His Friends, Her Friends, His Mother, All Lied To Her Face Chapter 04

His Friends, Her Friends, His Mother, All Lied To Her Face Chapter 04

The easy atmosphere in the room vanished the moment I walked in.

Maya hurried to her feet.

“Ms. Ashton, please don’t misunderstand. Tyler’s still young. He was just talking nonsense.”

“Tyler, apologize to Ms. Ashton.”

Tyler muttered under his breath, “But it’s true.”

Ryan came over and lowered his voice.

“Why did you have to walk in here making snide remarks? Are you determined to ruin everyone’s day?”

I looked up at him.

“I’m serious. If everyone regrets that you two didn’t end up together, it’s not too late.”

“You can finally give them the ending they wanted.”

“Shut up.”

Ryan cut me off sharply and dragged me aside.

“Do you have to humiliate her in front of everyone?”

How ridiculous. Even now, Maya’s feelings were the only ones that mattered to him.

I was done playing along with their little performance.

“Ryan, we’re over. From now on, you can go on as many dates with her as you want.”

I turned and walked away.

Behind me, Ryan let out a humorless laugh.

“Claire, if you walk out that door today, don’t expect me to come running after you.”

Maya was still trying to calm him down.

“Ryan, maybe I should leave. Don’t fight because of me.”

Ryan raised his voice as though he wanted to make sure I heard every word.

“Let her go. We’re not even married yet, and she already thinks she can control me. Not a chance.”

I kept walking.

My phone rang. It was the pet resort where Buddy was staying.

Before coming over, I had messaged them to say I would pick Buddy up before leaving town.

The staff member sounded confused.

“Ms. Ashton, your fiancé picked Buddy up yesterday.”

I stopped cold.

Then I turned around and went back inside the Mercer house.

Ryan looked almost pleased when he saw me.

“Back already? Done throwing your tantrum? You should’ve just—”

“You picked up Buddy?”

I cut straight through his smugness.

Ryan blinked.

“Oh, you mean the dog?”

His tone was dismissive.

“Maya saw his picture and liked him, so I picked him up and gave him to her.”

My hands curled into fists.

Buddy had been with me for six years. Ryan knew I loved him like my own child.

I fought to hold back the rage surging through me.

“Ryan, Buddy is my dog.”

He sat up straighter, as though I were the one making a fuss over nothing.

“Claire, we’re about to get married. Buddy can keep Maya company since I can’t.”

“She’s all alone. She needs someone with her. Can you stop being so selfish?”

Maya’s tears started falling again.

“Forget it, Ryan. Don’t make things difficult for Ms. Ashton.”

“I’m used to being alone.”

Ryan looked at me with open irritation.

“She finally found a pet she likes. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of this?”

My whole body shook with fury.

“Ryan, I’m only going to say this one more time. Give Buddy back.”

Maybe he had never seen me like that before, because he finally turned to Maya.

“Maya, give her the damn dog back. I’ll take you to pick out another one tomorrow.”

Maya lowered her head, exposing the delicate line of her neck. When she spoke, her voice was full of remorse.

“I’m sorry, Ms. Ashton. I wish I could give him back.”

“But he wouldn’t behave. He ran outside yesterday and was hit by a car. He… didn’t make it.”

The words struck me like a blow.

My mind went completely blank.

Maya slowly opened the photo gallery on her phone and held it out to me.

Buddy’s small body lay motionless in the middle of the road, his fur soaked in blood.

“I took a picture so you could see him one last time.”

Maya leaned closer, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly.

She had done it on purpose.

The fury inside me shattered what little self-control I had left.

I raised my hand and slapped her across the face with all my strength.

Before I could pull my hand back, a powerful shove sent me crashing to the floor.

Pain exploded through the back of my head, leaving me dazed.

“Claire, it was just a damn dog! Have you lost your mind?”

Everyone surged to their feet and glared at me.

Tessa, Tyler, and Ryan’s mother crowded protectively around Maya as though I were some kind of lunatic.

I braced a hand against the floor and slowly pushed myself up. Drops of blood fell onto the floor beneath me.

Ryan’s eyes widened. He instinctively started toward me.

“Claire, I—”

Maya suddenly ran toward the window, her voice trembling.

“This is all my fault. Maybe I should pay for it with my life.”

Ryan stopped in his tracks, and everyone rushed to pull her back.

Not one of them asked if I was in pain or whether I was okay.

I turned around and left.

I went home, grabbed my luggage, and took a cab to the airport.

Ryan called me over and over on the way. Message after message appeared on my screen.

I didn’t read a single one.

I sent him only one reply.

Me: [Go to hell, you monster.]

Then I turned off my phone and left the city for good.