Chapter 19 - King Of Broken Hearts
A/N: This is a very long chapter so sit back relax and get comfortable! Try not to throw your device!
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"Ashley let me explain!" He begged.
"Get out!" I screamed.
"Please-" He began.
"Get the hell out!" I yelled gritting my teeth.
"You get out! It is my apartment!" He yelled back.
"Fine. I'll get out!" I yelled.
I began grabbing my pajamas and slippers, my toiletries, and everything that was in this apartment that belonged to me, I threw the newspaper on the dining table with hate. How they managed to write and publish an article so fast was a surprise to me. This had happened mere hours ago. I was so heartbroken by the whole situation and didn't have a choice of having to face it every five seconds.
Last night Brandon had made me feel like an idiot. He embarrassed me in front of the most influential people in the whole country. I couldn't even recall all the events that occurred from the moment I saw the whole thing until the moment Brandon's driver dropped me off at his penthouse. It was all such a blur. I was in a rush to get out of the ball because I really didn't want to face the pitying looks of everyone around me or the smirks of the woman who thought they were better than me. Why couldn't women just support one another? Why did we have to tear each other down? I didn't understand.
I stormed out of the penthouse, but not before slamming the door extra hard on my way out. I hope it broke, I thought to myself. Pressing the lower level button of the elevator I waited patiently as it rolled to a stop before sprinting out.
The blonde-haired receptionist looked at me as if I were crazy. I probably looked very much psychotic but that wasn't my fault, I'm blaming that one on the Newspaper Team that decided to out my boyfriend to the world and in the process embarrassing me and endangering my relationship which at this point I realized was completely over. I wanted to deal with this problem privately, I didn't want my name splashed over every single newspaper in the country!
To say last night was intense would be a huge understatement. My perspective had been clouded by my tears and intense feeling of betrayal. How could he have done that to me?
I stopped a cab and gave him the address to go to Melanie's apartment. The ride was rather awkward and he did try to bring up all of the drama but I shut him down. I really was not in the mood to talk about it when all I wanted to do was curl up and cry. I got into the apartment and found Melanie deep asleep on the floor just by the door of the apartment.
"Mel!" I nudged her with my hands as I knelt beside her.
"Melanie!" I called again.
I carried on shaking her afraid she was dead from alcohol poisoning as the heavy smell of liquor was wafting in the air. I shook her harder.
"Melanie, please! Wake up! Move! Do something!" I begged her.
I carried on shaking her body as tears began to flow out of the corners of my eyes. Shaking, I grabbed my phone and dialed 911 praying that they would be able to help her.
"911 What's your emergency?" The responder asked.
"My friend is on the floor and I've tried waking her up but she won't move!" I cried into the phone, as I choked out the address.
She immediately dispatched a team of paramedics to come to our house. When they got here I immediately opened the door and allowed them to prod and poke her. I had suppressed the urge to yawn as I was exhausted from the hectic night I had just had.
A few minutes later a stretcher was rushed in as I frantically questioned the paramedic with the brown hair and green eyes who was closest to me.
"Please!" I begged him.
"No ma'am I'm not allowed to diagnose your friend we're just going to take her to the hospital," He informed me running after the ambulance.
I fell to the ground as tears poured out of my eyes. I cried. I cried for so long that I felt like my body was unable to produce any more tears for me to release. I licked my dry lips as I pulled my hair up in a bun. I slid into my comfortable black leggings and a white hoodie before I grabbed a taxi and went to the hospital where Melanie was admitted into.
I asked the receptionist for her room number but she wasn't willing to give it to me. Well, that was before Brandon came into the picture and scared her, most likely to death.
"Room 406A, floor number three," She whimpered as she looked away.
"Thank you," I told her and ran to the elevator ignoring Brandon's presence. I pushed the button that would take me to her room.
When the elevator dinged and allowed me out, I was absolutely shocked to see Brandon already there waiting for me.
I stepped out of the elevator when he decided to corner me. He slammed both arms onto the wall beside my head caging me in.
"Brandon move," I said in a deathly tone.
"You have to let me explain!" He insisted.
