Tearing Apart the Man Who Cheats and Plays with Women’s Feelings

Chapter 1

To win over his darling, Chad devised a scheme to ruin me.

He leaked my private videos online for everyone to see.

My dad’s company tanked, and his old partners were all up in his face, laughing.

Mom was getting blamed for raising a slut, and she ended up in the hospital with a stroke.

I was at the end of my rope when Jake stepped in.

He used his family’s connections to scrub the internet of those videos.

He poured money into Dad’s company and flew in the best doctors for Mom.

He got down on one knee, all serious and heartfelt.

“I’ve had a thing for you forever, Amy, and I want to take care of you. Just give me a chance.”

“I’ll give you everything I have, no regrets.”

I saw Jake as my lifeline.

Then I overheard him bragging to his buddies.

“Amy thinks I’m actually in love with her. If she knew I was the one who set up that whole drugging thing, she’d lose it.”

Jake didn’t even flinch.

“She was trying to steal Madison’s boyfriend. She deserved it. Besides, I’ve been keeping her comfortable all these years, what’s she complaining about?”

The guys were laughing, giving him props.

“Seriously, Amy’s probably head over heels for you. She’d never say anything, even if she knew the truth. You’ve got her wrapped around your finger.”

I stood outside the door, numb, listening to them crack jokes.

When did I ever try to steal Madison’s boyfriend?

Eight years ago, Scott was my fiancé, plain and simple.

Madison was just some charity case I was helping out, who met Scott through me.

Jake knew all this! Now he was twisting the whole story!

“She’s a total mess, with those videos all over the web. Who else would even want her besides you, Jake?”

Jake didn’t deny it.

He took a sip of his drink, all cool and collected, and turned on the TV.

The video started playing, with all those nasty sounds.

I froze.

It was the video from that night!

Some rich kid started making crude jokes.

“I don’t know if it’s your skills, Jake, or if Amy’s body is just fire, but that video got me hooked.”

Jake slammed his glass down on the table.

He gave the guy a death stare, and he started apologizing right away.

“My bad, man! I forgot you’re a germaphobe. You don’t like anyone touching what’s yours. Let me take three shots for that!”

Another guy tried to smooth things over.

“Let’s be real, you had to do all that yourself, huh?”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

The guy I’d been hating for eight years, the one who attacked me, was Jake, the guy I thought was saving me?!

He was playing my worst memory for laughs, letting everyone make fun of me.

I felt dizzy, furious, and betrayed all at once.

A chill ran down my spine, and I realized I was covered in sweat.

I always thought that night was an accident.

I assumed some creep took advantage of me because I wasn’t careful enough.

Even if it got out, I figured Scott just didn’t want to marry me anymore.

I never thought it was all part of some plan.

I hated myself for so long, feeling dirty, scrubbing my skin raw in the shower, and Jake was right there the whole time!

A wave of nausea hit me, and I ran to the bathroom, gagging.

I was shaking like a leaf, tears streaming down my face.

Then someone gently patted my back.

Jake’s voice, all concerned, said:

“Is your stomach acting up again? I’ll make you some soup.”

As soon as he touched me, flashes of that night, of being taken advantage of, mixed with images of Jake being so caring and supportive.

The memories twisted together and then snapped.

I pushed him away.

Jake looked surprised, almost hurt.

“What’s wrong? Are you upset?”

He saw my face and tried to be understanding.

“It’s okay, I know you get moody since… you know. But it doesn’t bother me. You can be yourself around me.”

I just stared at him, completely disillusioned.

Jake always did this.

Whenever I got emotional around him, he’d bring up the attack and blame it on that.

Then, he’d play the supportive boyfriend to keep me in line.

It seemed like I was the unstable one, but he was the one poking at my wounds.

Before, when he brought it up, I’d start blaming myself.

I’d tell myself:

I’m damaged goods. I don’t have the right to give Jake attitude.

He saved me. He helped me when no one else would.

I need to be grateful, I need to pay him back.

But I didn’t fall apart and run into his arms, crying.

Jake frowned, thrown off.

“You’re acting weird. What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath and turned to leave without looking at him.

Jake grabbed my wrist, annoyed.

“Amy, stop being dramatic.”

“Is it because I had friends over? Even if you don’t like the smell of alcohol, even if you were attacked when you were drunk, you can’t tell other people to not drink, right?”

There was a hint of impatience in his eyes, like I was doing something unforgivable.

I realized, yet again, that Jake wasn’t a good person.

He knew how much that night haunted me, and he kept bringing it up.

When I got upset, he’d act calm and understanding, like he was my savior.

After a long silence, I didn’t have the energy to fight anymore.

“I’m not being dramatic. I’m sorry, I’m just tired. I want to go to sleep.”

I turned around and went to my room.

Jake’s brow furrowed. He felt uneasy.

Then his phone rang.

It was Madison.

“Jake, what am I going to do? My dad’s in the hospital. I don’t know what to do!”

Jake immediately comforted her.

“Where are you? I’ll be right there.”

I heard him rush out.

Then, I heard the engine of Jake’s fancy sports car roar to life.

I felt surprisingly calm.

Eight years ago, Madison stole my fiancé.

She almost destroyed my family and left my mother in the hospital.

I swore I’d never let Madison get away with it.

Jake promised me he’d make her pay.

But he never did anything. I always figured he was too good to get involved with a girl like her.

