One

ROCHELLE'S POV

My heart pounded with excitement as I walked up to my boyfriend Fred’s apartment.

Nineteen. I couldn’t believe it—finally, my nineteenth birthday. Today was supposed to be perfect. I had spent hours getting ready, choosing my outfit carefully. Amber had said I looked amazing, but more than that, she had said I should finally take a leap with Fred.

“You’ve been dating for months,” she had said. “It’s time, Rochelle. Stop pining after some guy you’ve never even spoken to for more than five minutes. Fred is your boyfriend. Why not make tonight the night?”

I had smiled at her, feeling a bit nervous. She was right. I had this stupid crush on an older man I shouldn’t even be thinking about. I guess it was time for me to face reality. Nothing was going to happen between us. I decided to put all my focus on Fred.

Was tonight the night? I wasn’t sure if I was ready, but Amber’s words had been swirling in my mind all day. Fred and I had been together for a while, and he had been patient. Maybe this would show him how much I cared.

But as I reached his door, something felt… off. I couldn’t place it at first, but the unease settled deep in my stomach. I hesitated before knocking, shaking it off. Maybe it was just nerves

The door opened, but instead of Fred’s familiar smile, I was greeted by someone I hadn’t expected—Gina, our boss from work. Her hair was perfectly styled. Her expression was cool and composed, like she belonged there. She looked at me with a raised eyebrow, as if she had been expecting someone, but not me.

“Rochelle?” she said in a confused tone.

My heart skipped a beat. Why was she here?

“Yeah… hey. Is Fred here?”

She leaned against the doorframe, folding her arms. “Fred’s my boyfriend. Why wouldn’t he be?”

The world tilted for a moment. Her words echoed in my mind: Fred’s girlfriend? But that was… impossible. I was his girlfriend.

There had to be an explanation for this. Without thinking, I pushed past her, storming inside the apartment.

“What the hell are you talking about?” I demanded, my voice rising.

The living room was a bit dark. The scent of cologne and something more intimate lingered in the air. My eyes moved around, finally landing on Fred, who was sitting casually on the couch, looking as relaxed as ever.

He didn’t even flinch when he saw me. No surprise, no guilt. Just a slight smirk playing on his lips. “Rochelle, what’s up?”

My blood boiled. “What’s up?” I repeated, my voice shaking. “What’s up? Gina just told me she’s your girlfriend. What the hell, Fred?”

Fred sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. He didn’t bother standing up, didn’t even look ashamed. “Look, Rochelle, I didn’t think it would come out like this, but yeah, Gina and I have been seeing each other. It’s not a big deal.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. My chest tightened as the betrayal set in. He wasn’t even bothered. He didn’t see this as something he had done wrong.

What the hell was wrong with him?

“Not a big deal?!" I shrieked. "We’ve been together for months, Fred!”

He finally stood up, but his expression remained bored, like this whole situation was an inconvenience for him. “Yeah, well, maybe if you’d actually, you know, put out, things would be different. You can’t expect a guy to wait around forever. You know I’m a man, right? We have needs.”

His words stung like a slap in the face. I could feel my skin heating up with anger, but underneath it, there was hurt. Deep, soul-crushing hurt.

“You’re blaming me for this?” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Because I didn’t sleep with you?”

Fred shrugged, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Well, yeah. I mean, what did you expect? I’m not gonna stick around in a relationship that isn’t giving me what I need, especially when there’s someone like Gina who—”

“Don’t you dare finish that sentence,” I cut him off. My hands were shaking. My vision blurred with unshed tears. “I thought you cared about me, Fred. I thought we had something real.”

Fred snorted, crossing his arms over his chest. “I only stayed with you because I thought you were loaded. Everyone says you’re some kind of rich princess, but your dad doesn’t even care about you, does he? Why would I stick around in a relationship that doesn’t benefit me at all?”

His words cut deeper than anything else he’d said. The mention of my father, the truth behind it—it all hit too close to home. He was right, in a way. My father had abandoned me, left me to fend for myself after he remarried. Sure, he gave me money, but it was nothing more than a transaction to him. He didn’t care about me, not really. But Fred? Fred wasn’t supposed to know that. He wasn’t supposed to use that against me.

My chest heaved with a mix of rage and heartbreak. “You—you’re disgusting,” I whispered.

My hand moved before I could stop it, slapping him hard across the face. The sound echoed in the room. Fred’s head snapped to the side, but he didn’t even flinch. He just stared at me. His eyes were cold and emotionless. “Well, there you go. Princess Rochelle finally loses her cool.”

I couldn’t stand to be in that room any longer. The walls felt like they were closing in on me. The pressure of everything was too much to bear. Without another word, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind me.

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled down the stairs. I felt like my world was crumbling around me. Everything I thought I knew about Fred, about our relationship, about myself—it was all a lie.

How could I have been so blind? How could I have trusted him? How could I not have seen the signs?

Outside, I reached for my phone. My fingers shook as I dialed Amber’s number. I needed her. I needed someone to tell me that I wasn’t crazy, that I wasn’t as broken as Fred made me feel.

“Rochelle? What’s wrong?” Amber’s voice was filled with concern the moment she picked up.

I couldn’t hold back the sobs any longer.

“Amber,” I choked out. “It’s Fred… He—he’s been cheating on me. With Gina. Our boss!”

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the line. Then Amber’s voice came through, full of anger. “That bastard. Are you serious?”

I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “He… he said it’s my fault because I wouldn’t sleep with him. And that the only reason he stayed with me was because he thought I was rich, but my dad doesn’t even care about me…”

“Oh, Rochelle.” Amber’s voice softened, filled with empathy. “That asshole. You don’t deserve any of that. I can’t believe he would say something like that to you. But you know what? Screw him. You’re better off without him.”

“I just… I don’t understand,” I whispered, wiping at the tears that wouldn’t stop falling. “I thought he cared about me.”

“Of course you did. Because you’re a good person, Rochelle. You deserve someone who actually values you, not some loser who’s just trying to use you.”

I sniffled, feeling a small bit of comfort in her words. “I don’t know what to do…”

“Come over,” Amber said firmly. “We’ll figure this out together. I’ve got the perfect plan.”

I hesitated for a moment, but then nodded again. “Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

As I hung up the phone and started walking toward my car, I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal in my chest.

But with every step I took, I felt a small spark of hope growing inside me. Maybe Amber was right. Maybe I was better off without Fred. Maybe, just maybe, this was the start of something new.