break up
Ethan hadn’t come home all night. My heart
sank with every passing hour until he finally
stumbled through the door the next morning,
looking exhausted. “That crazy bitch,” he
muttered, cutting off whatever I was about to
say.
He sat beside me, fuming. “She was playing
me! Said some creep was following her. Like
anyone would stalk her!”
His words eased my anxiety slightly. I leaned
closer. “She’s really disrupting our lives,
Ethan. Can you just… not answer her calls
anymore?”
He gave a wry smile. “I wish it were that easy.
She uses different numbers. It’s impossible to
く
“Don’t worry,” he continued. “We’re getting
engaged soon. I’ll make it clear to her. It’s
over.”
I nodded, then noticed he was only wearing
the T–shirt from last night. His jacket was
gone. “Where’s your jacket?” I asked,
frowning.
“Oh,” he said dismissively, “I left it at her
place. Whatever. Don’t want to go back there
again.”
We didn’t invite Ashley to our engagement
party. Who knew what she’d do? We didn’t
even post about it on social media, just told
our friends privately. But somehow, she found
out and showed up anyway.
<
I was with Ethan, greeting guests at the door,
when she walked up to us, a sickly smile on
her face. “Seven years, huh? Finally made it
official.”
“Congratulations,” she added, her voice
dripping with false sincerity.
She’d clearly tried to dress up, but the result
was disastrous. Heavy eyebrows, bright red
lipstick, and although her freckles were
covered, her face was so pale she looked
ghostly. The white dress she wore, however,
made her look like she was the bride–to–be.
And the jacket draped over her shoulders… I
recognized it. It was Ethan’s.
My smile faltered, but I managed a polite,
“Thank you. I hope you find your own
<
Ashley ignored me, staring straight at Ethan.
His usual annoyance was absent, replaced by
a strange mix of emotions.
“What are you doing here?” he asked.
“Don’t worry,” she said, her voice strained.
“Just wanted to see… I might not have you,
but I can at least wish you well.”
Her dejected look disarmed even Ethan. He
didn’t have a chance to respond before she
walked away.
After she left, my best friend, Chloe, pulled
me aside. “Oh my god, did you see her face?
Nightmare fuel!” she whispered. “I feel so bad
for Ethan. Being stalked like that… he
probably has nightmares!”
く
I tried to smile, but couldn’t. A sense of
unease settled in my stomach. Something felt
off, out of control.
“Do you think… do you think Ethan actually
likes her?” I whispered, the thought terrifying
- me. Something about his expression earlier…..
Chloe rolled her eyes. “Seriously? Ethan? He
could have any girl he wants! He wouldn’t go
for her. Five–foot–nothing, bow–legged,
freckled… please. Don’t insult him.”
I took a deep breath. Chloe was right. I was
so much better than Ashley. Ethan would
know who to choose. Besides, we’d been
together for seven years. We were practically
family. I had to trust him.
at the toblo with our high school
<
Later, at the table with our high school
friends, I raised my glass. “Thanks for
coming, everyone. Ethan and I wouldn’t be
here without your support.”
“Cheers to you both! Wishing you a lifetime
of happiness!” one of the guys shouted.
“Yeah, we’ve watched your relationship
blossom since high school! Seven years! You
guys finally made it!”
A girl from our class chimed in, “You were
both the ‘it‘ couple back then. Every girl had a
crush on Ethan. We used to wonder who
could possibly snag him, and turns out, you
snagged each other!”
“She doesn’t know the half of it,” another guy
لممممم
nd “F÷bon NOS
nervous before be
く
asked Sarah out. He came to me for advice!”
The room buzzed with nostalgic laughter,
everyone reminiscing about our relationship.
Everyone except Ashley, who stood silently in
the corner, fixated on Ethan. He pretended
not to notice, avoiding her gaze, but his smile
seemed strained.
“Alright, let’s raise a glass to the happy
couple! Wishing you a long and happy life
together!” Our class president, Mark, raised
his glass, and everyone followed suit.
Except Ashley. She just stood there,
motionless and silent. The air grew thick with
awkwardness.
