Chapter 1~ Heartbreaking Betrayals…
Asher’s P.o.v
I sit and brush through my thick, long, auburn curls after my photo shoot as my manager, Evelynn comes into the dressing room. I brace myself, preparing myself just in case she’s in a bad mood from the shoot or from commands above us. Evey was a really really great manager,she always got me amazing jobs, but when she was upset with how a shoot went or how her day was going- she gave an earful… and then some…
She lights up with a smile, which surprises me. “Excellent photo shoot today Ash! Really. The prints look great, there will be a copy on your desk tomorrow morning. Keep it up.” She says, hand on the door to leave. “Thanks Evey, I will.” I replied. I set the brush down and sigh. I was tired and just wanted to see my fiance` Andrew. “Is Andy still here?” I ask before she can leave the room.
“Uh, yeah. In his office I believe.” She answers me, before leaving my dressing room. Evey was always very brief, and very short tempered when pissed off. I quickly begin to gather up my things, being my folder of stills and my large purse. I was ready to head up to Andy’s office after two minutes.
I wanted to see what he was in the mood for when it came to dinner tonight. Honestly, I was just hoping I didn’t run into Bella on the way up. She was a coworker I’d normally consider a friend, but lately she’s been quite cruel, ever since she found out we’re both in the running for the “Top Model Award”.
This award was only given once every three years to the best male and female model. Being in the Top 10 was an amazing honor. I leave my dressing room and walk upstairs, knowing there’s more of a chance seeing Bella in the elevator. When I make it up to the top floor where Andy’s office is, I notice Ella is gone already. Ella was Andy’s secretary, and usually she was here for another hour… That’s out of the usual…
Andrew’s door is also fully closed, which is another off putting thing… It’s usually cracked about three inches, and I knew he wouldn’t have a meeting this late. He usually leaves here in two hours. Dread fills my stomach as I step towards Andrew’s office doors…I walk up to the door and try the knob. Once I knew it was unlocked, I walked inside.
When I saw why Ella had been excused early, and why the door had been shut all the way, I dropped my belongings and jaw in shock… Isabella was sitting on Andrew’s desk on the left side. Her skirt was hitched up, her legs were spread, and she clearly had no panties on… Andrew was in between her legs. Instantly, I knew what was happening. I felt like a fool… How long had he been doing this to me? Why? They stop and separate quickly, Andy looking guilty as he adjusts his pants. Thankfully Bella quickly pulls her skirt down and I don’t have to see that.
This whole situation was embarrassing and bad enough as it was…She slips off of his desk with a smirk on her face. She looked quite ugly like that… Why had I ever trusted her? Why did I think she was my friend? This disgusted me more than I cared to admit… even to myself…
Either she didn’t care about the pain she’d just inflicted on me, or she had planned it… Hurt me and attempt to sabotage my shot at the “Top Model Award”... Well she had another thing coming… “Asher, shit… This wasn’t how you were supposed to find out…” Andrew mutters lowly, looking at the floor, guilt riddled all over his handsome features. “‘Find out’? Find out?! Andrew, do you not see anything wrong with what you just said? Do you not see anything wrong with this at all?How long has this been going on?! How was I supposed to ‘find out’?” I yell, tears forming in my eyes.
“Three months…” He says lowly. I gasp. That was a month before he had proposed… Before I’d found the ring… “Three months? Three?! So before you even proposed to me? Why did you propose if you were sleeping around with someone else?” I ask, infuriated and hurt.
He looks up at me quickly, and suddenly all the guilt that was on his handsome face is gone. His brown eyes are full with anger and he grits his teeth. His breathing picks up slightly and I know he is trying to keep himself calm. After a moment, he speaks.
“Asher, can you wake up already? You haven’t figured it out yet? That ring was never for you. You finding it was purely chance. It was for Bella. It’s always been Bella.” He says. My heart shattered to pieces… Those words dropped my world, as fragile as glass hitting the ground…I thought catching them hurt, but this was worse… So much worse….
My breath stops. The man I loved- the man I thought loved me… He wanted her, not me… I slipped his ring off without another thought, it felt heavy and wrong now that I knew the truth. “You should have just been honest Andrew… I would’ve been more understanding that way. I wouldn’t have been mad. Hurt? Yes. Mad, not a chance… Dishonesty is unspeakably ugly to me Andy. Take the ring back. I don’t want a ring that wasn’t ever meant for me.” I say. I turn and look at Bella as the tears finally slip free.
“As for you Bella, I want you to know, eventually he’s going to start lying to you too.” I say, venom thick in my words. “Asher! Just because Andy wants to be with me and you’re hurt, doesn’t mean you need to act so childishly.” Bella says, the spiteful smirk still on her face. “Bella, I thought you were my friend. Yet you’ve been sleeping with the man you knew I was with. The man I thought I loved and I thought loved me.” I say, turning back to Andrew.
“I’ll get my things from the apartment. Don’t worry, I’ll be gone before you get home.” I say before leaving the office. I wasn’t going to let them dull my spark. I would give this “Top Model Award” my best shot. Not for the company Andrew inherited, but through my own hard work and pure effort. I wanted and needed this for myself. Nobody was going to tell me what I was worth except for me.
I carefully wipe my tears as I walk to the elevator, not wanting to smudge my makeup. Once I’m in the elevator I press the button to take me down to the lobby floor. I sigh when the doors close. Even though this was a huge blow to the chest I won’t let anyone else see me show even a single glimpse of sadness or hurt. What they did was horrid, but I knew I could get past it. After all, I’d lost both of my parents when I was seven and my older brother Todd left for boarding school soon after we were adopted. My adopted parents died three years ago and since then, I’ve had no family.
Well, except for Harper. Best friend or not she was better to me than any “family” had ever tried to be and I loved her like a sister. I hear the ‘ding’ of the elevator, signalling to me that I was at the main lobby’s floor. I sigh again and make sure I’m “public ready”.
The doors open and I get out, quickly walking out of the building and heading for my car. Once inside of it I start the car and begin my drive to the apartment that Andrew and I shared- well until now that is… The drive feels like it takes forever, even though it was only twenty-five minutes away from the office building.
When I get there I go inside and immediately start packing the little bit of things I have in the apartment, except for things Andrew had bought me. It only takes me three trips to the car to get all of my stuff out. I mainly owned clothes as a model. And except for my favorites, they were mostly in my dressing room at the office.
