Chapter 4

With that, Bailey rounded on Derek, her eyes blazing. "Derek, tell me, who's the real homewrecker here?"

Derek's grip on the steering wheel tightened, veins standing out on his knuckles. After a long, tense silence, he finally snapped at Bailey, his voice thick with anger.

He said, "She's the homewrecker. I broke things off with her a long time ago. She keeps clinging to me. I never cheated on you.

"She's been all over me for the past six months."

Hearing Derek's words, my heart sank hard, and tears streamed down my face.

After seven years, I finally realized the truth about the man I gave my heart to.

My heart felt like it shattered in that moment. I snapped at Derek, "Fine, if I'm the homewrecker, just stop the car. I'm done playing third wheel in your messed-up relationship."

Without waiting for his response, I kept slamming my fist against the car door.

Bailey smirked again, her eyes full of contempt.

"So you admit you're the homewrecker. Did you really think I'd let you off that easy?" Bailey sneered.

My eyes went wide with fear. "What do you mean?"

Bailey smirked again. "You'll find out soon enough."

Bailey's face was icy as she turned to Derek. "Derek, stop the car. If you so much as interfere, our wedding's off."

As soon as Bailey finished speaking, Derek slammed on the brakes.

The car came to a sudden stop, and my head smacked against the back of the seat.

The door swung open, and I caught sight of Bailey, her face dark and thunderous. Ignoring the ache in my chest, I fumbled with the door, desperate to get out.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen to me today.

Sure enough, as soon as I got out of the car, Bailey was right on my heels. She yanked my hair and smacked me twice, right across the face.

My cheek burned with pain, and blood started oozing from my lip.

I pressed my hand to my face, furious. "Are you crazy, Bailey? You know hitting someone's against the law, right?

"Whether you believe me or not, I never tried to seduce Derek. He was always in a relationship with me.

"Even six months ago, he'd fly out to see me every couple of months. I honestly thought we were just doing the long-distance thing.

"If I'd known he was seeing you, I would've dumped him right away."

I was desperate to convince Bailey that this wasn't my fault, I was a victim too.

But Bailey wasn't having any of it. She stormed over, grabbed me by the collar, and slapped me twice, hard.

"You really think I'm gonna listen to your pathetic excuses? Trust me, I've dealt with way worse than you," Bailey sneered.

My face was stinging all over, and I'd finally reached my limit. As Bailey reached out to hit me again, I snapped.

Furious, I grabbed her hair and tried to slap her back, mimicking her move.

Bailey despised me, but honestly, the feeling was mutual.

But just as I was about to hit back, two more cars rolled up by the curb. Bailey sneered and shoved me aside hard.

Bailey yelled, "Finally, you guys made it. This is the homewrecker who hooked up with Derek behind my back while he was out of town.

"Ruin her for me today."

As soon as Bailey finished, a few girls who'd just pulled up rushed at me.

The expressions on their faces made me bolt, but I barely got two steps before someone yanked my hair, dragging me back. Before I could even cry out, one of them landed several hard slaps right across my face.

The others went for my clothes, ripping at my pants, and one girl whipped out her phone, filming everything.

My face scraped against the pavement, blood smearing everywhere, and even my jacket got torn off.

I was at my breaking point, hysterically yelling for Derek, who just sat there in the car, completely ignoring me.

I begged, "Derek, help me. Please, Derek, save me.

"Derek, what the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind?"

But no matter how much I lost it, Derek didn't even budge. He just sat there in the driver's seat, completely unfazed, puffing on his cigarette.

Watching him sit there, completely unfazed, I felt my heart shatter, there was nothing left inside me.

I couldn't believe how dumb I was.

I actually came all the way out to this hellhole for Derek on Christmas Eve.

My chest hurt so bad I could barely breathe. They tore every last piece of clothing off me, my face was swollen and burning from all the slaps, and even my chest ached so much I thought I might pass out.

Bailey walked over to Derek's car and told him to get out.

She folded her arms and said to Derek, "Derek, tell her to stop shamelessly throwing herself at you."

Derek stood in the snow, his expression impossible to read. He just looked at me, calm as ever, while I stood there, battered and exposed.

Derek said, "Adele, we broke up a long time ago. Don't come chasing after me anymore.

"This is the price you pay for seducing me."

With that, he didn't even look back. He took Bailey by the hand and led her back to the car.

They left without a care in the world, driving off and leaving me standing there, staring at the ground splattered with my own blood. Tears streamed down my face as I called the cops.