Page 20 of The Bad Boy Rule

Our parents were over the moon, and we soon realized they had been playing matchmaker for years, unbeknownst to us.

I was shaping up to be the perfect trophy wife, exactly what they expected out of me. I stopped hanging out with my friends and only hung out with him and his friends. I cared more about his hobbies, what he wanted to spend our weekends together doing, the restaurants we went to, the events he attended. Everything was his choice. His decision.

Him expecting that out of me should have been the first red flag, but unfortunately, getting my heart shattered into a thousand pieces when I caught him having sex with a girl from my friend group without even having the sheer decency to stop when I walked in on them was the only red flag I ever saw. Until it was too late.

And when I cried and confronted him, brokenhearted and betrayed, he admitted that he was tired of me not sleeping with him. So he simply found it somewhere else.

My entire life, I was raised to hold on to that piece of me until marriage, a gift to my husband, something only he should cherish.

Now I know how utterly fucking ridiculous and archaic that notion was, along with the promise ring my parents gave me, and the ideology of saving myself forthis.

For a “good guy” like Chandler, who tossed me aside like trash, who disrespected me, cheated on me, had no regard for my feelings.

That was what I was saving myself for, and at that moment, I knew I was done saving myself for anyone.

After the breakup, everything slowly started to unravel, thread by thread. I questioned my entire outlook on relationships. The road to hell was paved with guys like Chandler.

The kind that seem utterly perfect, but beyond that mask, they’re a poison.

As badly as it hurt, it opened my eyes. The clues had all been there. And the more I looked around, the more I saw that my father’s world was full of men just like Chandler.

And I have no intention of dating anyone like that ever again.

Despite the music and people around us, the words carry, and my father steps closer, palm curving around my forearmtightly, “You arenotgoing to make a scene, Lennon. This is neither the time nor the place to do so.”

I gather any and all courage I have, simmering to a fiery hot boil inside of me, feeding off the anger coursing through my veins as I rip my arm free, stepping back from both of them. “Apparently, it is since you brought him here… knowing. How could you do this to me?” I somehow choke the words out, even though I feel the bitter sting of tears gathering in my eyes. “Hecheatedon me, Dad. You know what he did! You know that I walked in on him having sex with my friend, without an ounce of remorse.”

When I told my parents what happened, my mom at least apologized for what I went through, but my father? He chuckled and said that sometimes we look past a person’s missteps for the greater good.

That our families’ alliance would pay off more than I could ever understand.

An alliance.

That’swhat he was concerned with. His image. His reputation.

His business.

Clearly, that hasn’t changed. I can’t wait to hear his reasoning behind suddenly shoving Chandler into my face again. I’m waiting on bated fucking breath.

“Lennon…” My father sighs raggedly, as if I’m the issue in this entire scenario. “Please, enough of the dramatics. We’ve discussed this, and Chandler would like to speak privately with you about this and apologize for his misstep.”

A humorless chuckle spills from my lips at the same moment the first tear falls, wetting my cheeks. I quickly reach up and brush it away. “A misstep is forgetting mybirthday, not sleeping with my friend.”

Chandler opens his mouth to speak, but I shake my head, lifting my hand to stop him before he can say anything at all.

I don’t care to hear another word out of his mouth ever again, and I thought I had made that abundantly clear when I threw everything I owned of his in his front yard and told him that.

“There’s nothing you could ever say or do to change the fact that you used and disrespected me. In case you’ve suddenly forgotten what’s happened… Fuck you, Chandler. Do you understand now? This is never happening again, despite my father’s disregard for your cheating, lying bullshit.”

I turn back to the man I’m beginning to learn is nothing like I thought he was.

“I could expect something like this from him”—I gesture to Chandler—“but you? I’ve never been more disappointed in you in my life.”

My father has completely ignored my feelings, my wants, my needs for whatever suits him.

And I am so done.

I’m beyond done.

---