"Move Brandon!" I screamed as the tears began falling out once again. Flashes of the center of the dance floor and the front cover of the newspaper clouded my mind. I couldn't believe that they managed to whip out a copy with Brandon and Sophia on the front page so quickly.
"Agree to talk to me and I'll move!" He insisted leaning closer to me, invading my privacy bubble.
"You'll do the talking and I simply can't guarantee that I'll listen to a single word you say," I informed him.
"I'll take what I can get." He nodded and moved out of my way.
As soon as there was enough room for me to sprint, I did so and frantically searched for Room 406. Eventually, I did find it and I burst into the room and saw my best friend hooked on to so many machines. Her face was covered with a breathing mask and an IV was connected to her. There was a steady beep in the room that came from the heart monitor.
Melanie Lanser looked pale, her eyes were shut closed allowing me to see the lavender color of her lids. She was dressed in a hospital gown, and her arms and whole body just appeared to be limp. The only indication that she was alive was the steady beep sound coming from the heart monitor.
"Oh Melanie," I cried grabbing her warm hand.
"I've been such a horrible friend and I'm so sorry. I guess I got carried away by our boss and spending time with him and I, unfortunately, neglected you. I shouldn't have done that." I told her.
"Things are a little hard between me and him right now. I wish you were here in order to give me some advice," I laughed dryly.
"Maybe I should keep quiet. I feel like I'm annoying you with my voice," I told her unconscious body.
"She can hear you, dear," A lady said causing me to snap my head up.
A nurse was there smiling dressed in blue scrubs. She had a clipboard with her as she once again poked and prodded Melanie's body.
"I didn't hear you come in," I told her.
"I was really silent with my entrance," She smiled, "You seem very familiar,"
"I'm not sure what you mean," I told her.
"You're that billionaire's girlfriend right?" She asked.
"Ex you mean. I'm sure the whole continent has seen the image on the Star's front cover," I shrugged.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," She smiled gently as she operated the heart monitor and then wrote something down.
"Well, when I arrived at his penthouse after leaving the party a newspaper was delivered to him with his face plastered on the front cover. In my haste to leave, I couldn't find the key to my apartment and found only the one to his. I decided that going to his was better than facing the embarrassment the scene on the dance floor was going to bring me. Only there's a twist, he was kissing his best friend's fiancee on the mouth, and clearly, the paparazzi had caught them. It took the newspaper three hours to spread the publication everywhere including online. He's been begging me to let him 'explain' himself." I explained.
"Oh, dear!" The nurse gasped. "That's not good. You however must just listen to what he has to say. Maybe his explanation is valid."
"He kicked me out of his condo!" I protested.
"I don't really know what to do in that case, dear. You'll just have to listen and see if what he is saying is valid to your ears. You're the one that should decide that, not him nor the media. You're the one in charge of this situation," She smiled.
"Yeah. I want to take my time with this. I don't know if I'm ready to deal with him. I'm scared I'm going to say something that will hurt him," I said.
She nodded, "I understand. You must let him know how you truly feel. Don't let something as silly as miscommunication come in the way of your relationship."
"Thank you-?" I said and looked at her expectantly.
"Demi. Demi Hawthorne," She smiled and walked out.
"What the hell?" I hissed.
Demi Hawthorne. Demi Hawthorne? She's related to him. Great, Just great! I inspected Melanie's body again and felt stupid for not asking Demi what had happened to Melanie.
That night I fell asleep in the chair as I watched over Melanie. When I woke up, it was my phone ringing. When I saw that it was Brandon, I immediately swiped decline and tried to sleep again but ten minutes later he tried to call again. I once again declined. After ten times of the same pattern, I switched my entire phone off feeling completely smug about the whole ordeal.
I looked at Melanie's limp body refusing to leave her. I then decided that some food in my system would be good for my health. I ordered a cheese and tomato sandwich with some coffee. I took those up to her room and remained with her.
For lunch, Demi practically kicked me out and forced me to the cafeteria claiming that no girlfriend of her nephew will be malnourished. I painfully had to remind her that we were no longer together after that stunt he pulled. She had forced me out anyways.
Dinner I decided to go willingly. I had eaten another sandwich, used the bathroom, and headed back hoping that Melanie would be awake. Unfortunately, she wasn't awake.
