At the NHL end-of-season gala, the highlight of the night was an improv game. Players and their dates drew random prompts to act out. I was the secret girlfriend of the team’s star,Ethan Campbell. And also a student living in the practice rooms at Juilliard. Fittingly,I drew the prompt to play Ethan’s devoted girlfriend. Fueled by liquid courage, I poured out three years of bottled-up emotions into a heartfelt confession. He kept a poker face,and the room lost it. His teammates chirped: “Hey,Ethan,your acting is even worse than your save percentage!” The laughter felt like an actual slap. My cheeks burned with humiliation. In the next round,Ethan drew Hailey—the sports influencer tied to his name on every gossip blog. One look between them was all it took to spark undeniable chemistry. They improvised a steamy tango. It ended with a deep kiss straight off a Sports Illustrated cover. The room erupted. Cheers practically blew the roof off the hotel. Of course,they won the grand prize—an exclusive seven-day ski getaway for two in Aspen. Ethan texted me: [Babe,it’s PR for the team.Playing to the crowd,you know? I had to take it.Otherwise she totally outshines me? We both need to cool off.] I locked my screen and dialed another number. On the other end of the line was a highly respected conductor in Europe. “Hi,Maestro. That Young Composer Fellowship you offered me… I’m in.” … “Maestro Julian,about the commission for the original symphony movement… I’ve made up my mind.” I stood on the balcony outside the banquet hall,keeping my voice low. The night breeze swept past,clearing my head. Maestro Julian sounded surprised. “Ava?Didn’t you say you were keeping your schedule clear to support your boyfriend during the playoffs?” I looked at the luxurious lights and rowdy silhouettes spilling through the crack in the banquet hall doors. Letting out a bitter smile,I answered. “That won’t be necessary,Maestro.” “I finally figured out my priorities. Next Monday at 10 AM,I’ll be at your studio for the first rehearsal.” Maestro Julian’s voice filled with admiration and excitement. “Wonderful.I knew you had your head on straight. The emotional depth and inner strength that piece requires… I can’t think of another young talent who can do it justice.” “See you next week,then. I’ll have my assistant email you the final score.” I hung up the phone and took a deep breath. Deafening cheers bled through the heavy doors,crashing into my ears. “Kiss her!Kiss her!”
The chant was familiar,yet grating. I pushed open the doors. A wave of heat hit me,thick with the scent of perfume and alcohol. Ethan was standing right in the middle,surrounded by a swarm of teammates and the press. A glass of champagne in hand,his custom suit unbuttoned at the collar, he looked down at Hailey with a smoldering gaze. Hailey’s face was flushed. Playing the part of a startled doe,she nestled coyly against his chest. “Oh,you guys,stop.Ethan has a girlfriend,remember?” Her voice was sickeningly sweet,dripping with phony fragility. Someone in the crowd quickly chimed in. “Who cares about a girlfriend? An athlete’s love life changes faster than the weather.” “For real.Watching Ava and Ethan earlier was so cringe it physically hurt.” “Hailey and Ethan are the ones with real sparks. That kiss?Goal of the Year!” I stood by the doors,watching this pathetic little circus play out. At the mention of my name,Ethan’s jaw tightened. But he didn’t push Hailey away. Instead,he slipped his arm around her shoulder. “Knock it off,guys.Ava and I are just friends.” His tone was flat—like he was announcing a minor roster change. “It was just a game.Don’t read into it.”
I looked at the face I was madly in love with, and suddenly,he felt like a stranger. Three years. We had been together for three whole years. To protect his image as hockey’s’most eligible bachelor,’ I willingly stayed in the shadows. I threw away countless recitals and competitions, only to be the one waiting outside the locker room after his games. And now,in front of everyone, he erased three years with two words:”just friends.” Hailey peeked out from his chest,her eyes locking onto me by the doors. Grabbing two drinks,she strutted over like a runway model,her hips swaying with every step. “Ava,why are you standing by the door?Come join the fun.” She held out one of the glasses to me,flashing an innocent smile. “Don’t take that little game earlier too personally.” “I’ve always been a guy’s girl.Ethan and I are basically bros.” “You’re not going to be mad at him over a silly game,right?” The second the words left her mouth,the rowdy banquet hall fell silent. Everyone’s eyes darted back and forth between us, waiting to watch his”secret girlfriend”become the punchline of the night. I didn’t take the drink. I took in her carefully crafted’natural’look,keeping my voice deadpan. “If it’s just a game,why would I be mad?”