“Ashley, raise your glass! What are you
waiting for?” Mark prompted.
Ashley picked up her glass and, ignoring
everyone else, downed it in one gulp. The
wine dribbled down her chin, and she
coughed, tears welling in her eyes.
“To you…” she choked out, looking at Ethan
with a desperate intensity. “May you live
happily ever after.”
She wiped her face and rushed out of the
room.
The room fell silent, the celebratory mood
shattered. Everyone knew the story. After a
moment of stunned silence, Mark tried to
smooth things over. “Maybe she had
something to do. Come on, let’s drink!”
But Ethan was staring at the doorway, frozen.
く
He hadn’t heard a word.
“Ethan?” I whispered.
He snapped out of it, but instead of drinking,
he looked panicked. “I need to check on her.”
He pushed past me and hurried out of the
room. My supposed rival had run out in tears,
and my fiancé had chased after her. I stood
alone in the doorway, humiliated and
ridiculous. Even Mark couldn’t salvage the
situation. Everyone stared at me, waiting for
my reaction.
I forced a smile. “Enjoy yourselves, everyone. I
Before I could finish, Chloe burst back into
the room, frantic. “Sarah! You need to come
く
quick! Ashley… she’s going to jump!”
Our engagement party dissolved into chaos.
Everyone rushed outside to see the
commotion. I clutched my dress and ran up to
the seventh–floor rooftop. Ashley was
perched on the railing, the wind whipping her
hair around her face. Her makeup was
smeared, making her look even worse. Ethan
stood nearby, his fists clenched, his face
white.
“Ashley, come down! We can talk about this!”
She glanced at him, letting the wind dry the
tears on her face. “Ethan, you’re engaged.
Happy, huh?” she said, her voice trembling.
Ethan didn’t answer, just stared at her.
L
People were gathering below, pointing and
whispering, but Ashley didn’t care. She swung
her legs, lost in thought.
“Ethan, I’ve loved you for ten years,” she
began. “Since high school. Remember when
the teacher made us choose partners? No
one wanted to sit with me because I was ugly.
I was so embarrassed, I wanted to disappear.
But you said you’d sit with me. I remember
thinking, ‘He’s so cute, so popular, why would
he want to sit with me?‘ That’s when I fell for
you.”
“Ashley, just come down!” Ethan yelled again.
She continued as if she hadn’t heard him.
“Why did you choose Sarah? Because she’s
prettier? Because she gets better grades?
But I’m the one who loves you the most,
く
Ethan. I’m the one who loves you more than
anything in the world. I changed my college
plans to be near you. I begged and pleaded to get a job here. I thought maybe… maybe you’d break up with Sarah. Maybe then you’d
see me. But why… why are you marrying
her?”
Chloe couldn’t take it anymore. “Are you
insane? He’s getting married! Have some
self–respect!”
“Shut up!” Ethan roared, turning on Chloe
with a terrifying look I’d never seen before.
Chloe flinched, then looked at me,
speechless.
He turned back to Ashley, his voice softening.
“Ashley, please. Come down. We can talk
about this. Please, just listen to me.” His
L
voice was so gentle, so caring… so familiar, yet so foreign.
Ashley smiled faintly and looked at Ethan, her white dress billowing in the wind. “Ethan, I’ve loved you for ten years. You’re my whole life. If I can’t be with you, I don’t see the point of living.”
“Now,” she continued, a chilling edge to her
voice, “I’m giving you a choice. Be with me, call off the engagement. Or…” She gripped
the railing, leaning back slightly. “Watch me
die right here. If I can’t have you, at least
you’ll never forget me.”
Seven stories wasn’t that high, but it was high
enough. High enough to die. My hands
trembled. I looked at Ethan, pleading.
“Ethan… please. Don’t.”
Г
He turned to me, guilt flashing across his
face. “I’m sorry, Sarah,” he said quietly.
Tears streamed down my face. “What about
me?” I choked out.
He looked down. “I’m sorry. But I can’t just let
her die.”
I lost it. “Why do you even care if she dies?!