The next three days followed the same pattern. On the morning of the fourth day, I was about to get some fresh clothes from our apartment as my leggings and hoodie were beginning to feel too gross to wear when Melanie stirred.
A few moments later she popped open her eyes and looked around the room completely disoriented. In a way, I was glad that she was okay. When I asked Dr. Oaks what was wrong with her, he informed me that she had a brain tumor that was successfully removed. I was happy to hear that when she woke up she would be intact.
"Melanie!" I said and she smiled, her smile followed an expression filled with agony.
"Ashley?" She croaked as soon as her eyes landed on me.
"I'm here." I whispered, "How are you doing now?" I asked her.
"I think I'm fine. There is a bit of pain in my body, my head specifically but other than that I'm good," She smiled.
"That's good," I smiled at her.
"Alessio kissed me at the ball," She immediately confessed.
I smiled, "I told you that he likes you."
"He said his parents were forcing him to be with Miss Danish. Apparently, her parents are rich and are forcing them to marry each other in order to merge the two companies together."
"That is really horrible!" I gasped.
She nodded, "I know. I'm just happy that he likes me back. I never would have imagined that such a hot guy would end up with a plain Joe like me," She sighed.
"You're no plain Joe!" I laughed.
"Then what am I, Miss Hayes?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"A plain Melanie," I informed her.
She rolled her eyes, "Hardy Har Har, that was so hilarious Ashley! I forgot about your non-existent sense of humor!"
"Why you gotta be so rude?" I said quoting a song.
"I'm twisted like a stir fry that's why!" She insisted said quoting Migos.
I rolled my eyes, "Wow Melanie! Wow!"
"I know I'm so wow!" She laughed.
I sighed, "Brandon cheated on me."
"What?" Melanie practically screamed her eyes wide with horror.
"Brandon cheated on me." I told her as she cocked her eyebrow up again as if to say 'well obviously' or to say 'elaborate further, "With Miss Danish." I quickly added before she asked me.
"I don't know who to kill at this point," She sighed, "I'm debating between killing Brandon Hawthorne but then you'd hate me but if I killed Sophia Lancross then I don't think anyone I personally know would have a problem. After all, she is a horrid and vile human being who is a huge man stealer! First my man and now yours, Ash! Such a sl-" Melanie said in one breath.
"Okay," I cleared my throat cutting her off in the process, "One you're not killing anyone, Two you're in the hospital, and three just relax Mel!"
"I'm not going to let that scumbag hurt my best friend!" She insisted.
"I'll sort him out. I don't want you behind jail bars!" I told her.
"If I do end up there you will bail me out right?" She asked using her puppy dog face on me.
I rolled my eyes, "Do you even have to ask? Of course, I would!" I informed her.
"Great," She laughed, "I have some bail money hidden in my sock drawer!"
"Who said I was going to pay them?" I asked her, "I'll dig a tunnel to your cell and get you out that way!"
"That's if we aren't sitting in the cell side by side!" Mel joked.
"That's true!" I laughed.
"We would then have to both dig a tunnel out of the cell," Melanie said.
"Great idea!" I laughed with her.
"Of course, it's a great idea. Who do you think I am Ashley Hayes?" She asked with a gruff voice.
"Melanie Lanser!" I said.
"And who is that?" She asked.
"My best friend!" I cheered.
She smiled, "I'm glad. I thought I lost that title," She sadly admitted.
"I'm sorry Mel. I didn't mean to neglect you. I guess I got caught up with the whole Brandon thing," I said my heart throbbing at the mention of Brandon's name.
"We don't have to talk about this if you don't want to. I'm still plotting ways to get some revenge on him and Sophia together!" She insisted.
"Nothing that's going to land us in a jail cell, Lanser!" I warned her.
"No. I'm not going to give them any type of satisfaction!" She said.
I laughed, "Great! I can't wait for your master plan!"
"I can't wait either. This is going to be so amazing and hopefully, they won't be able to find out who did it!" Melanie smirked.
"Oh no," I murmured, "What's your idea?" I asked. Truth be told I was afraid to know.
"We can get into their houses and trash their things and don't forget to vandalize their walls!" She had an evil smirk plastered on her face.
