"Morty, you definitely heard wrong. Come feel how fast my heart's beating..."
It wasn't until the first pale light of dawn that I felt the mattress dip beside me.
Moments later, the familiar rhythm of his breathing filled the silence.
I gripped the comforter, repeating the words in my head like a mantra.
Judy Young, he's not worth your tears. Don't waste a single one.
I was at the bathroom sink, brushing my teeth, when I caught Olympia barging in from the corner of my eye.
"Hey, Judy, how do you work the showerhead in there?"
"Last night your husband was just so passionate. I really need to clean up."
She looked right at me, a challenge burning in her eyes, and tugged her collar down.
The trail of red marks along her neck made my blood boil. Every instinct screamed at me to storm into that bedroom and confront Mortimer.
But I held back.
A moment of satisfaction wasn't enough. I wanted them destroyed beyond recovery.
"Press the button on the right side."
"You know, men start losing it after thirty. Better enjoy him while you can."
"Say whatever you want. Morty only loves me!"
Olympia flashed a vicious grin.
The next second, she threw herself hard onto the floor.
"Help! Mr. Henson! My back, it hurts so bad..."
"What happened?" Mortimer rushed over in a panic.
"I just came to ask Judy how to use the showerhead, and she talked to me like I was beneath her, and then she..."
"Then she what? Tell me. No one's going to bully you here."
"She shoved me onto the floor. I don't know why she... hates me so much."
"There's a security camera right outside the bathroom door. There's no point in this." I shrugged. "We all know the truth."
"Keep your mouth shut, Judy." Mortimer's jaw was tight, barely containing himself.
"You think I don't know what kind of person Olympia is?"
"She never lies. You're a good person, but this time you've gone too far."
"You're seriously lecturing me right now?"
My lips pressed into a thin line, and I held his gaze without blinking.
"What? You're all worked up. Don't tell me you still have feelings for me!"
Olympia, sensing the tension crackling between us, shrank back and spoke in a timid whisper.
"Mr. Henson, I'm sure Judy didn't mean it. Please don't punish her because of me. I'll be good."
"For Olympia's sake, I'll let this go!"
"Watch yourself. And this jasmine plant? I'm taking it to the office as an apology to her."
He ripped my carefully tended jasmine right out of its pot, roots and all.
I stared down at my phone's wallpaper. Mortimer, smiling, kneeling beside me in the garden as we planted that jasmine together.
All the strength I'd been holding onto crumbled.
A single tear fell onto the screen.
Not long after, Olympia posted on Instagram, showing off her love story for the world to see.
"Flowers wilt, but love never fades."
The photo was the jasmine Mortimer had taken that morning.
I liked the post without a flicker of expression.
Shortly after, the post was deleted.
My phone rang. The sugary voice on the other end had turned cold and venomous.
"Don't you get it? Morty and I are meant to be together."
"Stop clinging to the title of Mrs. Henson. The one who isn't loved is the real homewrecker."
"I said I liked jasmine, and he didn't hesitate for a second. Ripped out every plant you grew and handed them to me!"
I pressed a hand against the cramp twisting through my stomach and kept my voice steady.
"Well, of course he did. Trash belongs with trash. A match made in hell."
"Judy Young, you filthy little... how dare you talk to me like that, you shameless..."
I had no interest in listening to her shriek obscenities, so I hung up.
A message from Maxwell was waiting in my texts. He'd sent over Olympia's background file.
I read through it carefully. A textbook damsel-in-distress act.
A gambling-addicted father. A critically ill mother. A younger brother still in school. And poor, broken Olympia at the center of it all.
