Chapter 45
The humiliation on the first day. All the statements about altruism and benevolence. The attack on June. The Lucas incident. The constant, crippling inferiority complex. The emotional turmoil.
I should have left on that first day. And then on many days after that.
But today–this moment–is the absolute last straw.
Good fucking riddance.
Nathan drops to the floor in front of me.
“April,” he calls out softly. “Don’t do this, please.”
I ignore him, gathering the material to me.
“Don’t leave, April.”
My hands freeze.
I remember when he said those words to me that day when June had the accident. Back then, I envisioned a future full of hope and possibilities, and it was the most amazing thing that Nathan Ashford asked me to stay.
I scoff at my past, incredibly stupid self.
I resume my chore.
“April.” Nathan grips my wrist, stilling me. “There are many dresses you can choose from to wear tomorrow, he says.”
My eyebrows raise. “What?”
“You can take your pick of any new dress you want.”
“I made this with my hands,” I hiss, pulling my wrist out of his grip. “You saw the design; you saw how hard I worked on it.”
He nods. “I know, and I’m sorry this happened, but-”
“I don’t want you to be sorry,” I snap. “I want to leave.”
He groans. “April-”
“I’ll sign another NDA if that’s what you want. I’ll never tell anyone what happened within these four walls. I won’t even breathe a word about Valerie fucking St Claire if you’re so worried about that.”
Nathan flinches. “You think that’s what this is about?”
I scoff. “What else could it be about? You Ashfords just love your image, don’t you?”
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Chapter 45
“What is this, April?” Nathan asks, his eyebrows furrowed. “Why have you suddenly decided to antagonize me?”
I scoff incredulously, waving my hands around the room. “Hello?! Anything coming to mind?”
He shakes his head. “No, even-”
“Dude, wha–woah.”
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I snort as Peter gapes at the door. I spread my arms wide. “Welcome to the chaos. To be honest, I’m surprised you’re not the harbinger.”
Peter chuckles as he walks in, sidestepping all the fabric.
“Wow, April. So much drama, and I haven’t even had to lift a finger.”
I sneer and stick my tongue out at him. Screw manners or poise or holding myself back.
Peter chuckles and sits down next to his brother. “Did you do this?”
I shoot him a look, and he raises his hands in mock surrender. “What? You could be having some sort of crazy spell.”
“Valerie did this.”
Peter gasps. “That bitch.”
Nathan groans. “There’s no evidence that Valerie did this.”
Peter shoots his brother a look. “What did that snake do to you that you’re suddenly blind and stupid?”
“Right?” I agree with Peter.
Nathan rolls his eyes. “Whatever. April says she’s leaving.”
Peter snorts, turning back to me. “Like hell you are.”
I nod. “Like hell I am.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Absolutely yes.”
Peter shakes his head. “Nope.”
I nod my head. “Yep.”
“N-”
Nathan narrows his eyes as he cuts in. “Are you two…friends?”
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13:02 Fri, Oct 3
Chapter 45
As i
I make fake barfing noises. “As if.”
Peter clutches his chest. “You wound me, Farrah.”
Nathan balks. “Farrah? You’re on last name basis?”
Peter shrugs. “We go way back, all the way to-”
I lean forward and shove a wad of tulle into Peter’s mouth, muffling his voice.
He snickers, pulling the fabric out. “All the way to her first day of chaos.” He tilts his head. “I should rename you Chaos Queen.”
“I didn’t do this,” I hiss.
He waves his hand. “Relax, I believe you. I know what Valerie is capable of.”
I narrow my eyes. “That makes one Ashford.”
Nathan winces. “April-”
“Can both of you leave?” I cut in. “I need to tidy the tattered remains of my soul and then go pack.”
Peter crosses his legs. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I roll my eyes. “Lovely.”
Nathan looks out of depth. “April, can we talk?”
“If it’s to ask what kind of vehicle I want to go home in tomorrow, I’m not picky. If it’s anything else,“–I shoot him a sarcastic smile-“no, thank you.”
“It’s cool, dude, I got this,” Peter says.
A flash of irritation crosses Nathan’s face, and he looks like he wants to snap at his brother, but then he glances at me and seems to change his mind.
“I’m really sorry this happened to you, April,” Nathan says instead. Then he stands to his feet. “And I hope you stay.”
Then he’s gone.
I sigh as the door closes.
That’s when the emotions rise and bubble over the surface.
The first tear rolls down my cheek.
And then, immediately after, a flood follows, and my entire body shakes with the force of my sobs.
“Um…what’s happening?” Peter asks in a panic.
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Chapter 45
“Sh–shut u–up,” I stutter as i bury my face in my hands and sob my heart out.
I can’t help it, I feel exactly like my dress–ruined.
I was so happy designing it. I went and had stupid dreams about being the belle of the ball.
In hindsight, I should have known something like this would happen. This is what my life is–one bad thing fast on the heels of another. The moment I think things are going well and I could have a modicum of happiness, boom–disaster.
It happened with my parent’s death, it happened with June’s health, it happened with Professor Lincoln, and now it has happened again.
“I don’t want to seem like a dick, but I really don’t know what to do with crying women, April,” Peter confesses.
I glare at him. “I remember telling you to shut up.”
He nods and mimes zipping his lips. “Yep. Shutting up now.”
And he actually does. The only sound in the room is my gut–wrenching sobs, and I don’t attempt to muffle them like I would if Nathan were around.
Finally, after what feels like forever, my sobs quieten, and the dam in my eyes dry up.
Peter leans forward and stretches something out to me.
I raise a brow, and he gives me a crooked smirk as he stretches out a scrap of my dress. “There aren’t any tissues around.”
I roll my eyes and take the scrap from him. Then, I proceed to blow my nose into a piece of my dress.
“So,” Peter starts, “now that you’ve gotten that out of your system, willing to rethink this whole leaving thing?”
I scoff. “No,” I say, my voice coming out stiff, thanks to my congested nose.
“You can’t leave.”
“And why is that?”
Peter sighs, “You’re really going to make me say it.”
I frown. “Say what?”
He shakes his head. “Don’t make me say it, April.”
I huff. “Say what?”
Peter Ashford looks at me solemnly and sighs. “You can’t leave, because I’ve fallen hopelessly in love with you.”
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13:02 Fri, Oct 3
Winning the Heir Who Bullied Me
