She Bet on Love, I Married Another

Chapter 3: Someone better

Alex

“What did you say?” she demanded, as if she hadn’t heard me clearly the first time.

Well, I knew she would be shocked. I had never really gone against her all these years.

Because I loved her, I had done everything she ever wanted me to do. I cooked for her even when it was inconvenient for me. I constantly put her needs before mine, always willing to do whatever it took to make her happy.

Now, she thought she could order me around whenever she pleases and even turn me into a slave for her childhood crush.

I turned to look at her, noticing that John had also turned toward us to see what the problem was.

“I said I will not be cooking,” I repeated in a calmer voice. “I’m done doing that for you, not again.”

Julie’s forehead immediately creased into a dark frown. “What are you doing?” she demanded, throwing a brief glance at John.

I shrugged. “I thought we were done with this. I told you it was just a game. Why must you be like this? Holding grudges like this. Since when did you become so narrow-minded and distasteful?” she said condescendingly.

I regarded her for a long moment, wondering exactly what I had ever seen in her.

Julie didn’t just play with my feelings. She disrespected me and somehow believed I should worship the ground she walked on.

Why had I ever thought she was the perfect one for me?

“Me? Narrow-minded and distasteful?”

She nodded quickly, annoyance still vivid on her face.

“I just told you John has nowhere to stay. What do you want me to do? Kick him out onto the street?”

I scoffed. “I think I just said he could stay. I mean, you can do whatever you want.”

“So what’s with your attitude?” she continued, scolding me. “Why do you refuse to cook, then? Would you prefer he starve?”

I scoffed again, finding the entire argument ridiculous.

“Answer me, Alex!” Julie continued, her voice rising. “When did you start being so wicked? You would starve a helpless man?”

John moved closer, as though he had been waiting for the perfect opportunity.

He always wanted to meddle whenever Julie and I had issues anyway.

He would pretend to care, but in reality, he was just mocking me. He always found a way to rub salt into my wounds.

“Julie,” John called softly, stepping beside her. “Don’t blame Alex. It’s my fault anyway. I’m the one invading your privacy.”

Seriously?

John would never cease to amaze me. Though, by now, I was already used to it.

“I know Alex is still upset about the bet, and he has every right to be mad at me. Maybe I should just find a twenty-four-hour spa to crash at.”

“Nice choice,” I chipped in teasingly.

Julie immediately turned to me, glaring. “What did you just say?” she snapped. “How can you say that?”

“Julie, don’t say that. I feel terrible already for causing you two to fight. I don’t want it to escalate,” he said softly, using that same fake, innocent voice of his.

Julie shook her head slightly, her attention still fixed on me.

“Can’t you see how considerate John is? Alex, aren’t you a man? So why can’t you show some generosity? You know John is my childhood buddy. Helping him out when he’s in trouble is common sense!”

She paused briefly, as if giving me time to digest her words.

I looked at the two of them, thinking they were nothing more than a pair of clowns, before scoffing.

Julie didn’t notice or perhaps she simply didn’t care.

“Anyways, go and put fresh sheets on the guest bed right now, and I won’t hold all this against you again.”

I stared at her for a moment before I walked back into the room, leaving the two of them staring after me in shock.

I grabbed my last T-shirt, folded it neatly, and placed it gently into my suitcase before zipping it shut.

Maybe Julie still didn’t understand and I didn’t blame her.

I had always kissed her feet and worshipped the ground she walked on.

There were countless times when she would hurt me, and instead of apologizing or doing anything to make things right, she would simply wait for me to get over it.

And somehow, I would always be the one to return, desperate to please her so she would forgive me.

I should have realized much earlier that this had always been a one-sided love.

But now, it is finally over.

“Alex?” Julie’s voice came from behind me.

I looked back and realized that even John had followed her inside.

So much for being her childhood buddy when he always wanted to know everything happening between us.

“Well…” Julie’s expression suddenly changed as our gazes locked.

That usual expression resurfaced.

I knew it too well.

The look she always gave me whenever she was certain I would eventually give in.

“Come on, John. I’ll get the blanket for you.”

She turned to him and gently walked him out. But they stopped just behind the door or maybe they intentionally did so I could hear what they would say..

“Don’t you think you should beg him?” John suggested.

Though, I knew that was only a pretense.

“Beg? No!” Julie immediately waved the idea off. “Alex is just throwing tantrums. He’ll come back to his senses soon. You know he can’t do without me…”

Her voice gradually faded as their footsteps moved farther away.

I could still hear John’s mocking remarks.

I stared hard at my suitcase. Well, that's what Julie will think because that's how I have been all these years.

Well, that was what Julie would think.

After all, that was how I had trained her to see me all these years.

The man who would always come crawling back. The man who couldn’t live without her.

But she was wrong because it was all over now.

I was going to marry someone else.