Page 19 of The TV Show Rival

Her grip was surprisingly gentle, compared to the way she ripped their relationship apart with a cold, “I just don’t love you anymore” two years ago.

“Uh, can I help you with something?” Jess forced a smile, her voice tight.

“Can we just talk for a minute?”

“Shoot.”

“I just wanted to apologize.”

Jess scoffed, the sound sharp and dismissive. “Apologize? For what, Sam? For falling out of love? Newsflash, that’s a pretty good reason to break up with someone, wouldn’t you say?”

“No, that’s not…” Sam stammered, searching for the right words. “I… I shouldn’t have said that. It was a terrible excuse.”

“Maybe so. But the damage is done, isn’t it?” Jess said, her voice devoid of emotion.

She was reminded of the time she spent piecing her shattered heart back together while Sam… Well, who knows what Sam was doing.

Truth be told, it had taken a while to get there. Months of sleepless nights, tear-stained pillows, and the suffocating weight of a love that felt so one-sided. Even the mere mention of Sam’s name could bring tears to her eyes. Every song, every movie, every shared memory felt like a fresh stab wound.

She replayed every conversation, every argument in her head, searching for some clue, some missed opportunity to fix things. But there was nothing. Sam simply fell out of love.

She’d poured everything she had into that relationship, always available, always willing to bend over backwards to make it work. But in the end, it wasn’t enough.

There was a part of her, a tiny, bruised part, that still wondered if it was something she did. Was she not attentive enough? Too clingy? But logic drowned out the whispers of doubt. Love, real love, shouldn’t be this easy to walk away from.

“Jess, I…” Sam started again, but she cut her off with a gentle shake of her head.

“Honestly, you don’t need to say sorry. I’ve already moved on.”

She excused herself with a polite nod, maneuvering around Sam’s cart and heading towards the checkout.

As she reached the front of the line, she stole a glance back. Sam was still standing there, a lost look on her face. Maybe a part of her regretted letting Jess go, but that was a bridge she burned down a long time ago.

Seeing her today was a confirmation. She’d moved on. Her life was full; her career was thriving, her apartment felt like a haven, and having a relationship was ruled out entirely.

Maybe someday she’d open herself up again, but for now, she was perfectly content being alone.

Scrolling through her social media feed, Jess’ perfectly manicured finger paused over a post titled, “Yoga for Everyone: 5 Simple Poses to De-Stress.”

The accompanying picture showed a woman, Jamie Nguyen, in a downward-facing dog pose, a basic, beginner move. Jamie Nguyen looked tall and all lean muscles and ridiculously flexible. She had dark glossy hair and big grey eyes.

Jess scoffed. Sure, that all sounded lovely, but where was the challenge? Where was the push that forced you to confront your physical limitations and emerge stronger on the other side?

These “gentle flow” yoga routines were all well and good, but for her, the real magic happened when she was digging deep, muscles burning, sweat dripping—that’s when she found true mental and physical resilience.

A mischievous glint crept into her eyes. Jamie Nguyen, huh? Sounds like someone needed a good dose of reality. This might ruffle some feathers, but a little controversy was practically her middle name. After all, if it wasn’t generating a buzz, was it even Jess Thompson?

Tapping on the post, she read through Jamie’s spiel about the benefits of gentle yoga for stress relief and overall well-being. It was all fluffy language and basic stretches—nothing that would get your heart rate up or leave you feeling truly accomplished.

She crafted her comment.

Simple? More like snooze-ville. If you’re serious about results, skip the downward-facing dogs and get yourself to a proper boot camp class. Sweat, strain, feel the burn – that’s what gets you toned and stress-free, not holding a pose for 30 seconds.

Adding a fire emoji for effect, she hit post, a thrill of anticipation coursing through her.

This was bound to stir the pot. People craved a little debate, and Jess Thompson was always happy to provide it.

Her phone buzzed with Jamie’s reply.

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