The Love We Left Behind

For three years, I, Julian Chase, was in a long-distance relationship with my girlfriend, Claire Winston, video calling her every single night. The first time I noticed a black tie that wasn't mine lying in the background of her call, I took a screenshot and confronted her. Her brother messaged me about it. [Julian, that's my tie. I left it at her place the last time I visited.] The second time, I caught a glimpse of two used condom wrappers in the background. Her best friend showed me a hotel booking to explain it away. "This one's on me. I was just messing around with Claire as a joke and ended up upsetting you. I'm sorry." The third time. The fourth time. Every single time something out of place showed up behind her on camera, somebody stepped forward to claim it as theirs. Then came Claire's birthday. I kept it a secret from everyone and took an eight-hour train ride to surprise her in her city. When I arrived, I found a banner and colorful decorations strung up outside her building. [Congratulations to Mr. Adrian Locke and Ms. Claire Winston. Wishing the happy couple a lifetime of love!] Beside it hung a photo of a man I'd never seen before, kissing Claire with his arms wrapped around her. I bit down on my lip so hard I tasted blood. With shaking hands, I typed a message into our group chat. [I just got a wedding invitation and some candy in the mail from a man named Adrian Locke. Does anyone know who that is?] Dead silence. A moment later, my best friend replied. [Adrian's a friend of mine. He must have sent it to the wrong address by mistake. Julian, go ahead and eat the candy for me.] Tears hit the screen of my phone, and something in my chest turned to ice. Turns out my girlfriend wasn't the only one who'd betrayed me over these past three years. Chapter 1 Noting the location on the banner, I, Julian Chase, headed straight for the wedding venue. The second I pushed the door open, I saw red roses covering every surface and blue dolphin decorations hanging suspended in the air. It was identical to the wedding I'd pictured in my head a hundred times, down to the last detail. The groom, Adrian Locke, stood at the center of the crowd, surrounded by well-wishers. He wore a tailored tuxedo that matched, stitch for stitch, the wedding suit design I'd kept saved on my laptop for three years. I'd only ever shown that design to one person—my best friend, Marcus Webb. A wave of dizziness hit me so hard the room started spinning. An older woman handling the registration for the wedding stopped me. "Excuse me, young man. Are you friends with the groom or the bride?" Heads turned at the sound of her voice. The moment people saw my face, gasps rippled through the crowd. Adrian looked at Claire Winston, confused. "Who's this?" "A coworker from out of state. He's too far away, so we didn't send him an invitation," she replied, her voice perfectly level. It was like she wasn't the same woman who'd told me last night how much she missed me. Marcus pushed through the crowd and grabbed my wrist, dragging me toward the exit with a grip so tight it nearly crushed the bones in my arm. "There are a lot of people here, Julian. Don't do anything you'll regret. Whatever this is, we can talk about it after tonight," he said in a low voice. I stared at him without saying a word. He didn't let go of me until we were both in the fire stairwell, where his first words were about how sorry he felt for Adrian. "Adrian's been running himself into the ground for three months planning this wedding. He's lost ten pounds. We can't afford anything going wrong today." "And what about me?" My voice came out hoarse. I stared straight into his eyes. "I've been working myself to death in Port Elias for three years. I never took a sick day, even when I was ill. I saved up every bit of vacation time just to fly home. Did anyone ever feel sorry for me?" My eyes burned, and I couldn't stop them from welling up. I remembered how Marcus used to see me off at the airport every single time. He'd thump his chest and swear, "Don't worry about a thing, Julian. I'll keep an eye on Claire for you. No demon on earth is getting anywhere near my best friend's girl." Turns out I was the only one who ever took that promise seriously. "Julian, Adrian's different from you." "Different how?" "You've always been strong. You can handle life without Claire. But Adrian has congenital asthma. Claire's the one who's been by his side taking care of him this whole time. "And back when he first graduated, Claire's the one who suggested to the chairman that you get transferred to Port Elias. She was scared that if you found out about Adrian, it would put him in an awkward position." My whole body went rigid. When I first got the transfer notice, I'd planned on turning it down. I'd just bought a place in Ashbury, and all I wanted was to take my father there to get him access to better hospitals for his health. It was Claire who'd come to me, begging, "Julian, whether I make the board this year depends entirely on this project in Port Elias. I'll only feel okay about it if I know you're the