Hailey’s hand froze in mid-air,her innocent smile faltering. Ethan strode over,snatched the glass from her hand,and slammed it onto the table. “Ava Thorne,what’s with the sour face?” His voice wasn’t loud,but it carried the heavy,dull thud of a puck smashing against the boards. “Hailey was nice enough to offer you a drink.What’s your problem?” I looked up at him. “I’m allergic to alcohol.Since when is that news to you?” Ethan stiffened. A flash of panic crossed his eyes,but it was quickly masked by impatience. “So just take a small sip.Is one drop going to kill you?” “You always act so high and mighty,even here. No wonder you’re still a nobody at Juilliard.” He humiliated me in front of the whole room. A few muffled snickers rippled through the crowd. The team’s PR manager,Max,stepped up and tugged at my sleeve. “Ava,don’t be difficult. Ethan is the face of the franchise now. He’s the future of the league. Don’t make a scene and ruin this for him.” Max was also Ethan’s agent. In this industry,the superstar makes the rules. I looked at Max’s kiss-ass expression,then at Ethan’s self-righteous glare. The whole thing felt pointless. “Max is right.I shouldn’t make a scene.” I took a step back,putting some distance between us. “It’s getting late.I have an early class tomorrow,so I’m heading out.” Ethan’s face darkened. “Ava Thorne,if you walk out that door tonight,don’t ever come crawling back to me.” He was used to threatening me with that condescending tone. Because he knew how much I cared about him. Every time we fought,I was always the one who caved. But this time,he was dead wrong. I looked at him,a faint smile touching my lips. “Ethan,I hope you two have fun in Aspen.”
“What the hell was your problem last night? You couldn’t even take a drink from Hailey?” Early the next morning,Ethan’s voice came through the phone,rough with a hangover. I shoved a few everyday outfits into a suitcase,without missing a beat. “I told you.I’m allergic to alcohol.” Ethan scoffed. “Stop using your allergy as an excuse. You’re just jealous Hailey gets to go to Aspen with me.” “Ava,since when did you become so petty?” I zipped the suitcase shut and stood it up in the corner. “Ethan,if you called only to lecture me,you can hang up now.” The line went silent for a second. Ethan hadn’t expected that tone from me. “Are you out of your mind? Don’t you dare talk to me like that.” His voice spiked,sharp with anger. “Listen to me.I am going to Aspen. It’s a brand trip,and I need it for my image.” “Stay home and behave. And no passive-aggressive crap online.” I looked out the window at the dreary New York sky. “Don’t worry.I don’t have time for that.” I hung up the phone,grabbed my suitcase, and walked out of the apartment we had shared for the last three years.
A week later,I arrived on time at Maestro Julian’s studio—the mecca of classical music in Europe. The Maestro pushed a thick score across the table,his eyes filled with admiration. “Ava,I spent three years conceptualizing this symphony. The protagonist is a woman who rises like a phoenix from the ashes of despair.” “I’ve looked at your past student pieces. Your technique may still be raw,but your melodies have soul.” I carefully took the score. “Thank you for believing in me,Maestro. I won’t let you down.” The rehearsal was flawless,and Maestro Julian was thrilled with my performance. After I signed the NDA,I got a call from Max. “Ava,get back to the New York office right now. We’re having a quick meeting.” Max’s tone left no room for argument. By the time I rushed back to the agency’s office, Ethan and Hailey were already sitting in the conference room. Hailey was busy showing off her new manicure. Ethan was looking down at his phone,a smirk playing on his lips. Seeing me walk in,Max tapped on the table. “Now that everyone’s here,I have two things to announce.” “First,the agency just landed Hailey a global endorsement deal with a premium sports brand. This is her first major contract,and I need everyone to get behind the rollout.” Hailey looked up and flashed me a sweet smile. “Thanks,Max.And thank you,Ethan,for pulling strings for me.” Ethan didn’t even look up,his tone casual. “It’s nothing.You deserve the best.” I found a corner seat and sat down,my face blank. Max shot me a look and kept going. “Second thing. Ava,that composing gig you booked for the local team’s promo video? Hand it over to Hailey’s musician friend.” My head snapped up,my eyes locking onto Max. I had hustled for two weeks just to land that composing gig. The pay wasn’t much,but it was a great opportunity to build my resume. “Why?” I stared at Max,my voice ice-cold.
