Fifteen Years Wasted, Now I’m Done Chapter 09

Fifteen Years Wasted, Now I’m Done Chapter 09

At first, Hadley lived with us.

I gave her a big, beautiful room. Cooked her favorite meals. Took her out.

“Make yourself at home. We’re family.”

I saw the odd look flicker across her face.

Thought it was shyness.

Later, I understood. It was jealousy. Exclusion. The hatred that leaked out the day I caught her trying to climb into Rygn’s bed.

“Hadley, I found you an apartm

Ryan moved her out

But promised he’d spend time with her every week.

They got closer.

I started to get scared. Couldn’t sleep at night. Checked Ryan’s phone obsessively. Never found anything conclusive.

Just like he said. Nothing between them.

After all, Ryan’s friends all orbited around Hadley too,

On the surface, it looked normal. A bunch of older guys doting on a kid.

But my heart never settled.

Even when Ryan went bankrupt.

I actually felt…

A flicker of relief?

Hadley was sent away. She never contacted us again.

I was back to having Ryan all to myself.

I stumbled into social media.

Built an account. Worked like a maniac.

The money wasn’t bad. But I wanted more. Always more. Thinking, if I paid off his debts, maybe my place in his heart would grow heavier.

mit it now. I’m someone who never feels secure.

I fought to prove myself.

Stayed up writing scripts. Filmed TikTok after TikTok. Became

a regular at the hospital. Sat in meetings with an IV in my

arm.

To get a better revenue split, I even signed a slave contract with Tommy.

Two years.

My spirit ground down.

Threads of white in my hair. The thickest foundation couldn’t

hide the exhaustion.

My youth slipped away. Quiet.

I believed, at least in Ryan’s heart, alongside love, there’d be some guilt.

But the moment he rebuilt his fortune, the first thing he did was bring Hadley back.

“Babe, I promised her father I’d take care of her.”

“If you’re worried, let’s get married first. Okay?”

“I’ll give you enough security.”

Hadley interrupted the proposal three times.

The wedding got delayed. Again and again. Finally, under pressure from my parents, Ryan set a date.

Time spent with Hadley had changed him.

Childish. Unrealistic. Capable of turning marriage into a joke.

I went in with a full heart.

Left with a shattered one.

Her family wanted a suitable husband, her heart kept…

Maybe I was just too stubborn. Forced this relationship to limp along. Year after year.

We should have ended it long ago.

The moment that first crack split his heart open.