Chapter 6: The Last Time I Cry for You

Ashley woke up the next morning with a splitting headache. Her eyes ached as if someone had stuffed rocks in them while she slept. She didn't think she had slept much at all. Tossing and turning, she'd jammed her face into the pillow, then stared up at the ceiling in silence.

Whenever her eyes shut, Harvey's words returned, fragmentary but cutting enough to slice.

You're lucky I want to marry you at all.

She sat up slowly, the bedclothes falling into her lap. For a long moment, she simply sat on the edge of the bed, head bowed, hands folded in her lap. Sunlight spilled across the floor, soft and gold, but it did not warm her.

Her eyes drifted to the ring on her finger. It sparkled in the light, as if almost mocking her. She used to love looking at it. It used to make her feel safe, wanted, full of promises. Now it seemed heavy, as if it did not quite fit on her finger.

Her phone buzzed on the nightstand. She reached for it slowly, movements sluggish. It was Mia.

Ashley answered, forcing herself to keep her voice even. "Hello."

Mia's voice was bright at first, then it turned cautious. "Ash, are you okay? You sound different."

Ashley leaned back against the headboard. "I didn't sleep. I kept thinking about everything Harvey said last night."

Mia exhaled. "Can't you two work it out? I mean, come on—Harvey is a great catch. Every girl I know would say that. In your world, it's ... well, it's normal, having one or two mistresses, I mean. It's gross, but it's the truth. The only thing he did wrong was telling you about it instead of hiding it."

Ashley pressed her lips together, staring again at the ring. "So you're saying it's my fault for not accepting it?"

"No," Mia said quickly, "that's not what I mean. You just... you and Harvey see marriage differently. That's all. There's probably a middle ground. Maybe you can compromise."

Ashley shook her head slowly. "I don't know. But I need to see him today. I want to hear what he has to say. Maybe there's still something left to fix. Or maybe he can just take back that ridiculous NDA."

Mia was silent for a moment. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You're mad, Ash. Maybe you should wait a few days."

"No," Ashley said firmly, surprising even herself with the sharpness in her voice. "If I wait, I'll only continue to hurt. I need answers now."

She hung up before Mia could protest.

Ashley did not call Harvey to let him know she was coming. She dressed in silence, pulled her hair back, and drove across town to his office at the entertainment company. Her stomach twisted as she parked, but her gait remained steady as she entered the sleek glass structure.

At the front desk, Harvey's secretary raised his head in surprise. "Ms. Dawson, you're here."

Ashley's voice was cool. "I have to see Harvey."

The young man shifted in his chair, eyes flicking up and down. "He's... kind of busy at the moment."

"I want to know where he is," Ashley said flatly.

The secretary hesitated, eyes flicking toward the closed office door at the end of the hall. "Ahh... he's—"

Ashley didn't wait. She strode past, heels clicking hard on the floor, and pushed the door open without knocking.

What she saw made her freeze.

Harvey was behind his desk, but he was not alone. One of his female talents sat with him, her blouse hanging slightly open. Harvey leapt to his feet, face paler than the white suit he wore. He fumbled at his pants, leaving them unzipped.

"Ashley," he said, voice strained, "what are you doing here?"

Her throat tightened, but her voice came out cold. "I didn't know you were busy."

The woman looked between them awkwardly, cheeks flushed. She slipped out past Ashley without a word, the smell of Harvey's cologne clinging in her wake.

Harvey moved around the desk, reaching out for Ashley. "Ash, wait, this is not what you think."

Ashley stepped back, face calm though her eyes burned. "It doesn't matter what I think. Close your pants. I didn't come here to fight."

"Ashley—"

"I just want to tell you not to pick me up later for your family dinner. I will go by myself."

She turned and walked out, her pace fast but steady.

Harvey stretched his arm out to her again, and when his hand touched her arm she jerked away. “Ash, listen to me—”

She didn’t say anything. She left the office without another look and Harvey was left standing there, his zipper still open.

“fuck,” Harvey said, rubbing a hand through his hair before grabbing at his pants.

The whispers started the moment she stepped back into the hallway.

"Did you see—"

"She caught him red-handed—"

"I told you he couldn't stay faithful—"

Ashley kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, tuning them all out. Her cheeks burned, but not from shame. She felt something harder now, something sharper.

By the time she reached her car, her hands were trembling. She sat behind the wheel, gripped the wheel tightly, her breath coming in short, quick pants. Then she closed her eyes and let the tears fall for the last time.

"This is the last time I will cry for you, Harvey," she whispered into the silence.

She wiped her cheeks, collected her breath, and started the car.

The apartment was too silent when Ashley returned home. Nathan should have been around somewhere, but she didn't see him. She strolled over to the window and gazed out at the city lights. For the first time, she felt no desire to wait for an explanation and no urge to hope he would change. She was done.

If Harvey wanted a dramatic ending, he would get one.

She sat at her desk, pulled out her phone, and composed a short message, not to Harvey, but to his mother. The West family dinner had been planned for weeks. She would not hide. She would go, but on her own terms.

"Please let Harvey know I will be there tonight," she typed. "I will come directly to the house."

Her finger hovered over the screen for a moment, then she pressed send.

Ashley set the phone down, folded her hands in her lap, and took a long, steadying breath. The decision was made. The girl who used to cry quietly in her room for Harvey West was gone. What waited for her at the family dinner would be the first step toward something new.