Chapter 2

Jayden leaned over to click her seatbelt, the motion automatic after so many months together. Noticing her puffy eyes, his voice softened.

“That video was never supposed to happen. I’ll make it disappear,” he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You look wrecked. Let me get you home.”

Kimberly’s throat tightened as his office conversation echoed in her mind. The tears she’d been fighting broke free, streaming down her cheeks.

Jayden froze momentarily, then wiped her tears with his thumb. “Hold on a sec,” he said, opening his door. “I need to grab something.”

The moment he left, Kimberly noticed his iPhone sitting in the center console. A magnetic pull drew her hand toward it. Her fingers trembled as she typed in Agatha’s birthday. The screen unlocked.

WhatsApp opened to show Agatha’s conversation pinned at the top. Their recent exchange made Kimberly’s stomach drop:

Agatha: Can you just end things with her before I get back?

Jayden: She’s just a toy I’ve been playing with. We were never actually together.

Her chest constricted so painfully she could barely breathe. Swallowing back bile, she scrolled higher. For the entire two years Agatha had been gone, Jayden had called her every single night at 8 PM sharp—exactly when he always told Kimberly he had “emergency board meetings” and couldn’t be disturbed. His monthly transfers to Agatha had six zeros, sent without so much as a note. Agatha’s messages were playful and demanding, sending pouty selfies asking for compliments. Jayden—cold, reserved Jayden—responded with cutesy emojis Kimberly had never seen, reminding Agatha to “bundle up” and “take her vitamins.”

The phone felt like it was burning her hands. This wasn’t the Jayden she knew—or thought she knew.

Chapter 2

Every gentle touch, every protective gesture toward her was just a pale shadow of what he felt for Agatha.

When Jayden returned, he was holding a Plan B pill.

“Last night got intense,” he said, stroking her hair with heartbreaking tenderness. “Take this, okay? We weren’t exactly careful.”

Kimberly clutched the box, biting her lip until she tasted copper. The care in his voice made her want to scream. If she hadn’t overheard his conversation, she would still be pathetically grateful for his concern. The realization crushed something vital inside her.

When they reached her father’s mansion, Jayden leaned in for their usual goodbye kiss. Kimberly recoiled, hands shaking as she wrestled with the seatbelt. His eyes darkened. Before she could escape, his arm shot out, locking her in place.

“Still freaking out about the video?” His voice was low, almost hurt. “I didn’t record it, Kimberly. The hotel manager’s been fired.” He tilted her chin up, forcing eye contact. “I would never hurt you. Never. Our anniversary’s coming up next week—I’m going to make everything right. I promise.”

The lies felt like acid eating through her chest. Every word of fake affection was another knife twisting inside her.

Fighting the urge to either vomit or scream, Kimberly pushed away from him. “I need to go inside.”

She practically ran to the house, desperate to escape his suffocating presence. She crashed straight into Ronald Jordan in the foyer. Her father’s face contorted with disgust. Before she could speak, his hand whipped across her face with enough force to make her ears ring.

“You fucking disgrace,” he snarled. “Dating is one thing, but a goddamn sex tape? Everyone I know has seen it. You’ve humiliated this entire family!”

Her cheek throbbed as he continued, “No wonder those kids at your fancy dance program treat you like shit. You’re nothing but trash—what did you expect?”

Chapter 2

Ronald threw a plane ticket at her feet, the paper skidding across the marble.

“One-way ticket, leaving next week. Get the hell out of my house and don’t come crawling back. Ever.”

Kimberly stared at the ticket, her fingers numb as she picked it up. The destination didn’t even matter. This was her formal exile—the final confirmation that she had no place here. Her own father thought she was garbage and wanted her gone.

Fine. The feeling was mutual.

“I’ll leave,” she said, her voice hollow. “And trust me, I won’t be back.”

Ronald blinked, clearly caught off guard. He’d expected her to beg, to make excuses. When he’d arranged for Agatha’s “educational opportunity” abroad and suggested Kimberly go too, she’d thrown a fit, eventually confessing she was in love with someone and couldn’t bear to leave. Her quiet acceptance now was unsettling.

His tone cooled slightly. “Agatha’s coming home this weekend. I’m throwing her a welcome party. You’ll be there.”

“That video’s already making the rounds. If you don’t show your face, it’ll just confirm what everyone’s saying about you.”

Kimberly nodded mechanically. “Fine.”

She took three days off from school. Hour by hour, she methodically packed everything Jayden had ever given her—the designer clothes, the jewelry, the rare books. She listed each item online at full retail price, her movements robotic.

When Saturday arrived, so did Agatha. Ronald rented out the Mandarin Oriental’s grand ballroom—the same hotel where Kimberly’s humiliation had been filmed. He invited Boston’s business elite, the city’s old-money families, and the university’s administration.

Chapter 2

And, of course, Jayden. Kimberly hadn’t expected him to be there already. As she tried to slip out unnoticed, his fingers locked around her wrist, pulling her behind a massive pillar. He pressed her against the wall, arms caging her in, his cologne—the scent she once loved—now suffocating.

“You haven’t been to class for days. You won’t answer my calls or texts.” His breath was hot against her neck. “You even ghosted me on our anniversary.”

His voice dropped lower, a hint of genuine worry breaking through. “Kimberly, I’ve been losing my mind. What’s going on with you?”