All Chapters of No Longer the Clown in Your Game: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

"Ellie, are those artisanal fruit tarts ready yet?"Victoria Hart's voice snapped me out of my trance. I slowly looked up.Whenever she had one of her episodes, she only ever wanted me to bake something—hand-rolled puff pastry in the spring, multi-layered crêpe cakes in the summer, whatever.None of it was inherently difficult, but it required grueling hours of meticulous preparation. And it always happened right when I was about to head out with her son, Jason Hart.I used to think Victoria was just lonely and seeking comfort. Now I knew it was all an act to keep me stuck at home.I met her eyes and set the mixing tool down. "I'm not making them."Victoria's brow furrowed. "But you promised Jason you'd take good care of me."I held her gaze. "Now you remember who Jason is?"The annoyed expression on her face froze, replaced by a flash of panic."It... just came back to me," she stammered. "My condition has been improving significantly these past few days."I didn't respond.

Chapter 2

Jason's face flickered with discomfort. Then his expression shifted, turning defensive."Must you always sound so bitter?" he retorted. "It wasn't a date. I'm just helping her get better. Her depression has been brutal lately, and I only took her out to clear her head."We only hid it from you because we knew you'd blow it out of proportion."I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of it. He'd been sneaking around with his ex behind my back, and somehow, I was the toxic one.Jason let out a heavy sigh and reached out to pinch my cheek, the way he always did to pacify me."Come on, Ellie," he said. "You're the most understanding person I know. We're getting married soon. Once Susan is better, we'll go on dates every day, okay?"I turned my head just enough to dodge his hand."Every day?" I walked past him toward the bathroom. "There is no 'after this' for us."His frustrated voice followed me down the hall. "What kind of attitude is that? Can't you show a little compassion?"I

Chapter 3

The words had barely left my mouth before Jason let out a mocking laugh."You're a grown woman," he scoffed. "Are you really throwing this kind of tantrum? What, you suddenly don't want your mother to see you get married?"He knew exactly where to twist the knife.I was indeed the one who had pushed for this wedding. My mother's health was failing, and her biggest wish was to watch me walk down the aisle.Because Jason had been dragging his feet about settling down, I had begged him to at least hold the ceremony, even if we delayed the marriage license.Just because I had wanted it so badly, he was entirely convinced I would never actually walk away. Yet I didn't bother defending myself. His heart had shifted, and my logic would always be treated as a crime.When I remained silent, he was further convinced that I was just throwing a tantrum."Alright," he said. "Since you don't want to see Susan, you can try the dress on by yourself."He turned to steady Susan, whose eyes were

Chapter 4

The warm, easy atmosphere in the room evaporated the second I crossed the threshold.Susan shot to her feet, looking frantic. "Miss Brooks, please don't misunderstand. Jake was just joking around. Jake, apologize to Miss Brooks right now.""But it's the truth..." Jake muttered under his breath.Jason marched over to me, lowering his voice into a sharp hiss. "Must you always bring that bitter, sarcastic attitude into this house? Is your entire goal today to make everyone miserable?""I'm serious, Jason," I said, unblinking. "Since everyone in this room is so full of regret, it's not too late for you two to get back together. It would save everyone the heartbreak.""Shut up!" Jason snapped, grabbing my arm and wrenching me into the hallway. "Do you enjoy humiliating her in front of all these people?"It was funny. Even in a moment like this, his singular priority was protecting Susan's feelings. But I was done participating in their theater production."Jason, we're done," I said

