Chapter 14 Ivy Chase ~•~ [ I hope you love the dress I sent, I’ll pick you up by 7:00pm.] I couldn’t hold back a scoff as Sebastian’s text message flashed across my screen. Ever since I tried to break up with him, he has been acting unusually. It was normal for us to go on dinner dates, but during the past couple of weeks, we hadn’t actually gone out for dinner. The only time we had tried it recently was when I asked to speak to him and he took me to a fancy restaurant. The dinner didn’t even go as planned because it got ruined by our constant argument. I couldn’t help but wonder why Sebastian was acting sweet all of a sudden. Did he actually want to work things out or did he just want me to be tied to him? Either way, I wasn’t sure it was going to work. Even if I continued to pretend like I was happy in the relationship, it was just like a ticking time bomb. After finding out about his betrayal, I couldn’t look at him the same way anymore. Magically transforming in
Chapter 15Ivy Chase~•~Parker and I hadn’t really talked after I angrily stormed out of his office, so I was curious to see the text message he had sent. Just as I was about to unlock my phone and read the text, Sebastian’s voice interrupted me. “It’s rude to be on your phone during a date.” He said in a calm and gentle voice. Letting out a sigh, I dropped my phone on the table and focused on eating my food. Throughout the dinner, my mind was on the text message I had received.Was Parker finally ready to forgive me? Or was he now interested in hearing my apology? I realized that I had gotten too comfortable with Parker and was expecting him to act a certain type of way. I had set standards and expectations that I became disappointed when he didn’t act exactly how I wanted him to act. Anyway, I couldn’t wait for dinner to be over, so I could finally read his text. About an hour later, we were finally done with dinner. “You have been surprisingly quiet and absent-minded. Is ther
Chapter 16 Ivy Chase ~•~ I rang the doorbell multiple times but Zara refused to answer the door. I was a hundred percent sure she was inside the house because I did my findings before visiting unannounced. I didn’t call or text her to let her know I was coming because I didn’t want her to give me any excuse or anything that could delay my confrontation. Even if she wasn’t answering, I still didn’t give up. I kept on hitting the door and ringing the doorbell. How long could she hide inside her house? I wasn’t ready to leave without getting answers. Since she was pretending like she couldn’t hear me knock, I decided to call her. I wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe she genuinely wasn’t hearing the incessant knocks on the door. As I called her phone, she answered on the third ring. I was shocked because I didn’t expect her to answer the phone. “I’m outside your house, please come and open the door,” I said before she could even say anything. She yawned. “Are y
Chapter 17 Ivy Chase ~•~ Sebastian’s eyes darted over to me. He looked at me with a mixture of shock and surprise. “What is she talking about?” He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. Zara had a triumphant look on her face. “Are you going to deny it? Huh?” She asked with her newfound confidence. A few minutes ago, she couldn’t even form a coherent sentence. I was too stunned to speak. It was as if I was in a room with a different person. I thought I knew my best friend, but I had no clue who she even was. The way she switched up was terrifying. “Ivy, did you sleep with somebody?” Sebastian asked, his voice firm. Before I could even say anything, Zara responded. “Yes, she did! She cheated on you at that party!” She sounded like she was so sure about what she was saying. I didn’t even try to defend myself or anything. I was still trying to process what was going on. What was Zara doing? Why was she doing it? Sebastian turned to me. “Ivy, can you please say som
Chapter 18 Ivy Chase ~•~ Sebastian’s lips curled into a small smile and he pulled me into a warm hug. “Are you serious, babe?” He asked with a hint of amusement in his voice. I nodded, wrapping my hands over his shoulders. “Yes, baby. Let’s do this!” I replied, my voice firm. “Let’s even plan an engagement party.” Zara’s face became red with anger as I spoke. “You’re going to regret this, Sebastian!” She growled, her voice dripping with malice. “You’re just trying to trap him. You're just deceiving him after cheating on him.” She glared at me. Zara became more infuriated as I smiled at her. “You want to get married to someone with AIDS? How long before you contact it too?” She asked Sebastian who was busy burying his head in my shoulder. “Zara, I’m sure you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s probably a misunderstanding. But it’s fine now. Maybe you heard the wrong information.” I responded calmly, ignoring her outburst. “But you came here to confront me abou….”
