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Home / Emotional Realism Short Story / The Girlfriend He Didn’t Save / Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

All Chapters of The Girlfriend He Didn’t Save: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

My father had been furious before I told him about Cole's attitude.When he heard, the line nearly cracked."Fine. Honey, you take the floor tomorrow as a shareholder. I'll back every word."I hung up and lay back.The pain in my side from the broken rib came in long pulses. The image from the night before played in my head–bodies pressed against bodies in the dark, foam falling like snow over our heads.The door opened.Vivian Shaw walked in, her eyes red. The moment she saw me, tears spilled over."Selena, I'm so sorry. I should have made him save you first."I held her gaze. The calm I had built began to unravel.While I had been pinned in the crowd, the comms earpiece on my headset had stayed on.I had heard her ask, "Cole, is this happening because of me? Because I asked you to set off the foam?"I had heard him cut her off. "How could it be your fault? I would have done it whether you asked or not.""You remember? I promised you a romantic New Year's."After tonight,

Chapter 2

The room went very quiet.Cole tilted his head back and laughed. "You want to break up with me?"I nodded. I turned to Vivian. "And you. As of this moment, we are not friends."Cole sneered. "Who do you think you are? You think people are lining up to be your friend?"I did not answer him. I watched Vivian. The corner of her mouth tugged up, smug, despite the tears.After ten years, she still did not know who I actually was.When I had met her, she had been a girl from the mountains on a financial-aid scholarship. The wealth gap would have made her uncomfortable, so I had never mentioned my family.I had planned to tell her in time. I had planned to buy her a small place she liked.I was glad I never had.I held my ground. Cole grabbed Vivian's wrist and turned for the door."Selena, I am the GM of Hartline Mall. After the holiday, corporate is giving me equity in the branch. You broke up with me, don't come back."I let out a cold laugh. "Aren't you suspended?"He froze.

Chapter 3

My assistant looked between us. "Ms. Hart, he is your boyfriend?"Cole answered before I could. "Yes, she's my girlfriend."He straightened slightly."During the stampede, she threatened to break up with me unless I rescued her first. As a senior manager, I had to uphold fairness and prioritize the guests."He spoke with conviction, as if he had rehearsed it.My assistant frowned."To my knowledge, Ms. Hart was also attending the event that night in a personal capacity. She was a guest as well."Cole was momentarily speechless.Vivian quickly cut in. "Selena… she was actually fine.""She only fell because she saw Cole rescue me first and felt upset. I saw it with my own eyes."She glanced around nervously."She came here today… probably because she wants Cole to change his mind and get back together with her."The employees nearby immediately started murmuring."So that's what happened! Mr. Cole is really impartial.""Exactly. Putting guests before his own girlfriend, tha

Chapter 4

Cole froze. He recognized my father.He pivoted instantly. The grin came back on as he lunged forward."Mr. Hart! Sir! You're already here!"You're right, sir. This woman has been a problem. I've already broken up with her. It won't affect the company. I promise."My father walked past him and came straight to me. He looked me over, from my bandages to the wheelchair, and his voice turned cold."If anything happens to my daughter, I'll make sure all of you pay for it."Cole froze in place.Vivian reacted first. "No matter what, she is still a victim of the stampede. The chairman is just worried about how it might look if word gets out that the victim wasn't properly taken care of."Cole immediately followed. "Mr. Hart, you're too kind.""But sir, don't be fooled. If she hadn't deliberately fallen during the New Year's event, the stampede wouldn't have gotten this serious. She's using this to win me back–and probably to extort money from the mall. Someone like her should be thr

Chapter 5

"Dad?!"Cole stared at me."You are calling the chairman Dad?!"He shook his head, then let out a cold laugh. "Selena, if you're going to make things up, at least make them convincing! You think calling him Dad a few times will scare me?""I'm your boyfriend. I know your background. There's no way you could be–"I cut him off and looked at my father."Dad, can we start the meeting?"Before he could react, my father spoke coldly."Selena is my daughter. She is also a shareholder of Hartline Mall."She is here today as a shareholder to oversee full accountability for the New Year's Eve stampede."I'd like to see who still dares to stop her."The people around us immediately stepped back, whispering among themselves."Oh my god… she's the chairman's daughter…""We just followed Cole and even insulted her. What do we do now?!""The chairman's daughter would never harm the company's interests. It must be Cole and that woman lying!""I never liked Cole. Throwing his weight aro

Chapter 6

The room reacted.Cole stood up. He needed to perform."Who? Selena, name them. I will handle this personally."I let myself smile.I tapped play on my phone. The audio came through the conference-room speakers.Cole's voice was warm, tender."Vivian. You okay?"Remember? I promised you a romantic New Year's."This foam rain is for you. Do you like it?"The room went silent.Then the whispers came in like a tide."Vivian? Isn't that the witness next to him?""He just told the chairman she's his girlfriend. He set off a foam rain for another woman?""He claimed he was avoiding favoritism. He was avoiding the woman he didn't actually want. That's the most selfish thing I've ever heard."Cole's face went pale.He stumbled to my chair and dropped onto his knees in front of the entire executive committee."Selena, I was wrong. Let me explain.""It's her. She made me." He pointed at Vivian. "I got drunk. I mistook her for you. After that, she held it over me. She forced me i

Chapter 7

The officers stepped forward, showed their badges, and restrained Cole and Vivian, one on each side.It was not until the handcuffs clicked shut that Vivian snapped out of it."Not me! It wasn't me! It was Cole! He did it to please me!"The officers ignored her shouting and swiftly cuffed both of them.As they were being led out of the conference room, Cole finally came to his senses.He suddenly turned back, staring at me, his voice hoarse."Selena! I'm your boyfriend! You're just going to stand there and watch them take me away?"I looked back at him coldly, without a flicker of emotion.After they were taken away, the room fell silent again.My father walked over, sighed, and patted my shoulder."It's over, Selena."I nodded. I motioned for Pierce to follow up on the remaining matters, then my assistant wheeled me out.Things were resolved faster than I had expected.As the event's overall director, Cole was formally dismissed by Hartline Group for gross negligence caus

Chapter 8

The days after that were a slow nightmare.He was outside the office. He was outside my apartment. He was at the coffee shop I went to.I called the police. They came. They walked him off with a verbal warning. He was back the next morning.Then Vivian showed up.I was at the rooftop restaurant in the mall, going over things with Pierce, when Vivian came at me like a freight train.She didn't look any better than Cole. Same debt. No job. No glow."Selena!" She slammed a glass of lemon water onto the table. "You really have no shame!""You ruined his life, and you still won't let him go!"He's been camping outside your building every day. You like that, don't you?"I picked up a napkin and wiped the water off the table. I didn't even look up."First, he's harassing me."Second, whatever he does with his life has nothing to do with me.""Nothing to do with you?" Her voice turned sharp. "If it weren't for you, would he have ended up like this?""You think you're so far above

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