Simp No More, Thanks

"Vanessa's right. This isn't what it seems. But us? That ended the second you blocked me. Don't ever show up again."His words slammed into me.I looked at him—and just like that, he felt like a stranger."Shayne Raffield," my voice shook, "do you really think I'm that pathetic? That I'd come crawling back after YOU dumped me?"His brow twitched. Vanessa's lipstick was still smeared across his collar."I didn't think that.""Yeah? 'Cause that's EXACTLY how you act." My voice cracked, loud and sharp.Pudding paced at my feet, anxious.Shayne had that look again—the one he wore every time he blocked me, waiting for me to beg.Smug. Condescending. Like he still had me on a string.The Chat Feed popped off:[Shay's such a stubborn jerk. He's obsessed with Ley but pretending he's some cold-hearted bad boy.][Ugh, Ley too—blowing up just feeds that manipulative witch's drama kink.]Shayne's fingers twitched. His Adam's apple jumped.Still, nothing.I exhaled hard. Exhaustion h

I took a breath, ice-cold. "Shayne, stop. Stay out of my work—and out of my life."His gaze held for a beat... then finally dropped.Vanessa yanked him off, but not without throwing me one of those smug, I-win smiles.Andy looked like he wanted to speak up, but in the end, he just walked away.The Chat Feed exploded:[Ahhh! Shay-Shay's just jealous! He still loves her! Asking for the money back was just his way of getting her to talk to him again!][Ley doesn't get it—Shay-Shay's all bark, no bite. He's already humbled himself so much and she STILL won't give him a shot? Like, yeah, he says dumb stuff, but what guy doesn't have some pride?][Ley's getting way too full of herself. It's lowkey annoying. She's gonna regret losing someone as loyal as Shay.]I sank back into my seat, face unreadable, and took a sip of my coffee.Bitter.Just like the last eight years.Mr. Cadwell looked a little shaken. "Ms. Landon, are you alright?"I shook it off, pulled on my best corporate s

The Chat Feed was straight-up chaos:[He's running to the airport!][Bro lost a shoe!][Serves him right—should've made a move years ago!]At the gate, I turned for one last look at the city.Eight years of my life. Eight years of loving him.And in the end? I was just the punchline."Miss, your boarding pass," the flight attendant said softly.I took it and walked toward the jet bridge, Pudding right beside me.Sunlight poured through the glass, stretching our shadows out ahead of us.This time, I was actually walking into my next chapter.No looking back.By the time Shayne hit the airport, Leyla's flight was already gone.He stared at the giant board flashing "Departed," hands clenched so tight his knuckles looked like chalk."Sir, are you okay?" some staffer asked.He didn't even blink. Just spun around and bolted to the ticket desk. "Next flight to Selvora. Fastest one. Book it."The agent clicked around. "Sorry, last one's full. You could try tomorrow morni—""I'

"Shayne." I finally turned, locking on his bloodshot eyes. "Does explaining now even matter?"You had eight years—plenty of chances to love me right. Instead, you treated me like a dog you could whistle for or kick away."And now that I'm done simping, suddenly you're the one freaking out?"He stumbled like the words knocked the air out of him.The Chat Feed exploded:[Holy crap! Ley just murdered him with that line!][She's not wrong though. Where was Shay before all this?][Still... he's clearly wrecked now. Couldn't she give him one more shot?]I didn't even glance his way. Just raised a hand and grabbed a cab.As the door shut, I caught one last glimpse through the window—the same guy who once strutted around like he owned the world, now crouched on the sidewalk, face buried in his hands, sobbing.Back home, I watched the Chat Feed spiral and let out a sharp laugh.[Ley-Bae, pls, reformed bad boys are literally endgame. Just give Shay-Shay another shot. You two are the o

Then she just snapped, shrieking, "Why don't you just die?!"The air went ice cold.Shayne's face shifted in an instant. He grabbed her wrist. "Do you even hear yourself?!"But she looked possessed, eyes wild as they clung to him. "Don't you love me? Were all those moments between us fake? And the amusement park—why won't you admit what's really in your heart?!"That was it—Shayne finally lost it. His hand flew before he could stop himself.Smack!The crack of it echoed down the hallway.Vanessa staggered, clutching her cheek, eyes wide in shock."Wake up!" Shayne's voice cut like ice. "That was you begging me to play boyfriend for your parents. I never loved you. From start to finish, Leyla's the only one."Tears streamed down Vanessa's face. She shook her head, wild and broken. "No! That's a lie! You cared about me—you promised marriage!"Her voice shot higher, sharp enough to pierce glass. "That day at the amusement park, when you knelt down, you said you'd love me forever