Chapter 19 Ivy Chase ~•~ Parker and I weren’t still cool. I knew I had let my ego get in the way, but I decided to take away my pride and apologize. He deserved an apology and I owed him one. I picked up my phone from the center table and dialed his number. Fortunately enough, he answered on the first ring. “Parker,” I said as I pressed the phone to my ear. “Ivy.” “How are you doing? I was wondering if you would like to meet up for drinks.” I went straight to the reason why I called him. Parker hesitated for a while, as though he was thinking of agreeing or declining the offer. I kept my fingers crossed, hoping he would agree. A few moments later, he cleared his throat and answered. “Sure, I’ll let you know when I’m done with my day’s activities.” I tried my best to contain my excitement. “Thank you. I’ll be looking forward to your call or text.” I replied calmly before ending the call. While waiting for Parker’s call, I decided to carry on with the activities I had
Chapter 20 Parker Wellington ~•~ I was surprised when Ivy called to ask me to meet up for drinks. I’ve always wanted her to contact me but I felt she was still upset about what happened the last time we met. Even if I was excited about the meeting, I decided to play it cool. Throughout the day, my eyes continuously darted to my wristwatch. I was looking forward to the end of the day, so I could meet up with Ivy. I was curious to know what she wanted to talk about. After a series of meetings which felt like they lasted for an eternity, the day finally came to an end. I didn’t spend any more minutes at the office before heading down to my car. I wasn’t sure if Ivy already had a place in mind to meet up, but I decided to tell her to meet me at a cafe close to my office. I was exhausted from work and that was the usual place where I normally go to rewind after work. As I got inside, I decided to scroll through my phone while I waited for her to arrive. “Parker!” Ivy’s fami
Chapter 21Ivy Chase~•~As soon as I opened my eyes, the first thing I could think of was to reach out for my phone. I wanted to see if Parker had called or sent a text while I was asleep. Waiting for feedback from him made me feel so restless. I was scared that he wouldn’t be able to get me the evidence I needed. My plans would be ruined if he ended up disappointing me. I let out a wistful sigh when I saw that I didn’t get any text or call from Parker.I contemplated calling him to ask if he had made any progress, but I decided to just stay calm and be patient. Besides, he had assured me that he would contact me whenever he found something. I tossed my phone on the bed and went back to sleep. A few minutes later, the sound of my ringing phone woke me up. I sat upright on the bed and quickly reached out to my phone. A part of me wanted to ignore the call when I saw the caller ID. But I just decided to answer because I was already awake. “Hey.” “Did I wake up up?” Sebastian’s
Chapter 76Parker Wellington ~•~I knew Ivy wouldn’t forgive me for arriving late to dinner. But the situation was completely out of my control. I wasn’t planning on ignoring her or showing up late. Something urgent came up. And it was something I couldn’t miss. I knew I should’ve updated her about it, but I was so excited that I left my phone at the house. Dinner was meant to start by 7:00 pm. But my meeting didn’t end until after 7:30 pm. The meeting was impromptu and I didn’t even have any chance to communicate with anybody. Not even my parents. As I went over to the family house to pick them up, they were also worried that I had canceled on them. I didn’t even get the chance to go back to my house to grab my phone. I wanted to explain myself to Ivy, but she didn’t even give me a chance. She ignored me and acted like I was invisible. She wouldn’t even look at me but she engaged in conversations with my family. My eyes darted around everybody. I was shocked to see that everyo
Chapter 75Ivy Chase ~•~My eyes darted at the clock and my phone every minute. 7:30 pm. Parker’s family hadn’t yet arrived. My hands were clammy with sweat. What if they didn’t show up? The dining table was already filled with a variety of dishes. I wouldn’t know what to do if they ended up ditching the dinner. I looked at my phone again, searching to see if Parker had sent me a text or something. I had been trying to reach him for the past hour. But he was taking his calls or answering my text messages. Dinner was meant to start by 7:00 pm. My parents had already asked why they hadn’t arrived. I had to come up with something convincing. I told them that something had come up and they would be running late. I asked them to wait until 8:00pm before starting dinner. My mind was racing with different thoughts. Did Parker lie to me again? Was dinner really happening? I tried my best to stay calm even though I was nervous as hell. A few minutes later, Serena came downstairs to m
Chapter 74Parker Wellington ~•~What I did was very stupid.I shouldn’t have lied to Ivy. It would’ve been better if I had just told her the truth from the beginning. But I thought my parents would be polite and accept the invitation. Now, I had disappointed Ivy and she was upset with me.I had no idea how to fix it. I left several text messages without getting any response. I even called her phone a few times but they all went straight to voicemail. It was already late, so I just decided to wait until the next day before speaking to her. Just as I dropped my phone on the table and slid into my bed. It started ringing. Without hesitation, I grabbed it from the table. But I let out a disappointed sigh when I saw the caller ID. It wasn’t Ivy, it was my mother. She had been calling me for a while but I wasn’t in the mood to speak to her. I was still upset about what happened at the house. Frustrated, I turned off my phone and went back to bed. Shortly after, I drifted off to sl
