My Absence Teaches Better Than My Love

It was the middle of the night, and I'd barely fallen asleep when a stomachache yanked me awake. Wave after wave of cramps left me sweating through the sheets.

I kept running to the bathroom. It was clear I'd eaten something bad. The night didn't let up, and by the end, I was wiped out. Eventually, I passed out from the pain.

…

I woke up in the hospital.

Asher rubbed my stomach gently, worry etched across his face. "Are you feeling any better?"

I gave a small nod, already feeling much better.

He squeezed my hand, his eyes still full of worry. "The doctor said you should eat a little after waking up. I'll get you some soup."

I gave another nod.

After he left, a message popped up on my phone. I opened it and found a video from a private investigator. Ever since I learned of Asher's true colors, I had hired someone to keep tabs on him.

The video had been recorded at the hospital.

Asher held Grace in his arms, murmuring to calm her, "Be good. Stop going after her. That won't do you any good."

Grace pouted. "But I'm your fiancee. Are you really going to marry her?"

Asher denied it immediately. "I'm just playing along with her. It's payback."

Then, he lowered his head and pressed a light kiss to her cheek. "Don't worry. Once I'm finished with her, I'll marry you. You're the one who'll become my wife."

A satisfied smile spread across her face, but a trace of unease lingered in her eyes. She asked again, "Asher, do you really have no feelings for her?"

"No. If I fell for her, I'd be sabotaging myself," Asher said without hesitation.

His words reassured Grace.

Still seething from the slap, she sounded wounded as she demanded, "Then prove it. You don't have to touch her. Slip laxatives into her food and make her pay with brutal pain!"

Asher stiffened and hesitated for a long beat before saying, "Okay."

The footage ended abruptly.

My fingers tightened around the phone as I trembled. I couldn't stop shaking with pure rage. It turned out my diarrhea was because Asher had dosed me with laxatives. What a petty, childish way to get even!

Asher had shattered the image I had of him. Grief, despair, and fury crashed over me at once, and my head felt like it might burst.

I was lost in my own thoughts when Asher walked in with the soup. He fed me gently, each motion slow and deliberate. That caring look only made my stomach turn.

If he despised me that much, he might as well have poisoned my food and let me die. At least that would've given him the satisfaction he wanted.

Instead, he dragged it out, tormenting me while pretending to care. Did he actually enjoy having that power over me? Maybe I was just something for him to toy with.

During my hospital stay, Asher fussed over me and treated me like I was fragile. I could walk, but he wouldn't let me, so he carried me to the bathroom. I could eat by myself, but he insisted on feeding me.

Even the nurses called him the perfect boyfriend. But I knew it was an act. He wanted me hooked so that the hurt would cut deeper. Thankfully, I stayed clearheaded and didn't get pulled in.

After I left the hospital, Asher took me to Finn's new restaurant. The private room was crowded with his friends, and their worried looks put me on edge.

I then spotted Grace in the corner, and it clicked. They were afraid I'd start something.

The mood turned awkward. Even so, we ate like normal.

While we were there, Grace downed one drink after another and soon started rambling, even calling out Asher's name. Every time she said it, the looks people gave me grew a little more awkward.

I ignored her, but she kept pushing it. She stood and flung herself into Asher's arms, clinging tightly.

Asher tried to pry her off, but she wouldn't let go. When he snapped at her, she broke down in tears.