All Chapters of Surf, Scars, and Broken Promises: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Gabrielle's POVRegina Quimby gave an awkward laugh before quickly changing the subject.But I knew her too well. One look at her expression, and I could tell my words had hit a nerve.When Jayden York came back, he didn't seem to notice the tension in the room. He put the payment receipt in the drawer beside Regina's bed, then poured some water into a cup."Your lips are getting dry. Drink some water."He handed the cup to Regina.She glanced at the cup, then at me. She smacked him lightly on the arm. "What is wrong with you? Can't you see Gabby's here? Give it to her first!"Jayden rolled his eyes at her. "You're such a pain," he muttered.Still, when he handed the cup to me, he thoughtfully reminded me, "Careful. It's a little hot."Jayden and I had grown up together. He was only a few months younger than me, but he had always been the one looking after me.I'd never had to worry about running out of pads because he always made sure I had some stocked up. I never bothered

Chapter 2

Jayden suddenly turned to me and said, "Since it's your birthday, you get to decide. How do you want to spend it tomorrow?"I snapped back to reality and glanced at Regina, who looked a little uneasy. "Let's just spend it here at the hospital."I had already decided to break up with Jayden. But I needed more evidence. I needed to prove that I had to walk away from both of them.…The next day, I was held up when something went wrong with the data from one of my experiments. By the time I made it to the hospital, I was already half an hour late.As I pushed open the door to Regina's room, I was still trying to figure out how to explain why I was late. But the moment I looked inside, I saw Regina wearing a birthday hat.Seven or eight of our longtime friends were gathered around her. The room had been filled with laughter and chatter just seconds earlier, but as soon as I walked in, it fell completely silent.Regina hurriedly took off the birthday hat and looked at me apologetical

Chapter 3

It took ten minutes to drive from the hospital to the restaurant. The whole way, Jayden lectured me about how I shouldn't have treated Regina that way.I didn't argue or get angry. Instead, I kept comparing today with Regina's birthday a few months ago.The difference was obvious. Not a single person except Regina had wished me a happy birthday today. But on Regina's birthday, these same people had showered her with birthday wishes and gifts.I didn't care about the others. But Jayden hadn't prepared a gift for me. He hadn't even wished me a happy birthday. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong.Instead, he blamed me, the birthday girl, for being upset when my own birthday had somehow become all about someone else.I almost laughed again.The conversation kept circling back to Regina throughout dinner.I didn't say a word. I just ate quietly. Near the end of the meal, I went to the restroom.Upon returning, I stopped outside the private dining room when I heard Lennon ask,

Chapter 4

The test results came back quickly. Thankfully, I hadn't broken any bones.Unfortunately, the wound on my leg was deep enough to require stitches. It hurt badly, even after they gave me a local anesthetic. I couldn't stop myself from crying while the nurse stitched me up. The nurse treating my wound looked like she wanted to say something several times.When she finished, she patted my shoulder. "Don't be sad. It's better to find out what a jerk your boyfriend and so-called best friend really are before you get married."I wanted to tell her I wasn't sad. But was I really not sad?Just last month, Jayden had told Regina right in front of me that he wanted to marry me by the end of the year.Regina had been so excited. She'd grabbed my hand and kept repeating that she was going to be my maid of honor. We hadn't even started planning the wedding yet, but Regina had already dragged me to several bridal shops.When she'd told me, "Gabby, you'll be the most beautiful bride in the

Chapter 5

After Jayden left, I got a call from the lab. I took a cab there to finish up the final handover.With my leg wrapped in bandages and a noticeable limp, every coworker who passed by stopped to ask what happened. One of the senior researchers even wheeled a wheelchair out of his office for me. He said he'd used it when he broke his leg, and it had been sitting there unused ever since he recovered.When the director, Matthew Lowe, saw me being wheeled into the office, he sighed. "Look at you. You're leaving soon, and you still managed to end up like this."I fidgeted with my fingers and gave him a bitter smile.We had always collaborated with an institute in Belstine, but the benefits there were much better than we had here. Matthew had asked me more than once if I wanted to transfer, saying the research environment there would suit my work much better.I turned him down again and again because I couldn't bring myself to leave Jayden and Regina behind.What finally changed my min