Chapter 73Ivy Chase ~•~My lips parted and I blinked. I hoped it wasn’t what I was thinking about. “Why? What did you do?” I asked, my voice measured. Parker hesitated for a moment, then he cleared his throat and responded. “I lied to you.” My chest tightened. “What did you lie to me about?” I asked, letting out a deep breath as I prepared myself to hear his response. “Dinner isn’t happening.” I let out a disbelieving scoff. “What do you mean?” I asked, raising a brow at him even though he couldn’t see me. “Did your parents change their mind? What happened?” Parker let out a wistful sigh. “They didn’t change their mind, Ivy.” He replied. “They never agreed to it.” He added, his voice tight. “Wha…what? But you…..” I stuttered as I struggled to form a coherent sentence. “I know I told you that they agreed, but it was just a lie.” I felt my heart shattering into a million tiny pieces. “Why would you lie to me about something like that?” I asked, the disappointment evident in
Chapter 72Ivy Chase ~•~After a hectic workday, I decided to spend the evening at the family house. I could finally show up at my parent's house because I had an answer for my father. Most times, my house got lonely and I always found solace in my sister. But as I arrived at the house, I saw an empty house. I called my sister and she told me that they were out for an event. But she told me to wait for her because they would be back in no time. I obliged and decided to wait for them in Serena’s room. As I collapsed on her bed, I pulled out my phone and scrolled aimlessly while I waited for them to return. I decided to check Zara’s page. I found myself going there once in a while when I was bored. Even after her harsh betrayal, I still missed her sometimes. It wasn’t like I wanted her to be my friend again, I just wished things were different. I wished she hadn’t betrayed me and we were still friends. But my face formed into a frown and I shoved those thoughts away when I stumb
Chapter 71Parker Wellington ~•~I accidentally told Ivy that I had already talked to my parents. It was just a spur-of-the-moment thing, I had no idea when it slipped out of my mouth. Ivy was already upset at me for going to Sebastian’s house, so I just said it to make her happy. What had I gotten myself into? After Ivy left, I spent the rest of the day thinking about how I would convince my parents to accept the invitation and go for dinner. I already assured Ivy and I needed to make it happen.The next morning when I woke up, I decided to take a visit to my family house. I barely went there because I wasn’t exactly best friends with my parents. It was safe to say that we had a complicated relationship. I always thought it was best to stay away from them because we always ended up having silly misunderstandings. My parents were just too strict and I was also strong-headed. We had a lot of differences and couldn’t seem to be on the same page about anything. As I arrived at th
Chapter 70Ivy Chase~•~“What did he say?” Serena asked, her brows etched in concern. “Why do you look so stunned?” I was still trying to process what I had just heard. Why did Parker go over to his house without telling me? And how did he get my new number? “Ivy!” My sister exclaimed, snapping her fingers in front of my face. “Parker went to his house to harass him.” “What?” Serena gasped. “Why would Parker do something like that?” She asked, her voice laced with a mixture of confusion and disbelief.“That’s what I’m about to find out.” I stood up as I gathered my things. “I think it has to do with the mystery gift baskets I’ve been receiving. Maybe Parker found out it was Sebastian who was behind it.” Even if he did, I would have appreciated it if he talked to me before taking any actions. He just went there and harassed him without my consent. Serena’s expression softened a bit. “Oh.” She mumbled. “You have to call Parker and confirm because I don’t trust Sebastian.” I didn
Chapter 69Ivy Chase~•~I asked my sister to meet me for lunch because I wanted to see her but I didn’t want to go over to the house. I wasn’t ready to face my father after the request he made. I hadn’t gotten feedback for him and I didn’t want him to pressure me about it. After waiting at the restaurant for over ten minutes, I finally saw my sister walk inside the building. “I’m sorry for coming late, there was traffic.” Serena apologized as she sat down across from me. I let out a scoff and rolled my eyes. “There was no traffic, Serena. You’re just a chronic latecomer.” I teased, giving a playful nudge on her shoulder. Serena smiled. “You know me too well.” I nodded in agreement. “Yes, what would you like to have?” I asked, passing her the restaurant’s menu. Serena pushed it to the side. “I’m not hungry yet, let’s talk about why you didn’t just meet me for lunch at the house.” She replied, raising a brow at me. I sighed, my shoulders sagging. “It’s Daddy, I don’t want to see
Chapter 68Parker Wellington ~•~I couldn’t focus on work, my eyes constantly drifting to my phone. I was waiting for an update from the NYPD. My contact, a trusted friend, had agreed to give me access to the CCTV footage from the traffic camera near Ivy’s apartment. I had promised Ivy that I would get to the bottom of the mysterious gifts and I was determined to keep that promise. Time dragged on and it felt like I had been waiting for an eternity. Then suddenly, my phone buzzed and I picked it up without hesitation. My lips curled into a small smile was I saw that it was my friend from the NYPD who had texted. In no time, I was done downloading the video he had sent. I already told him the particular thing I was looking for, so he sent me exactly what I wanted. I let out a scoff when I saw the person who dropped the gift basket in front of Ivy’s door. “Fucking Bastard!” I cursed through gritted teeth, slamming my hand on the wooden table. “Of course.” A wave of anger coursed t