Chapter 1: The Breakup Trap

I was never meant to be the main character. That’s why I broke my own heart first.

I stood frozen in the hotel room, staring at the fresh bite marks scattered across Caleb's chest. My eyes burned with tears as the ugly truth of what I’d done—and what I was pretending—crashed over me. The cheap lamp glared too bright, the air heavy with someone else's perfume, making my stomach flip. I wanted to scream or throw up or both.

All I could hear was my best friend unleashing hell on Caleb, her voice echoing down the hall: "How could you do this to Natalie? After everything she's given you!" Caleb was a mess, stammering, desperate, trying to explain. My fists clenched so hard my nails bit into my palms, wishing I could shut the world out.

I backed away until I hit the cold wall, flinching as Caleb reached out. The tears wouldn't stop, hot and humiliating, streaking down my cheeks. I couldn't let him touch me—not now, not ever again.

"Caleb, is this what you call a business trip?" My voice shook, bitter and sharp, slicing through the thick, tense air.

"Nat, please. You know me. I swear, this isn’t what it looks like..."

He tried to close the gap, voice cracking with panic, but I threw my hand up between us, warning him back.

"Don’t say another word!" I almost screamed. "How else can you explain these marks on your body?"

The accusation caught in my throat, heavy and raw. My best friend glared at him like she wanted him to spontaneously combust.

"Nat, please. You have to believe me. This is all a misunderstanding."

His words sounded so fake, bouncing off the ugly hotel wallpaper. His eyes were rimmed red, pleading and frantic, like a man on the edge.

Caleb stared down at the evidence, shame and heartbreak warring in his expression. He tugged at his shirt, trying to hide the bruises, but it was way too late. His hands shook like a kid caught stealing. The room was so quiet, I could hear my own pulse thundering in my ears.

He wanted to explain but couldn’t. His lips trembled, and all that came out was a strangled sound. His shoulders slumped. I saw hope die in his eyes.

But I forced myself to be cold. "Let’s break up. I can’t be with a guy who’s slept with someone else. Not now. Not ever."

The words hung between us, heavier than I’d ever imagined. For a second, I wondered if I’d gone too far. But I reminded myself—I needed him to hate me.

Caleb staggered, like the ground had just disappeared. "Break up?"

He grabbed the nightstand to keep from falling. The devastation on his face was so raw, I thought he might actually collapse.

"Yeah. Don’t ever call me again. Just looking at you makes me sick." I forced out the words, crueler than I felt.

I could barely get them out. My voice was thin, each syllable like swallowing glass. But I made myself meet his eyes, even as my own vision blurred.

Tears came faster than I could wipe them away. I shoved past him, ignoring the way he called my name. My cheeks burned with shame and heartbreak. I wanted to disappear.

My best friend chased after me instantly, her arm around my shoulders, her presence the only thing holding me together. She promised fries and a chocolate shake from Sonic, just like we did after every heartbreak in high school. Her familiar perfume mixed with the night air, grounding me as we stumbled outside.

"Natalie, out with the old, in with the new. He’s not worth your tears."

She tried to make me laugh, even offering to take me for greasy fries and a shake, just like the old days. It almost worked.

"This Caleb really isn’t much. I used to envy you two as childhood sweethearts—he always spoiled you."

She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, her voice thick. "But girl, we all learn someday: the people we think are perfect can still screw up."

"I thought he was different from other guys, but it was all a lie."

She squeezed my hand, eyes shining. "It’s always the quiet ones, huh?"

My chest ached so much I hugged her and sobbed.

She let me cry, not rushing, rubbing soothing circles on my back like my mom used to do when I scraped my knee as a kid.

"I really liked him, I really did. Why couldn’t we be together in the end?"

The words came out in broken sobs, echoing off the empty parking lot.

She patted my back, her face pained. "Natalie, even if you love him, it doesn’t matter. If he cheats once, he’ll cheat again."

She handed me a tissue, jaw set. "You deserve someone who chooses you, every damn day."

She thought I was heartbroken because Caleb betrayed me. But the truth was, I had to let him go—completely.

If only she knew. The pain wasn’t his supposed betrayal, but knowing I had to push him away for good. My tears tasted like guilt as much as grief.

Caleb hadn’t cheated, hadn’t slept with anyone else.

Even in the middle of my heartbreak, I couldn’t stop thinking about his pleading eyes, the way he looked so lost, the way I’d engineered this whole disaster.

It was all my design.

I wiped my cheeks, swallowing the truth back down. No one could ever know what I’d done—or why.