one running things. "Three months, tops. I promise I'll bring you home. And once you're back, we'll get married." I agreed. But three months turned into another three months again and again, and the 1,516 miles between Ashbury and Port Elias never got any shorter. My throat felt raw and dry as I said, "So, all those transfer requests I filed these past three years to come back to Ashbury..." Before I could finish, Marcus' eyes had already filled with pity. "Claire's the one who kept blocking them." I staggered back a step. Because of those 1,516 miles, I missed my father's heart bypass surgery. I missed being there when he needed me most, lying in that hospital bed. I even missed the last time I could have seen him alive. My phone buzzed. A message from Claire. [Go home first. I'll explain everything later.] I stared at those words, my fingers curling tighter and tighter around the phone. Then, I turned around and walked straight back into the ballroom. Chapter 2 But this time, the Winstons were ready for me. Claire's brother, Nathan Winston, blocked the ballroom entrance. "Julian, I know Claire's in the wrong here. But there are guests everywhere watching. Are you really going to ruin her like this?" The last time we'd all been together, Nathan had been joking about when Claire and I would get married, saying he already had a great speech ready for us. Claire's best friend, Wendy Marsh, came running after me in heels. "Julian, I know you're hurting right now, but Claire's given you a lot over these years too. Don't blow up at her right when it matters most." Just last month, when Wendy's father fell sick and she was short on cash, I lent her 8,000 dollars. She'd wiped her tears and told me that if Claire ever did anything terrible, she'd be the first one who would stand up for me. More and more people crowded in front of me. Old friends. People I promoted at work. Coworkers I used to grab dinner with. I shoved through the crowd, falling apart like some kind of wild animal. A sharp voice cut through, "Enough!" The crowd parted. Claire stood three steps away in her elegant wedding gown, as cool and composed as ever. I stood there with my hair a mess, my collar yanked crooked, and footprints all over my shirt. She stared at me in silence for a few seconds, then spoke in a rough voice, "Julian, take whatever revenge you want on me. But Adrian has asthma. He can't handle this kind of shock. I'm begging you, don't make a scene in front of him." This was the first time I'd ever seen Claire lower herself like that. Once, a client had deliberately provoked her at a business dinner, forcing shot after shot of hard liquor on her. She drank until her stomach bled and never once said a word that showed weakness. And now, she was willing to humble herself completely for another man. My chest hurt so much I could barely breathe. With tears in my eyes, I forced the words out from somewhere deep in my throat, each one dripping with venom. "Claire, you're a piece of garbage!" I grabbed her by the throat and slapped her three times, hard. The sound cracked through the hallway. Her face snapped sideways with each hit, swelling red. She wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. "Feel better now? If not, keep going." There was almost a sense of indulgence in her voice, like she was humoring a child throwing a tantrum. Seeing her certainty, and looking at the calm, composed crowd standing behind her, those three slaps suddenly felt like they'd landed on nothing but air. They were all so sure I still loved Claire. So sure I'd never actually destroy her. So sure that once I'd blown off enough steam, I'd back down quietly like always. Something in my chest went cold. I let go of her and stepped back. Surprise flickered in her eyes, her brow furrowing slightly. "Julian..." "Claire, these past five years, I'll just consider them..." Before I could finish, the ballroom doors swung open, and a clear voice rang out, "What... is going on here?" Adrian stood in the doorway, looking fragile, like a glass doll about to shatter. The ice in Claire's eyes melted instantly, and her voice softened as she said, "Why did you come out here? It's cold. You'll catch a chill." Adrian's eyes went wide with shock when he saw the marks on her face. "What happened? Claire, who hit you?" She quickly turned her face away. "It's nothing. I bumped into something by accident. I'll have the makeup artist cover it up later." Adrian's hand curled into a fist, his eyes darkening for a moment. Then, out of nowhere, he grabbed my arm. "Mr. Chase, since you're already here, why not come in and have a drink to celebrate?" He pulled me into the ballroom without giving me a chance to object. Up on the big screen, a slideshow of their relationship was playing. March 21st. The day I ended up in the hospital from exhaustion after spending a full week pulling all-nighters just to make it home in time for our anniversary. That same day, the two of them were watching the sunrise together at the beach, kissing in the warm morning light. June 7th. The day a typhoon hit Port Elias. My flight got caught