Max frowned,annoyed that I had even asked. “Hailey thinks her friend’s style is a better fit. The sound is more…commercial.More pop.” “Plus,the target audience for this promo is young. They need an explosive beat.Your classical stuff is too dull.” I turned to Ethan. “Is this your call,too?” Ethan finally put his phone down,shooting me an impatient glare. “Ava,your music is bland.It has zero hook.” “They want a track people can jump to. Not some lullaby that puts people to sleep in a concert hall.” “It’s just a stupid promo video. Do you really need to be this petty over it?” Hailey bit her lip,playing the victim. “Ava,if you really can’t bear to let it go,we can forget about it.” “I thought it was a huge opportunity for my friend. I only wanted to help him out.” “Ethan,please don’t fight with Ava over me.” Ethan softened his voice,patting Hailey’s hand to comfort her. “Just ignore her.She always has this nasty attitude. She can’t stand to see other people win.” He turned back to me with a warning look. “The decision is final. You don’t have anything important going on anyway,so focus on your classes.” I watched them put on their little tag-team routine,finding the whole thing laughable. For three years,it was always like this. Claiming it was”for my own good,” he constantly belittled my craft and my dreams,keeping me trapped in his shadow. All while taking my sacrifices for granted. I stood up and smoothed out my clothes. “Fine.You can have the gig.” Ethan’s face relaxed into a smug,”know your place”look. “Glad you’re finally being reasonable.” I looked at him,my voice steady. “Ethan,I hope you don’t regret this.” With that,I ignored his stunned expression and walked out of the conference room.
“Did you catch Hailey’s new IG post? The snow in Aspen is stunning. Ethan totally spoils her.” In the break room,two interns were huddled together,whispering. As I walked over with my coffee mug,they clammed up,scattering in awkward silence. Back at my desk,I unlocked my phone. Hailey had just dropped a massive photo dump on IG. It featured a luxury ski chalet, a candlelit dinner by the fireplace, and two hands intertwined—wearing matching ski gloves. The caption read: [Sun,snow,and a man who truly gets me.] Ethan had liked the post and dropped a heart emoji in the comments. She hid the post from my main account. I knew because the team manager and several execs had already liked it. They thought I was blocked. But my academic alt account still followed her. Face blank,I swiped past her post and went back to reading the score revisions from Maestro Julian. My phone buzzed.It was a text from Ethan. [Left in a rush.Buster needs feeding.Handle it.] No greeting.It was a command. I stared at the text,my finger hovering over the screen. Finally,I typed:[Okay]. We adopted Buster,a golden retriever from a local shelter,right after we started dating. I always saw that dog as the living proof of us.
That afternoon,I took a cab to Ethan’s apartment. I punched in the passcode and pushed the door open. The place was a wreck. Hailey’s scarf was tossed on the couch,and half-empty wine glasses sat on the coffee table. The air reeked of a strange,sickly-sweet perfume. I walked out to the balcony and refilled Buster’s food and water bowls. The dog nuzzled against my leg,letting out happy little whimpers. I crouched down and patted his head. Out of the corner of my eye,I spotted a gleaming metal object lying next to the dog bowl. I reached out and picked it up,wiping off the dog food crumbs. It was a white gold pendant,specially designed to blend the letter”A”for Ava with an eighth note. Our initials were engraved on the back. I had custom-ordered this matching set for our one-year anniversary, using the scholarship money I had worked so hard to earn. I never took mine off. But he claimed his got in the way on the ice,so he shoved it in a drawer. And now,here it was. Tossed aside like a piece of trash by the dog bowl,reduced to a chew toy. The sharp edge of the metal bit into my palm. I dialed Ethan’s number. It rang for a long time before he finally picked up. In the background,I could hear the roar of snowmobiles and Hailey squealing. “What do you want?I’m busy.” His voice dripped with annoyance. “Why is your pendant in the dog bowl?” I tried my best to keep my voice steady. The line went quiet for a second. Then Ethan replied,his voice completely indifferent. “Oh,you mean that thing.” “Hailey came over yesterday and thought that little trinket looked cute. Buster likes chasing shiny things,so she tossed it to him to play with.” “It’s just some cheap pendant. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it? I’ll buy you a Cartier one when I get back to New York.” His tone was unapologetic—like I was the one being unreasonable. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “Ethan,that was our anniversary pendant.”