Chapter 6

Third-Person POVRegina was awake when she was wheeled out of the operating room. The moment she saw Jayden, she grabbed his hand. "Did you see Gabby? What did she say?"Regina had seen the video the moment Gabrielle posted it in the group chat. She'd been so panicked that she barely paid attention to what everyone else was saying about the video.But not long after, her parents called her. That's when she found out that Gabrielle hadn't just sent the video to the group chat. Gabrielle had sent it to her parents, too. For a moment, Regina didn't even know who to hate.Should she hate Gabrielle for being so ruthless? Or should she hate herself for coveting something that was never hers to begin with?After Jayden left the hospital that day, Regina couldn't resist checking the group chats again.Gabrielle had posted the video in five different groups. By then, though, it had already spread everywhere.Some people in the groups were close to Jayden. Others couldn't stand him and

Chapter 7

As Jayden walked past the ER, he suddenly remembered the date the video was recorded. He tracked down the nurse on duty that day. When he asked why Gabrielle had been admitted, the nurse looked him up and down several times. "I'm sorry, but that's confidential patient information. I can't disclose it to a stranger.""Who says I'm a stranger? I'm her fiance! We're getting married at the end of the year!"The nurse could no longer hide her disgust and said, "You were kissing another woman in public, and now you're here pretending to be some devoted fiance?"Jayden's face went pale. When he spoke again, his voice was pleading. "Please! I can't get in touch with her. I just need to know if something serious happened to her."Perhaps the younger nurse standing nearby felt sorry for him, for she said, "The woman you're asking about was in a car accident. It wasn't serious. She just needed a few stitches on her leg."Jayden's heart clenched. He bent over, struggling to catch his breath

Chapter 8

Gabrielle's POVBefore I came to Belstine, Matthew had probably spoken to the person in charge of the lab here. So, as soon as I walked out of the airport, I saw someone waiting for me."I'm Samuel Morgan. I'll be your colleague from now on."Samuel had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and the unmistakable look of someone from the north.Knowing I was having trouble walking, he told me to stay put. After loading my luggage into the car, he helped me into the passenger seat."Our boss, Mr. Payne, said we'll get your paperwork taken care of first. You can officially start once your injuries have healed."I wanted to tell him that my injuries weren't serious enough to affect my work, but Samuel didn't give me a chance to argue."Get some good rest! I heard they called you the Work Machine back in Haine. You finally get some paid leave, so why would you turn it down?""Paid leave?"I knew they offered great benefits, but I never expected to enjoy them before I'd even officially started w

Chapter 9

Third-Person POVRegina checked out of the hospital the day after Gabrielle left. She refused to let her friends help her.After returning home, she grabbed her crutches and went straight to Jayden's place. She rang the doorbell, but no one answered.Regina tried unlocking the door with her fingerprint. But the lock kept announcing, "Fingerprint Not Recognized." She pounded on the door in frustration.She went back to her place and called Jayden. Still, he didn't answer.It had been a full day since Jayden left the hospital. Regina had called him nearly a hundred times. He hadn't picked up once.Regina, not knowing where Gabrielle had gone and with Jayden ignoring her completely, finally broke down.After crying for a while, she asked their mutual friends to contact Jayden. She reached out to several of them, but none of them could reach Jayden.Regina panicked. She went back to his door and knocked again. Then it hit her. She entered Gabrielle's birthday into the keypad.

Chapter 10

Gabrielle's POVThree months after I arrived in Belstine, the security guard told me someone was waiting for me outside. I assumed it was a package from home. I never expected to be Jayden.When I walked up to him, Jayden gave me an awkward smile. "Gabby, it's been a long time.""Do you need something?"The moment the words left my mouth, I checked my heartbeat. It was steady, which meant Jayden no longer had any effect on me. I was satisfied with that."I've been looking for you for a long time," he said.His eyes were red, but my expression remained calm."I went everywhere I could think of, but I couldn't find you. A few days ago, I was going through my things when I suddenly remembered you telling me that Matthew had asked if you wanted to transfer to Belstine. So I thought I'd give it a shot. I never expected you'd actually be here."When I said nothing, Jayden didn't seem bothered."I know I messed up. I know I messed up badly. I know there's probably no chance anymore

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