in violent turbulence, and I sat there writing what I thought might be my last words to Claire. That same day, they were on a mountaintop watching shooting stars, promising each other a lifetime together. August 19th. The day I ate instant noodles alone after buying Claire a gift to apologize for not being there, drowning in guilt. That same day, she stood holding 999 roses, accepting Adrian's proposal in front of a cheering crowd of friends and family. Each photo hit me like a burning knife, carving into what was left of my heart over and over. I bit down on my lip hard enough to keep myself from breaking down in tears. "Mr. Chase, now you know what it looks like when Claire actually loves someone," said Adrian. I turned to stare at him in shock. The corner of his mouth curled into a knowing smile. A second later, the speakers blasted out an obscene, unmistakable sound. Up on the screen, my own face appeared, eyes glazed over as I touched myself on camera, moaning Claire's name. Chapter 3 My mind went blank, and I whipped around to look at Claire. She rushed up onto the stage and smashed the screen with a chair. That video had been recorded on her birthday last year, at her request. She'd sworn no one else would ever see it, and now it was playing in front of a room full of guests. Adrian staggered back a couple of steps, landing right next to the microphone. He pointed at me, his voice shaking as it carried through the entire room. "So, you're the one who sent those private videos to seduce Claire. You're the homewrecker." Every set of eyes in the room turned on me, sharp as needles. "I didn't... mmph!" A hand shot out from behind me and clamped down hard over my mouth, dragging me backward. Marcus stepped up onto the stage right on cue, apologizing to Adrian in front of everyone. "I'm so sorry, Adrian. I never imagined Julian would go this far, playing something like that at your wedding. "As his friend, I apologize on his behalf, for knowing he was the other man and deliberately trying to sabotage your wedding." Then, he bowed deeply to Adrian. That single bow sealed my fate as the homewrecker for good. Curses poured in from every direction, flooding my ears like a tidal wave. "So, the homewrecker showed up to make a scene. Disgusting." "He has no shame at all, playing something like that at someone's wedding." "Mr. Locke has asthma. What if this triggers an attack? That man is pure poison." I don't know who threw the first punch. Someone grabbed leftover food off a table and dumped it on me, while someone else kicked me twice in the chaos. I was half dragged, half carried out of the ballroom. Marcus followed me out. He sighed and pulled a tissue from his bag to wipe the mess off my clothes. "Julian, what's done is done. Stop being so stubborn about it. Adrian isn't just some ordinary guy. Claire only got her position on the board because the Lockes pushed for it behind the scenes. "After the scene you made today, all it takes is a snap of their fingers and you won't be able to stay in Ashbury anymore. Everything I just did up there was for your own good." "For my own good?" My voice came out so hoarse it barely sounded like mine. "The two of you lied to me for three years and publicly branded me a homewrecker in front of everyone. And you call that for my own good?" Marcus wouldn't meet my eyes. I shook his hand off my arm, hailed a cab, and got in. The second I pulled up outside my hotel, I saw a crowd standing at the entrance, pointing and whispering. My photo was plastered across the hotel's front door, along with words scrawled in red paint. [Die, homewrecker!] In less than an hour, someone had already posted the wedding video online. My name, my address, everything about me had been dug up and exposed. The comments section was filled with nothing but abuse. Just then, a text message came in from my company's leadership. [Julian Chase, in light of recent concerns about your personal conduct, the company has decided to suspend you, pending further investigation.] Clenching my jaw, I apologized to the hotel staff and grabbed a rag, scrubbing at the words on the door. The paint had soaked in, like it was carved straight into the wood. No matter how hard I scrubbed, it wouldn't come off. By the time I finished the last letter, my fingernail cracked against the edge of the doorframe and blood started welling up. That was when I finally broke down and sobbed. I cried until I was too exhausted to keep going, then slumped against the wall and fell asleep without meaning to. My dreams were a chaotic blur. Countless faces flashed past me before everything finally froze on the wedding stage. Claire looked down at me being dragged away, not a flicker of emotion on her face. I woke up with a jolt. I stared at a photo of Claire and me together on my phone for a long time. Then, I got up and opened my laptop. Why should I let this stand? Why should five years of real love get erased with a single word like "homewrecker"? Why should the people who actually did something wrong get to walk away happy, while I got nailed to a post of shame for everyone to