Ava's POV
The sunlight that spilled through the curtains felt cruel.
It shouldn't be this bright,not after a night like that.
My heart pounded, my eyes were swollen,and every breath felt like dragging glass through my chest.
I had cried until my body went numb and yet the ache still pulsed inside me.
There was a soft knock on my door.
I didn't move.
The knock came again, gentler this time.
"Ava?" Kylie's voice. What was she doing here?
I forced myself up, wiping my face with the corner of the blanket.
"Come in".
She peeked inside, holding a tray.
Coffee. Toast.
The kind of small kindness that could make a person crumble.
"Oh, Ava…" she whispered when she saw my face.
Her eyes softened,she crossed the room to sit beside me.
For a second, neither of us said a word.
Then she pulled me into her arms.
And that was it . The dam broke again.
I sobbed into her shoulder,words slipping out between gasps.
"I went to him, Kylie…I went to Edward.
I begged him…", " shhh" she cut me off
" I know everything.
Her grip tightened around me, her hand stroking my hair as if she could erase the night.
FLASHBACK
Kylie had tried calling Ava all morning - five times,maybe six.
No response. No text. Nothing.
Panic began to bloom in her chest. Ava never ignored her calls, not after a night like that.
Without thinking twice, Kylie grabbed her bag, booked a ride and drove straight to Ava's place.
When she got there,the door was unlocked. The living room was silent, too silent.
She hesitated,then whispered "Ava?"
No answer.
She found her in bed, curled up and trembling,her phone beside her like a lifeline gone dead.
That's when Kylie's heart broke and she had to stay.
End of flashback.
"It's okay, everything is going to be fine, trust me" she continued to comfort me.
I shook my head. "She can have him. I'm done fighting for people who choose to hurt me".
My voice cracked at the end,but for the first time, I meant it.
Kylie smiled sadly. " That my girl. You don't need Edward. And Hailey? She'll dig a own grave soon enough".
Maybe she was right.
But deep down,l couldn't stop wondering why, Hailey had done it.
Hailey's POV
The morning after always tasted sweeter when someelse was broken.
She lay stretched across Edward's bed a lazy grin playing on her lips as he made coffee in the lite.
She looked around ,his shirt draped over a chair, her perfume lingering in the air, his scent tangled in the sheets.
Victory smelled like this.
When Edward walked in, his smile was small but real. "You want sugar?".
She leaned back on her elbows, pretending to think. "Hmm, Surprise me".
He chuckled softly, the kind of sound that would make Ava's heart melt.
And Hailey loved that thought.
Loved the power of it.
But behind that smile, she was already planning her next move.
Those men hadn't called. He was called after she did her part.
The silence bothered her.
She reached for a her phone under the pillow and checked again. Nothing.
Her eyes narrowed. What game are those men playing?
For a moment, she felt something ugly twist in her stomach,not jealousy,not guilt just the of being replaceable.
She couldn't let that happen.
Not after how far she'd come.
Edward's voice broke her thoughts. "You look lost".
Hailey smiled sweetly. "Just thinking how lucky l am".
He bought it instantly.
Men like him always did.
But as she sipped her coffee, her mind wasn't on Edward anymore.
It was on Ava.
The girl who wouldn't stay down.
The girl who still had those men attention even if she didn't know it.
What relationship is between those men and her?
Hailey smiled to herself,her reflection shimmering in the mug.
She'd won.
The real game hadn't even started yet.
Ava's POV
Kylie had gone back to school, leaving me with a warm mug of coffee and silence that felt safer that usual.
Outside, the world looked normal.
People rushing to jobs, kids laughing, cars honking.
But inside, I was still at the gate, still watching Edward walk away.
I promised myself something then - no more begging,no more chasing, no more breaking myself to fit someone else's love.
This time, I'd heal .
Even if it kill me.
From across town, Hailey watched the news feed on her phone, her reflection ghosted in the screen. Every part of a plan was falling into place…almost too perfect. Edward was till blind in love, chasing the version of her she'd created.
But Ava…. Ava was proving harder to destroy than she'd expected. A smirk curved her lips as she whispered to herself, " Let's see how long you can survive this time".