He Laughed at My Tears, Now He Cries Alone Chapter 01

He Laughed at My Tears, Now He Cries Alone Chapter 01

As a prank, my boyfriend’s childhood sweetheart cut my swimsuit to shreds.

So I grabbed the scissors and turned what was left into a bikini. I had the body for it; every man there couldn’t take his eyes off me.

She was furious. And she waited for her next chance.

On our wedding night, I was soaking in the bathtub when she dumped a swarm of cockroaches into the water.

My blood ran cold. I was about to scramble for my robe when Tiffany burst in, a crowd of their friends at her back.

“Got you, Claire! You’re not getting away this time!”

“Pay up,” she crowed. “See? Terrified of cockroaches.”

Phones came out, Venmo alerts pinged, and all the while their eyes crawled over my wet body. It was revolting.

“Fuck, I think I saw her chest.”

“Shit! Throw a few more in! Maybe we’ll get a real show.”

Rage tightened in my chest.

“Derek! Where are you? Get in here and throw them out!”

“I’m scared of cockroaches!”

I never expected him to be standing right outside the door, utterly indifferent to my humiliation.

“What are you yelling about?” he said, his voice cold. “You love showing off for them. So give them a show.”

“They’re just cockroaches. You come from nothing, Claire. Stop pretending you’re some delicate flower.”

He was right. They were only cockroaches.

So I picked up my phone. “Source every cockroach in the city,” I ordered. “I want a truckload.”

“I’m going to make these bastards swallow every last one.”

…

“What did she just say?”

“Did she call us bastards? Did she say she’s going to make us eat cockroaches?”

“Is she talking about me and Derek?” Tiffany asked, turning to Derek Lawson with a smirk.

Derek’s face darkened.

“Claire Monroe, what makes you think you can make *us* eat cockroaches?”

“Turn the whole city upside down for them? You think you run New York?”

Someone laughed along with him, though his gaze was still glued to my chest.

I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to hide beneath the thinning layer of bubbles.

But the foam was already dissolving. It wouldn’t last.

And when it was gone, the cockroaches would start crawling on me.

Those men blocked the bathroom door, waiting for the show.

I clenched my fists, my whole body shaking with anger as I stared at Derek.

I shifted, and the movement broke the foam across my chest.

I froze, not daring to move. But tears slipped down my cheeks anyway.

Tiffany walked over to Derek and laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Derek, you can’t help her right now.”

“Josh and I made a bet. Ten million dollars.”

“I bet you’d pick me and ignore Claire for half an hour.”

“He bet you’d go soft in the end.”

With that, she took Derek’s hand, her voice turning into a spoiled pout.

I clung to one last shred of hope.

I thought, this time, he would refuse to play along with her cruel games.

But he just raised his hand and tapped the tip of her nose.

“Always the troublemaker, ever since we were kids.”

“Keep this up and you’ll scare off every man in the city.”

“So you’ll do it,” she confirmed.

“Of course.”

Tiffany’s smile widened. “Josh, you heard him. Transfer the money.”

The guys erupted.

“I’ll pay. If he doesn’t, I’ll cover it.”

“Looks like Derek cares more about Tiffany than Claire.”

“Note to self: always bet on Tiffany.”

Tiffany lifted her chin, her gaze dripping with contempt as she looked down at me.

I stared at Derek, unable to believe it.

He reached out and smoothed a stray lock of Tiffany’s hair.

“Don’t look at me like that. Tiffany is family.”

“You’re new to the Lawson world. It’s on you to accommodate her.”

“It’s just a bet. It’s not like you’re losing anything.”

“Besides, everyone already thinks you’re Mrs. Lawson.”

Someone cut in with a laugh.

“Derek, you still haven’t explained it to her, have you?”

“That you and Claire never actually filed the paperwork after the wedding.”