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“Oh, they’re humble,” Serenity said drily.
The next thirty minutes were essentially a slideshow video showcasing the show’s progression. It started with Morgan throwing herself at the guys behind my back. It was so bad that I was getting secondhand embarrassment for her. It honestly had me wondering if she did this just because I’d staked my claim on them first.
The clips shifted from Morgan to me, showing me in the speed dates and laughing with the Forrest pack. They were like completely different people in the clips, nothing like they were with Morgan. Either they were very good actors or they had split personalities. I dodged a hell of a bullet.
At some point, Tori wrapped her fingers around mine and I felt somebody brush tears off my face. It was so painful watching the date nights, the talks, all the things that I’d put my heart into and thought they had, too. Now I just looked pathetic. They purposely put them next to clips of them making fun of me and painted me as naive and desperate.
“The producers, apparently, put me on the show just to be the butt of the joke, didn’t they?” I questioned. My voice was bitter and angry. I was genuinely insulted.
“I’m so sorry, I had no idea it would be this bad,” Micah said.
“It’s not your fault,” I said. Micah and Tori had encouraged me to go on it, told me about the show, but I made the decision to go.
“It’s insane how dirty they did you, and social media is blowing up. There’s even a hashtag that says justice for Ellie. You’ve got at least ten marriage proposals,” Katya told me, flipping the phone to show thousands of comments using the hashtag.
“They were never good enough for you, the world agrees,” Serenity said. “Fuck them. They wouldn’t have brought you food.”
I laughed through my tears. They never could have made me feel the way Ezra, Atlas, Dean, and even Collin do. Even in the moments where they stand back and act as if I’m fragile, it’s genuine concern that leads to it.
Candace was back center stage, her overly white veneers and perfect makeup glistening under the studio lighting.
“Now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. The culmination of several weeks of drama.” She paused for dramatic effect. “It’s decision time.”
Morgan and I walked out on stage to join her; at the time, the green screen didn’t give anything away but now it was showing the show’s logo.
“Ellie, we’ll start with you. Tell us about your experience here,” Candace said.
It was so strange to watch myself curb my real feelings and put on a happy face as I spoke to her, oblivious to what she’d just revealed to the world.
“It’s been a huge learning curve. I was a quiet accountant and wanted to take a chance. It’s been a whirlwind of dates and meeting new people and some new friends.” I gestured to Morgan who grinned back at me. Again, I felt sick knowing what I did now. Morgan was full of lies and deceit. “But I think I know how I want tonight to go.”
The packs filed in, standing behind Candace and smiling down at me in anticipation. She looked at them, then at me again.
“Which pack do you want to spend your future with? Who isYourfairytale?”
The cameras panned away from me to show the packs and Morgan before focusing back on me.
“My choice was easy. This pack has proven to be genuine, trustworthy, and everything I could want for my own pack. I’m no longer nervous, only excited about what’s next,” I said with naivety. Part of me wished I could reach through the screen and shake my past self. “I choose the Forrest pack.”
My face visibly faltered and I remembered the feeling that something was wrong. Morgan moved next to me and the Forrest pack was being ushered over. They all looked cold, detached now. Bear looked resigned and the others gave me fake, condescending smiles.
Trevor went right past me to Morgan, kissing her. Ellie on screen was gaping at them, her face crumpling. I felt every bit of it all over again.
“We reject your offer, Ellie. I’m sorry, but you are not the mate we chose. If Morgan will have us, we choose her.” Trevor took both of her hands and she acted giddy, glancing from them to the camera and dismissing me completely.
This time, I was able to see the Sulley pack even better. They looked just as stunned as I did, heartbroken even. They’d gone from getting what they thought was her full attention to being dismissed like I was.
“I’m sorry, Ellie,” Morgan said. This time, I thought of all the comebacks I could have said, but it was too late. The damage was done. “We’ve been secretly meeting after the happy hours and we didn’t know how to tell you. I choose the Forrest pack. This ismyfairytale ending, notyours.”
It was so surreal watching myself walk offstage. Everyone in the room with me right now was silent.
What I hadn’t expected was the feeling of lightness after I watched it. This was the exact closure I needed. I now knew unequivocally that it was not my fault. I’d given the show and the packs everything I could. I was the only genuine one there and I had no regrets about that.
Morgan and the Forrest pack deserved each other. I deserved happiness. It worked out in the end.
Ellie
Ezra’s diner was packed by the time I got there. Instead of everyone staring at me no one even gave me more than a second glance or a small wave of greeting if they recognized me.