spit on? I hadn't done anything wrong. I didn't deserve any of this. I compiled years of chat logs and transfer records between Claire and me, posting it online as proof that I was never the other man. Then, I booked the earliest flight I could find, ready to leave this heartbreak of a city behind for good. But the second I finished packing and climbed into a cab, a voice slid out like a whisper from the devil himself. "Julian, when are you going to learn to behave?" Chapter 4 I froze in place, every hair on my body standing on end. Claire climbed into the cab and moved closer, her fingers brushing against my cheek. "I'm sorry you got hurt yesterday. But Julian, you shouldn't have posted that." I yanked my hand away from her, hard. As my tears hit the back of her hand, she flinched, almost too slightly to notice. She opened her mouth, then closed it again without saying anything. The car kept driving until we reached the hospital. "Adrian saw your post and it landed him in the ICU. You need to explain yourself to him today," she said, dragging me the whole way to his room. I stumbled in to find the room packed. Wendy, Nathan, Marcus, and a handful of the Lockes' relatives were all there. The second they saw me, every set of eyes cut into me like knives. Claire shoved me hard, right in front of the hospital bed. "Apologize." Adrian lay on the bed, his lips pale, tear tracks still visible on his face. "Mr. Chase, you and I have no history. Fine, you ruined my wedding. But spreading lies online about Claire cheating? What exactly are you trying to do?" I stared at him, then laughed. "You really believe I was the one who seduced Claire all on my own? We were together for five years. Three of those years were long distance. You expect me to believe you never once noticed anything?" The room went dead silent. Nathan's face changed instantly. "Julian, what are you talking about? Adrian's not well. Don't push him..." "Nathan," Adrian cut him off. "I'd like to speak with Mr. Chase alone." He smiled faintly. "I trust Mr. Chase is a reasonable man." Claire frowned and shot me a warning look before the door shut behind everyone. The moment we were alone, every trace of softness drained out of Adrian's eyes. "The two of you were together for five years. You think a grown man like me wouldn't have noticed? But so what? Whatever I want, I get. That's just how it works for me. "I just never expected Claire to want it both ways. Staying with me while unable to bring herself to let you go. Five years, and she never once brought up breaking up with you. I couldn't wait any longer." He looked at me, his eyes growing colder by the second as he added, "So, I showed your father that video from the wedding. Told him you were a shameless homewrecker who seduced another man's fiancée." Every word landed like lightning striking straight through my skull. My whole body went rigid. I stared at him, unable to believe what I was hearing. "What did you just say?" The corner of Adrian's mouth curled higher and higher. "I wanted your father to hear it straight from you, so he could give you the lecture you deserved. Turns out he was weaker than I expected. He didn't even make it until you got back. He just... died of anger. "You're actually pretty stupid, you know. Claire told you it was heart failure and you believed her, right to the end. Never figured out the truth. So, I had no choice but to push you a little harder. That video at the wedding? I'm the one who released it. Doxxing you? Also me." He gestured at the hospital gown he was wearing. "Even this right now is an act. I'm faking being sick just to torture you a little more. Call it the price for holding onto Claire for five years." Every single word felt like a knife driving straight into my chest. Tears burning in my eyes, I lunged at him and wrapped both hands around his throat. "You killed my father! You murderer!" Adrian's face turned red under the pressure of my grip, but he kept smiling. He reached out and swept his arm hard across the nightstand, knocking a vase to the floor. At the sound of it shattering, the door burst open. Claire's eyes went wide with panic. "Adrian!" She rushed forward, kicking me square in the chest. I flew backward like a kite with its string cut, hitting the floor hard. "Julian Chase! Have you lost your mind!" Eyes red, Claire came at me and grabbed a fistful of my hair, hauling me up off the ground. "Get on your knees and apologize to Adrian!" I shoved her away with everything I had left, stumbling backward until I hit the window. We were on the twenty-third floor. Wind leaked in through the gap, whipping my hair around. Claire's eyes went wide, and she moved to step toward me. "Stay back!" I roared, half my body already hanging out the window. That was when Claire's assistant burst into the room, panicked. "Ms. Winston, this is bad! That conversation in the hospital room just now was broadcasted live!" At the same moment, footsteps pounded down the hallway. Two officers in uniform appeared in the doorway. "We received a report of assault and defamation. Which one of you is Adrian Locke?"