Leave her alone!
---
Abigail stepped out of her car into the small, familiar town of Gregor. The air felt colder here, or maybe it was the weight of the memories she carried. She wrapped her coat tighter around her body, her mind replaying the past few days on a loop. It felt unreal. If it weren't for Halo waiting for her, she might have turned around and disappeared altogether. The thought of ending it all had crossed her mind more than once—what did she have left now?
"Abby!"
Halo's voice broke through her thoughts. Abigail spotted her friend across the platform, waving with a mixture of relief and worry. The moment Abigail approached, Halo's expression shifted from a smile to concern.
"God, I was so scared, Abby. I thought… I thought you might—" Halo paused, her voice choking on the unsaid words.
Abigail managed a weak smile, but her eyes betrayed her. "Yeah, I thought about it… but I'm here now, aren't I?"
Halo didn't say anything for a moment. She just pulled Abigail into a tight hug, as if afraid she might disappear if she let go. The warmth of the embrace was comforting, but the noise behind them suddenly shattered the brief moment of peace.
Cameras flashed.
A group of paparazzi had gathered, crowding in, their voices loud and invasive.
"Abigail! Why did you cheat on Ace?"
"Is it true you've been hiding?"
"How long was the affair? Who is the other man?"
The questions came fast, their words like daggers aimed right at her heart. Halo shielded Abigail as best as she could, glaring at the swarm of photographers. "Leave her alone! She's been through enough!"
But they didn't stop, snapping photo after photo, digging into the wound that was still far too fresh. Abigail's stomach twisted into knots as the guilt and shame weighed heavily on her chest. Cheater. That's what Ace had called her. And now the world believed it.
"Let's get out of here," Halo whispered, quickly guiding Abigail toward her car. "They don't deserve answers."
Once they were inside and away from the crowd, Halo sped through the town, her knuckles white on the steering wheel. "I'm sorry, Abby. I didn't know they'd be here. Are you okay?"
Abigail stared out the window, her voice barely audible. "I'll never be okay again."
When they finally reached Halo's cozy house, Abigail felt a little safer, but the damage was already done. They had gotten their pictures, their questions would be everywhere by tomorrow, and Ace's lie would be cemented in everyone's mind.
Halo led her inside, wiping a tear from Abigail's cheek. "Don't think about them right now. You're safe here. We'll figure this out together, okay?" She smiled softly, though her eyes were still filled with worry. "I'm making you a hot bath, and some soup. Trust me, you'll feel better."
Abigail didn't argue. She was too exhausted to fight. She let Halo take care of her, and for the first time in days, she allowed herself to feel a little less broken.
---
Later, after Abigail had refreshed herself, her body warmed from the bath and her stomach settled by the soup, she sat on Halo's couch, curled up in a blanket. The two friends sat in silence for a moment before Halo spoke up.
"Abby, I know you don't want to talk about it, but I think you need to. What really happened that night?" Halo asked gently, sitting down next to her.
Abigail sighed, staring into her empty cup. "I'm not even sure where to begin…" She bit her lip, her fingers trembling slightly. "You remember how I said I needed to surprise Ace?"
Halo nodded, watching her carefully.
"I went out. Just needed to clear my head, you know? And then… I don't even remember how it happened, but this guy, Ed, he—he almost hit me with his car."
Halo gasped. "What?! He almost hit you?"
"Yeah. But instead of driving off, he got out and helped me. I mean, he was… different. Kind, too kind, but I was just too freaked out by everything." Abigail's voice shook as she continued. "He… he wasn't like anyone I'd ever met. I woke up the next morning in his house—a mansion, actually. I thought I'd passed out in the hospital, but no, it was his house. One of the fanciest places I've ever been. And he—he was there, taking care of me. I don't know why."
Halo's eyes widened, her expression a mix of fascination and alarm. "So, this Ed… he's some kind of rich guy?"
"Yeah," Abigail nodded. "High-profile, definitely. The way his maids treated him, the way he carried himself, I'm sure he's someone important. But it was so strange. I felt like I didn't belong there. He even offered to drive me wherever I needed to go, but I panicked and ran out of the house." She paused, her heart racing at the memory. "I've never met anyone like him, Halo."
Halo leaned closer, eyes narrowing slightly. "Do you think he'll come looking for you? I mean, if he's that interested?"
Abigail shrugged, wrapping her arms around her knees. "I don't know. Part of me hopes not, but another part of me… I don't know what I feel."
Halo's brow furrowed in thought, clearly uneasy. "This doesn't sound like someone who'd just let you go. And if he's as rich and powerful as you say, he could find you if he wanted to."
---
The room grew quieter, and Halo finally asked the question she had been dreading.
"Abby... what did you see at Ace's place? What really happened?"
Abigail's chest tightened, and she had to fight back the tears. "I went to his house, just to talk, to try and fix things… but when I got there, he wasn't alone." She swallowed hard, the pain still fresh. "I saw him—with her. Gia."
Halo's mouth dropped open. "Gia?! That model? The one he did that shoot with a few months back?"
Abigail nodded, her voice barely a whisper. "Yeah. And he didn't even try to hide it. When he saw me, he introduced her as his fiancée. Bold as anything."
Halo shot up from the couch, her face red with fury. "Are you kidding me? He did what? He's been with you this whole time, and he has the nerve to introduce her like that?"
"I couldn't believe it either. It's like I never existed, like everything we had was some kind of joke to him." Abigail's voice broke as the memory overwhelmed her. "That's why I left… I couldn't stand to be there another second."
Halo shook her head, still pacing the room. "That bastard. I can't believe he's turning this whole thing around on you, calling you a cheat when he was the one—God, I could strangle him!" Halo stopped, looking at Abigail, her voice softening. "You didn't deserve this. Any of it."
---