My dad was a part–owner of the restaurant.
The manager knew me, and he suddenly
looked uneasy.
No wonder Mike got a job. Sarah was using
the Harrison family connections all over town.
“This guy was just provoking me, that’s why
we were arguing. You can check the security
footage!”
“Lies! You can’t just hurt people. Apologize!”
Sarah shouted.
I wasn’t going to fight with her. I showed the
manager the food stains on my sleeve.
Г
“Mr. Peterson, are you hiring anyone off the
street? This waiter has no manners, got my
dress dirty, and insulted me. You’re going to
keep this guy around?”
Mike and Sarah glared at me.
“Um…” Mr. Peterson hesitated, glancing at
Sarah.
I sighed.
“If you don’t fire him, I guess we’ll have to
find a more reasonable manager.”
Mr. Peterson got scared. He quickly said he’d
take care of it right away.
“Amy, you’re heartless!” Mike said, glaring at
me
L
“Not really. I didn’t even make you pay for my
dress. Pretty generous, if you ask me.”
Sarah was furious, pointing at me.
“Amy! How can you do this? Mike was so
good to you!”
Good enough to send me up in flames?
“I won’t forget. I’m going to pay you back for
everything!”
The pain of burning skin was forever burned
into my brain.
“And you, stop using the Harrison name to
get what you want.” I grabbed the Swarovski
necklace around her neck. It was a birthday
く
“I think this belongs to me. You can give it
back now.”
I ripped it off her neck.
They tried to charge, but Jason stood in front
of me. The security guards came to hold
them back.
Sarah was red with anger. She and Mike
made a lovely pair.
Jason and I walked out of the restaurant,
leaving them behind.
The little incident didn’t ruin my mood.
Getting a little revenge actually cheered me
up.
monanyeu
Change my clothes dru waiktu di
unes anu wAIKEU AI BUNU WIL
Jason, and I found myself chatting more.
I’d expected it to be awkward, but Jason was
great.
He listened to me rambling on, and he always
knew when to say the right thing.
I felt a warmth inside, chasing away the
shadows of the past.
Then I remembered him calling me Amy and
my face flushed.
“How did you know my nickname?”
Jason looked a little flustered.
“You told me when we were little. You don’t
く
remember,” he paused, sounding sad. “You
told me I wasn’t allowed to call you that. You
forgot.”
I remembered then. I had more than one
childhood friend.
Jason and I had known each other even
longer than Mike. But when we were young,
he was shy, and I liked the outgoing Mike. I
only let Mike call me Amy, and I wouldn’t let
Jason get close.
He’d remembered that all these years, and
that’s why he’d stayed away from me.
I looked into his eyes and blurted, “Jason,
Mike and I broke up. The wedding is off.”
Jason had guessed that from my actions, but
<
his eyes widened when he heard it.
“Call me Jay,” he said quietly.
I could feel the raw emotions under his
controlled exterior. “You liked him. Aren’t you
sad that it’s over?”
The girl who loved Mike had died in the fire.
Amy Harrison only hated him now.
“I only broke up with him because I didn’t like
him anymore. I’m not sad at all.”
“That’s good. Stay away from Mike. He’s not
good enough for you.” Jason’s eyes flashed
with anger.
He really hated Mike.
<
They hadn’t even interacted much. They’d
only become rivals later, after my family
helped Mike get back on his feet.
Maybe Mike had really ticked him off. I’d
heard Jason was unforgiving to his enemies.
Guess I’d have to wish Mike good luck.
Even with running into those two, the evening
was fun. We said goodbye and agreed to
meet again.
“If Mike bothers you, come to me. I won’t let
him hurt you again.”
I felt a surge of gratitude. I was beginning to
feel something for Jason.
When I got home, Mike was sitting on the
く
couch. Sarah was patching up his head.
They glared at me, like wolves staring at raw
meat.
“Amy, get over here!”
Mike shouted. His voice was full of anger.