Chapter 5

It took a massive effort for Jason and the others to finally calm Susan down.She collapsed onto the sofa, her shoulders shaking violently as she wept. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have wanted the dog. I shouldn't have come back at all."A tight circle formed around her. Victoria gently patted her back to soothe her. "It's not your fault, darling. Ellie overreacted. How could she hit you over a damn dog?"Jake crouched right next to Susan's knees. "Don't be sad, Susan. In my heart, you're the only one who will ever be my sister-in-law."Tara, who had stayed silent for a long time, spoke quietly. "But... Max once saved Ellie's life. So, her reaction makes sense."Her words were like a stone cast into a still pool, sending ripples of uneasy silence through the room. Jason, who had been aggressively typing out text messages to me, froze mid-motion.The atmosphere in the room grew heavy as he looked at everyone surrounding Susan. His mind suddenly flashed back to the hollow, te

Chapter 6

Tara stood frozen as the implications of the phone call sank in."Ellie really meant it?" she muttered, bewildered. "No way. Her mother has been expecting this wedding. How could she just throw it all away?"Jason snapped out of his trance and rushed back to our apartment.But every trace of me had vanished. The succulents on the balcony, the quirky collection of fridge magnets... everything I had gathered over the years was missing.He yanked open the closet doors and found a solitary box resting on the empty shelf. It belonged to me. His hands shook violently as he pried it open.Resting right on top was a notebook. Beneath it lay a cluttered pile of random trinkets and gifts he had given me throughout our relationship. He pulled them out one by one.There were photos from the sunrise he'd watched with Susan. He'd promised to take me next time. There was the plush doll from Disneyland, still with Susan's lipstick on it.There was also the cheap keychain he had carelessly grabb

Chapter 7

Every drop of blood in Jason's veins turned to ice. The last lingering shred of deniability he had been clinging to was pulverized.All the sympathy he'd felt for Susan over the years had been one big, pathetic joke. The first love he'd kept in his heart was nothing but a liar.The man shrugged. "I'm just here to collect some compensation. Or you can pay for it for her."His sleazy gaze drifted over to Tara, who was standing paralyzed in horror. "Hey, isn't this the girl you said you'd set me up with? Heard she's naïve and gullible. Perfect timing. This can be our first date!"Tara flinched, staring at Susan in disbelief. This was the person for whom she had hurt me, her best friend."Susan... is he telling the truth?" she stammered.At this point, Susan could no longer continue her act. "So what if it is? I'm on my own. Is it wrong to look out for myself? You can't put all the blame on me. You're the ones who kept hurting Ellie for my sake."With every word that left her mouth,

Chapter 8

Jason didn't leave town.Instead, he began showing up constantly around my perimeter—sometimes loitering outside my office building and sometimes waiting down by the entrance of my apartment complex.Sometimes, he held the container for a warm breakfast; sometimes he carried an expensive, wrapped gift. I looked right through him every single time.When Tara finally tracked me down, I was just heading out to visit my mother. The moment I stepped out of the building lobby, I saw her standing quietly under the awning, wringing her fingers anxiously."Ellie..." she called out in a small voice."What are you doing here?" I asked flatly."I was wrong about Susan," she said with mixed feelings. "I saw a reflection of myself in her. Someone entirely alone in the world, with no one to rely on. I just wanted to pull her up."I looked her in the eyes. "And to do that, you had to push me down?"Tara opened her mouth, but the words died in her throat.I pressed on. "When you were at your l

Chapter 9

Jason showed up one last time, holding the recipe book in his hand."I tried making the things in the book. It's really hard," he whispered. "You had a hard time back then. I'm sorry."Not interested in reminiscing with him, I cut to the chase. "Jason, can you stop showing up in front of me? It's annoying."His shoulders slumped. After that, he never appeared again.Winter passed, and spring came as the seasons cycled. A year flew by. I still baked treats—pumpkin muffins in the fall and cinnamon rolls in winter. I only made them for myself now. Sometimes when I made too much, I'd bring them to the office to share with my colleagues. The reviews were unanimously positive."Ellie, your cooking is incredible!""You're such a gem!"...Every time I heard their praise, I would instinctively pause.In the past, I had made all kinds of snacks for Victoria, but I never received a word of appreciation. They treated my efforts as a matter of course, using them to cover for Susan.Peo

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