he whispered fiercely, narrowing his eyes.