We sit, and an awkward silence stretches between us, charged with the history we share. Finally, I break it, my voice steadier than I feel. “I wanted to talk about… us,” I begin, drawing him into the conversation. The words taste like ash, but I push through, weaving a narrative where reconciliation might be possible, where I might consider giving ‘us’ another chance.
And like a fish to a hook, he swallows it, the eagerness flashing in his eyes is almost pitiful. He confesses—to getting me fired, to sabotaging my studio deal, meddling in my job interviews, all under the misguided belief that derailing my life would drive me back into his arms. His arrogance boils my blood, but I keep my expression neutral, sympathetic even.
“You were trying to help us, weren’t you? To save what we had?” I prod gently, urging him into full confession.
He spills everything, every manipulative detail, driven by a mix of ego and a delusional belief in our ‘love.’ And the recorder captures it all.
When he’s done, I feel both vindicated and disgusted. “Jason,” I start, my voice cold. “You didn’t ‘save’ anything. You tried to break me, to control me. But that’s over now."
Confusion mars his features as I pull out the recorder, still running, still pulling his secrets into the open. “Say hello to your own voice,” I say, almost casually.
Panic replaces confusion, and his arrogance evaporates. “Catherine, listen, I—”
“No, you listen,” I interrupt, fury breaking through. “This ends now. I have enough here to ruin you, but I won’t use it if you leave me alone. No more games, no more sabotage. You will stay away from me and my life. Understand?”
The color drains from his face. He knows the power I hold in my hands, the recklessness of his own actions laid bare. With a defeated nod, he agrees. “You won’t hear from me again. I promise.”
I stand, the chair scraping loudly against the patio’s concrete. “Good,” I say, tucking the recorder away. Without a backward glance, I walk away from the table, from Jason, and from the twisted past he embodies, stepping into a future where he no longer holds any power.
Without looking back at him, I turn on my heels and head toward my car, leaving Jason in my wake with only his words ringing in the air.
Once I’m in my car, my phone vibrates in my purse. I take it out to find a message from Oliver on my home screen.
“Let’s meet for lunch?” he texts.
I smile to myself, my heart lightening at the thought of spending time with Oliver. I quickly type out a response.
“I’d love to,” I reply.
“Call me,” he writes back, my heart skipping a beat.
But as I’m about to give him a call, the reality of the situation immediately hits me: Oliver is still in love with Emily. I could never replace her in both his and Alice’s heart. We’ll most likely never ease into anything beyond casual, and it would be foolish of me to hope for anything more.
Just then, I hear a beep from my phone. I look down at the screen to find a FaceTime call from Erica.
“Hey,” she greets me with a curious expression.
“Hey,” I reply with a smile. “What’s up?”
“Did you do it?” she asks cautiously, clearly asking for more details.
I take a deep breath and confirm what had happened earlier that day. “Yes,” I say softly before continuing on. “He admitted to everything. And I told him to back off for good.”
“He’s such an asshole,” she replies. “It’s a good thing you’re done with him.”
I nod, feeling a slight sense of closure. “Yeah,” I agree. “It’s for the best.” I clear my throat. “Hey, I have to get going. Your brother wants me to call him.”
“Of course he does,” she says with a roll of her eyes. “All he does is run his employees into the ground. I’ll talk to you soon.”
I laugh as I hang up the call. I dial Oliver’s number, and he answers on the first ring.
“Hey,” he says, his voice warm and inviting. “How’s your morning been?”
“Good,” I reply with a slight smile. “Thank you for asking.”
“Listen, why don’t you come meet me for lunch at The Globe? It’s right around the corner from my office.”
“Sounds great,” I say enthusiastically, already excited to see him. I know this is purely casual, but for the time being… I want to just live in the moment with someone who actually appreciates me.
