“She’s not relevant.”
My mouth falls open with surprise.
“Oh, she’s not...”
I shake my head slowly, my eyes darting back and forth as I struggle to understand.
“Like me, Jaden? Is she unimportant like me? Is she? Do you tell your life story to these women, let them fall for you, only to dispose of them when they become irrelevant?”
“That’s not it.”
I study him.
Puzzled. Intrigued.
He looks like a stranger to me. A fine man, oozing sophistication, yet nonetheless a stranger.
“Hmm... It may not be it,” I mutter, “but the outcome is the same. You use your power to attract them and to fuck them. And then, you smash their hearts. At least that’s what you did to me. And you had absolutely no remorse. I thought that deep inside you lived a vibrant man, a warm heart with so much tenderness to give. I thought you could do so much better than some run–of–the–mill jerk. I’m sorry if you think I’m a loser, but that’s how I feel, and there’s nothing I can do to change that. That’s why I don’t want to hear you talking. The last thing I need from you is condescendence or a speech about moving on or staying friends. Words of wisdom about how this game needs to be played. It’s not a game if it hurts. At least to me, it isn’t.”
“It wasn’t a game,” he deadpans.
I look at him, baffled.
“How can you say that to me?”
“It’s the truth.”
“Is it? Then what was it, Jaden? A change of heart? A second thought?”
“No.”
I freeze for a moment.
“You can’t possibly say that to me.”
I pause and take a long breath, shaking my head.
“You know what?” I mutter. “I really don’t need to hear you. I’ve seen enough with my own eyes. Your words mean nothing to me.”
He pulls his hand out of his pocket and brings it inches from my shoulder.
I take a step back so he can’t touch me.
“I’m not joking, Jaden.”
“I’m not saying that you are,” he says seriously, “but I think you want to hear what I have to say. We wouldn’t be here if you weren’t at least curious.”
I throw him a venomous glare.
“Spare your breath. I’m not curious. I know exactly what happened. I had a suspicion then, and you confirmed it tonight. As I watched you give that woman your undivided attention, the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place. That’s when it dawned on me. There’s a reason you are here at a business event, looking like a million bucks, with that beautiful woman draped over your arm. There’s a reason why you sold everything, took Sara and Emma with you, and vanished. I may be dumb when it comes to love, but not when it comes to money. I can tell you’ve come into your own money. The money that was never within your reach. Now you have it. Plenty of it. I can tell. You’ve sold some kind of business or maybe more. Other than that website. And that’s fine. Congrats. But you used me to get where you are and crushed my heart in the process. I would’ve helped you anyway, but you didn’t want it that way. Remember? I offered you my help. You said no. You wanted to do it on your own. But that was not all. You resented me for being in that position, for having the upper hand. It wasn’t my fault, Jaden. I told you so many times. I walked in your shoes. I knew how it was. But no, no. You wanted to prove it to yourself. And what did you prove, Jaden? Besides making money. What did you prove? That you can step on a woman’s heart without remorse? That a woman is easily replaceable? That we are all the same in the end? That it doesn’t matter? As long as she has a pretty face and a warm place between her legs, it’s all fair game? Was that it?”
A glint sparks in his eyes, clouding his gaze.
“Oh... It hurts? You think this hurts?” I ask, feeling the prickle of my tears. “You have no idea what pain is, Jaden. You’re not hurting, baby. You think you are because you got caught and don’t like it. That’s why. Truth be told, had I not walked in on you this evening, you’d be right there right now, on that terrace, with her arm curled around your waist and her fragrance in your nostrils. With your lips on her hair and her face mesmerized as she drank you in. You’d flash your smile, and she’d get wet between her legs while you’d have her wrapped around your body like a vine. There wouldn’t be the slightest thought or the faintest memory, let alone a flashback to tarnish your evening. Not the slightest shred of remorse. Because your past is dead and stashed away. With me in it. Am I right? I knew it all along. I saw it in your eyes. I knew it back then. You wanted to strike on your own, but to get to that point, you had to take advantage of me. Or the situation... Whatever. You could’ve done all that without messing with my head, but you did it anyway. Why? Because you fucking could. And why the fuck not? I was the one who volunteered. I begged for it. I bought your crap. I fell for you. Oh, you have no idea how I regret this evening and running into you like that. Had I known this would happen, I would’ve never shown up. I came to this stupid event not having the slightest idea that I’d find you here. Not knowing that fate would play a dirty trick on me.”
“Things are not the way you think, Senna.”
I jerk my hand dismissively.