I never considered that maybe Jake didn’t want to hurt Madison.

Realizing that, my mind cleared.

The last bit of love I felt for him vanished.

I was with Jake for eight years. We weren’t married, so no divorce was needed.

As I packed my things, the hospital called.

“Hello, is this Ms. Amy Smith? Your mother’s organs have failed, and she has passed away. Are you available to come to the hospital to take care of the body?”

I froze.

“What… What did you say?”

The person repeated it, and I collapsed to the floor.

It couldn’t be true. I was at the hospital two days ago.

She was in a vegetative state, but her vital signs were strong. The doctor said she might wake up this year.

How could her organs have suddenly failed?!

I rushed to the hospital.

My dad was waiting for me, his shoulders slumped.

He was trying to stay strong, to comfort me.

“These things happen. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

His eyes were red. He’d been crying, but he didn’t want to bring me down.

Then I saw Mom lying there, so still.

I realized she was really gone.

I laid on top of her, trying to warm her with my body, but it didn’t work.

Tears streamed down my face, and I noticed something strange.

Where were the machines that were keeping her alive?

“Where are the machines I bought for my mom? I paid for those myself. Where did they go?”

Mom had lost consciousness because of the stroke. She couldn’t even breathe on her own.

So I spent a fortune getting those high-tech machines from overseas.

Now they were gone.

Dad looked at the nurse, his face grim.

“Even if my wife has passed, the hospital doesn’t have the right to take our things. You know that, right?”

The nurse hesitated.

“Mr. Smith, your… husband took the machines. It wasn’t us.”

“We tried to stop him, and we told him taking the machines could kill your mother. But he signed the paperwork and took them anyway.”

The nurse showed me a form with Jake’s signature.

“It’s all signed. You can’t blame us.”

I was shaking with rage. Mom’s death was Jake’s fault.

I called Jake, but he didn’t answer after a dozen tries.

Then I saw a notification on my phone.

Someone tagged me in a post.

It was a picture of Jake smiling as he fed soup to an old man in a hospital bed.

Madison was wiping his forehead.

Next to the bed were the machines that had been keeping my mother alive!

The post was flooded with comforting words.

Madison only responded to one comment:

“Just one word from you and Jake drops everything for you. Some girls are too good to be forgotten. Even if you and Jake aren’t together, you’re still the one we’re rooting for!”

Madison replied with a shy emoji: “Even though Scott and I are divorced, that doesn’t mean I’ll be with Jake. He’s already taken…”

I gripped my phone so hard that my knuckles turned white.

My heart was completely broken. I tried to control my rage.

The nurse took the signed form and sighed. “We can’t do anything if the family wants to take the machines. You should start planning for the funeral now.”

My dad was speechless with anger as he looked at Jake’s signature. He clutched his chest and struggled to breathe.

I gave him his heart medication.

Then I made all the funeral arrangements for my mother on my own.

Dad and I buried her at her favorite spot.

There were fields of irises.

Mom said it was her favorite flower.

It was two weeks before Jake called me.

“Why aren’t you home? Where did you go?”

“I haven’t called you, and you haven’t tried to contact me?”

His words almost made me laugh.

I asked, my voice cold.

“Why did you take the machines from my mom’s room without asking me?!”

Jake was annoyed that I was upset.

“They’re just machines. I borrowed them for someone important. Stop being dramatic.”

He said:

“Your mom has been lying there for years. Those machines were just collecting dust. It’s better to give them to someone who needs them.”

I remembered Madison’s post and couldn’t help but mock him.

“Someone who needs them?”

Madison’s dad had a cold.

He just needed some rest.

He didn’t need those machines!

“I bought those machines. What right did you have to take them and give them to someone else?”

“Do you know you killed my mom!”

He paused, confused.

“You’re not upset that I gave the machines to Madison’s father, right?”

“It’s been years since you and Madison had that thing with Scott, anyway. Besides, it’s not her fault that you can’t keep your man.”

“Are you really telling me to let him die so that she is punished?”

Jake’s accusations didn’t hurt me anymore.

I just said:

“I won’t let this go. You’re going to pay.”

Madison started crying, begging.

“Scott forced me to be with him. I had to go along with it. I apologized to Amy. Is she never going to let it go?”

Jake panicked.

“Amy, what do you mean? It was my idea to borrow the machines. You’re not going to cause problems for Madison, are you?”

“It’s not a big deal. Your mom’s been lying in bed like a vegetable for years. A few less days won’t change anything.”

“Madison’s dad had surgery a few years ago. He needed those machines to help him breathe. I was helping her.”

“You’re a daughter yourself. Understand that she wants to help her dad.”

He asked me to understand while he killed my mother.

I scoffed.

“What does Madison’s father have to do with me? Why would I understand?”

Jake’s eyebrows furrowed.

“Amy, what’s wrong with you?”

“You used to be so nice. Why are you saying these things?”

I lost it and screamed.

“You took the machines and killed my mom! That’s not nice!”

“I paid for Madison to go to school, and she slept with Scott. That’s not nice!”

I was the victim. I was lied to.

But they all said I was cruel and uncaring.

It was a joke.

Jake just stood there, stunned.

“What do you mean, you killed your mom? She’s fine in the hospital, right?”

“And why are you saying Madison slept with Scott? Didn’t Scott force Madison to be with him?”