104 How Did She Do It?

(Ashlyn)

The words are a cold slap, a reminder of the precariousness of my position. “He loves me,” I insist, my voice shaking slightly, betraying the fear that Judy’s presence instills in me.

“I’m sure,” she replies, her sarcasm cutting deep.

“He does!” My voice cracks, the pressure mounting, the walls closing in.

“He’s said a lot of things lately, but loving you isn’t one of them,” she counters, her voice a calm contrast to my increasing desperation.

The balance of power has shifted, and I feel it with every fiber of my being. Judy, with her strategic silences and her measured threats, has reshaped the battlefield. She’s just shown me how easily she can pull the strings.

I eye Judy carefully, my gaze sharpening as I attempt to assert control over the conversation. “Jayden and I will stay together,” I state firmly, trying to convince both Judy and myself of my words.

“He can’t bear to let you touch him. He knows the truth about what you did,” Judy retorts with a steely calm that unne