"We are not doing that!" I yelled.
"Why not? It'll be fun!" She insisted.
"We'll get put into jail for that!" I said.
"If they catch us!"
"Which they will," I told her.
"What makes you so sure?"
"We're breaking into two multimillionaire houses. What about CCTV cameras and security?" I reminded her.
She shrugged, "We're not there to hurt them unless you want to."
"I don't want to do this Melanie. That's just absolutely insane!" I told her with a frown on my face.
Her smile fell causing me to feel bad about the whole thing. I was Ashley Hayes a responsible person and I refused to allow my best friend to do something that could land her in a jail cell for ten years or more.
"Fine," Mel said and toyed with her fingers.
"Nice. I'm glad that you see my perspective. I just don't want you to get in trouble with the law you know? It does go on your permanent record!" I told her.
"Who said they were even going to catch us? You're a real wuss Hayes," She frowned.
"You will be mad with me now but in a few years, you'll thank me for stopping you. Just wait and see," I said.
Melanie rolled her eyes, "No I won't. I'll whine that you didn't let me enjoy life while I was still young."
"I don't think that you will be saying that Lanser. I think you'll be too busy running around with your mini Melanie's and mini Alessio's." I smirked.
"Okay just because he said he liked me doesn't mean we will get married!" She defended.
"Yeah, you will. When you get married I'll remind you that I told you about your future. I'll even say it when I toast the bride and groom," I winked at her.
"That's like me telling you that you and Darren are going to get married!" She insisted.
I gasped, "No way in hell. You at least have a fifty percent chance with him. Darren has no chance with me!" I told her proudly.
"No one said you can't use Darren to make a certain billionaire jealous," Melanie smirked.
"Are you crazy! Like he would care! He kissed Miss Danish most likely out of his own free will!" I insisted.
She rolled her eyes, "Whatever you say, Hayes!"
After that, we both remained silent. Demi checked on her and told her that she could leave in a few hours once I signed the discharge papers for her since I was over the age of eighteen.
Demi and I had grown close during the time that Melanie was out cold. I had given her my number and promised to keep in touch. She'd also reminded me to give her nephew a chance which reminded me to actually turn my cellphone on.
When I did thousands of messages from people flooded in. I had a ton of missed calls from an assortment of people as well. Mostly from Brandon.
The ones from Brandon consisted of him asking me about Melanie's health and some were about my whereabouts which I wasn't going to share with him and then another few about how I was doing and if I needed any 'moral' support. Which annoyed me, why was he acting like we were still together? I'm pretty sure his cheating and my knowledge about it along with the press would have been a good sign that we were over!
I don't remember officially dumping him. I guess I'll have to do that at our 'talk' and hopefully he will leave me alone to deal with and wallow in grief my own way.
I sighed as I scrolled through my log list. Most of them were from Brandon himself and some were from Alessio which really surprised me. I imagined that the only reason he actually wanted to talk to me was that his fianceè and my boyfriend were photographed kissing each other and made it to the front cover.
I can't imagine how embarrassing this must be for Alessio. He must feel horrific that his own best friend betrayed him and kissed his fianceè unless Sophia pushed herself on him.
No! I mentally screamed at myself, I really needed to stop making excuses for Brandon Hawthorne.
I sighed which caught Melanie's attention and she looked at me questioningly. I shrugged offering no explanation for the wild thoughts that were currently taking over my brain.
"That's a lot of people you're going to have to call back!" Melanie said glancing at my phone screen.
I wanted to tell her they were all from Brandon and some from her lover but I decided to not do that.
"I know," I simply responded before locking my phone again.
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Hey Guys!
How'd you find this chapter? It was pretty long but sadly for me, I got carried away and therefore provided you with another chapter!
Do you guys think that Ashley should give Brandon a chance to 'explain' or not? I know the details of what she saw are somewhat vague but that's going to be coming in the next chapter.
I wish you all a very Merry Christmas ðand a soon-to-be new yearð¶! I guess this chapter can be your kind of early Christmas present from me! ðððððð
Don't forget to comment (I read all of them and respond when I do have some time) and vote!
Thanks for reading! See you soon!