“What’s the big deal about a matching pendant?” Ethan’s patience had officially hit zero. “Ava Thorne,can you stop being so damn petty for once?” “Hailey just doesn’t overthink things. She doesn’t play mind games. You’re the one taking everything so personally.” “If you’re going to keep being this unreasonable,we’re done talking.” With that,he hung up. Listening to the dead line,I let out a laugh. At my own stupidity. At three years of wasted devotion. I threw the pendant into the trash. In the bedroom,I pulled out a large duffel bag. My toothbrush,a towel,a few changes of clothes—the last of my things went straight inside. I moved fast.No hesitation. After all is done,I took one last look at the apartment. This place used to hold every fantasy I had for our future. Now,there was nothing left but a pathetic mess. I closed the door and chucked my keys into the fire hose cabinet out in the hallway. My phone buzzed again. Another text from Ethan. [My birthday is the day after tomorrow. I’m throwing a party at the Four Seasons penthouse. Be there on time.] [Drop the attitude. Dress to impress,and don’t embarrass me.] I stared at the words on the screen and typed. [Okay.] There was no need for a Cartier. Because trash belongs in the garbage.
“My birthday party is tonight at the Four Seasons. You need to be there,and drop the attitude.” That was the first voice message Ethan sent me after he got back to New York. Arrogant as ever,treating the invite like charity. Wearing a plain black cashmere coat, I pushed open the heavy doors to the Four Seasons penthouse at eight. The room was ablaze with crystal chandeliers and buzzing with loud chatter. Ethan sat at the center in a custom suit,basking in the glory,surrounded by A-listers and the press. Hailey sat beside him,flashing a flawless smile. The second I walked in,the air in the penthouse froze. All eyes landed on me. Or more accurately—on Hailey. She was wearing an Elie Saab haute couture gown. The dress was encrusted with diamonds,shimmering under the lights. I recognized that dress. Two years ago,Ethan had pointed to the cover of a fashion magazine and sworn that once he won his first MVP,he would buy that gown as my engagement gift. He told me that a starry sky like that was the only thing worthy of the music I played. And now,that starry sky was draped over another woman. “Ava,you made it!” Hailey stood up,lifted her skirt,and strutted over to me,doing a graceful little twirl. “Do you like the gown?Ethan had it flown in from Paris.” “He said my vibe is perfect for this kind of glamorous look.” Her smile was innocent,but her eyes gleamed with undeniable smugness. I looked at her,my expression unchanged. “It really suits you.”
Ethan leaned back in his chair,his brow furrowing at my unfazed expression. “Ava Thorne,didn’t I tell you to dress to impress? Who are you wearing that funeral getup for?” His voice cut through the quiet room. Whispers broke out. “Seriously.It’s Ethan’s birthday,and she shows up looking like that? What a total buzzkill.” “She’s definitely doing this on purpose just to ruin the vibe.” “Being the official girlfriend looks miserable. She doesn’t even own a decent dress.” I ignored the sneers,walked straight to the bar,and poured myself a glass of club soda. “This is all I have.If I’m such an embarrassment,you shouldn’t have invited me.” Ethan shot up from his seat,his face livid. “What’s your problem? I was nice enough to invite you to celebrate, and you have to ruin it for everyone,don’t you?” Hailey quickly grabbed Ethan’s arm,giving it a gentle tug. “Ethan,please don’t be mad. Ava’s probably just in a bad mood because she’s struggling with her classes.” “Let me offer Ava a toast to smooth things over.” With that,she picked up a glass of red wine and walked over to me. As she was about to drink,she suddenly stumbled. The entire glass of red wine splashed onto her starry-blue couture gown. The dark red liquid bled into the expensive fabric,leaving a shocking stain. “Ah!” Hailey shrieked,tears springing to her eyes. “My dress!”
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