17
Worried he might cause a scene, I led him out
into the hallway.
My bodyguards were close by, so he couldn’t
get near me.
“Summer, how have you been? I’ve missed
you so much.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Do I look like I’ve been having a hard time?”
I had money, power. Life couldn’t be better.
Chase looked down, dejected. “I know you
hate me.”
“But I didn’t have a choice back then. I
thought I could just help Bailey let off some
steam, and then I’d clear your name in a few
days.”
“That way, Bailey wouldn’t be mad, and you
wouldn’t be too hurt.”
“But… why did you just leave? Why couldn’t
you just wait for me?”
Wow. Hearing him say it out loud just made it
worse.
To stop him from bothering me again, I laid
all my cards on the table. “Actually, I knew
about your little plan with Bailey from the very
beginning.”
“The only reason I didn’t expose you was because it was fun messing with you both. Watching you two tear each other apart?
Now, do you get it?”
く
Chase was completely stunned.
It took him a long moment to speak. “So…
you never liked me at all?”
I smiled faintly. “Oh, I liked you.”
His eyes lit up, as if he’d seen a glimmer of
hope.
But my next words extinguished it completely.
“But I like a lot of people. You were just one
of them.
“There are better men than you everywhere.
What makes you think I’d only ever like you?
Besides, the man you are now just disgusts
me.”
L
I turned and left, not bothering to look at his
pale, stricken face.