He used to order me around like that, and I
used to be so eager to please him. I would
run over to him.
Now, it just sounded like he was calling a
dog.
I just stopped, asking what he wanted.
“Can you just leave me alone? I’m busy, I
don’t have time for this love crap! I’ll forgive
UvI have Line TVI UNIS TOVE Crap: I ||
you for what happened today, but don’t pull
any more stunts!”
Sarah jumped in.
“Amy, you’re old enough to know better. You
can’t act like a spoiled kid. If you’re
unhappy…”
“Then I’ll get out of your hair. You can hate
me, but please, leave Mike alone, okay?”
She squeezed out a few tears, looking pitiful.
Mike pulled her close.
He looked at me with disgust.
“Sarah, don’t lower yourself like that. Some
people are just jealous. Give them an inch,
and they’ll take a mile!”
Mike said that because Sarah had always
caused trouble when he came to our house,
trying to make me mad.
She was sly, making me look like I was always
bullying her. She painted herself as the
innocent victim.
Sarah hid her face against Mike’s chest. She
glanced at me, looking smug and triumphant.
I just stared at them, speechless.
“Oh, if that makes you happy, whatever. A win
is a win, I guess!”
“You!”
Mike hated when I acted like that. It was like
الصbri
punching a brick wall
<
punching a brick wall.
Sarah wanted me to lose it and make a
scene. But I was calm.
That’s what I got from dying: composure and
maturity.
“You’re impossible. Let’s go to bed.”
Mike glared at me and pulled Sarah away.
He knew his way around our house.
He always had.
When he was a kid, his parents had left him
at our place. He even had his own room, right
next to mine.
<
When I was little and couldn’t sleep, I’d go to
his room and make him sing me to sleep.
But this time, he wasn’t alone in his room.
After Mike and Sarah announced their
relationship, everyone just assumed they were
going to get married. No one even batted an
eye when they were together.
I thought about how they’d made me a fool,
and I couldn’t help feeling hurt.
I woke up in the morning to find them coming
out of his room, holding hands. It was obvious
what had been going on.
Sarah saw me and held Mike’s hand tighter,
her eyes filled with calculation.
Г
“Amy, did we wake you last night?”
I slowly took a sip of water.
“Yeah, you were a little loud. I couldn’t sleep.
Maybe you should move out.”
Their faces fell.
“What do you mean? Are you kicking us out?
Does your dad know about this? Where are
we supposed to go?” Sarah panicked.
“Don’t worry about it. Just pack your stuff. My
dad will find out soon enough.”
We’d done enough for Sarah, after her dad
died. She’d betrayed us.
く
Time to pay her back. I wouldn’t put up with it
anymore.
Mike frowned, looking shocked. “Amy, what’s
wrong with you? You’ve been acting crazy
these past few days…”
I looked at him, and he shut up.
He’d never seen so much hatred in a person’s
eyes. If it could turn into a knife, it would rip
him to shreds.
“If you really don’t want to move out, you can pay rent, utilities, and for groceries. I’ll send
you the bill later.”
Sarah had always been spoiled. Mike was
used to being waited on, and he didn’t realize
Г
All those expenses would be sky–high.
Sarah looked relieved. She patted Mike’s arm
and said, “It’s okay, honey. You can stay. I’ll
pay.”
I interrupted her. “With your own money.”
Sarah had no sense of responsibility. She’d
blown through her inheritance years ago.
My parents had been giving her money every
month, and I was sending her cash on the
regular.
She thought she could use our money to pay
us rent.
Sarah rushed to me.
“Amy, what are you doing? We’re family! This
is going to make your dad look bad!”
I laughed.
“What kind of family puts needles in my
pillow, writes hate notes about me, frames
me in front of other people, and sleeps with
my fiancé?!”
“You’ve been freeloading for years! That
makes him look good?!”
I tore off Sarah’s mask. She looked shocked,
but then she faked it, starting to cry.