• 39.7% • Chapter 14 • Chapter 14 • The only bright spot during my medical leave was that my Stanford early admission had been • approved.
• I'd be spared the senior year panic about college applications, • Without a second thought, I submitted my request to transfer to AP classes.
• My GPA had always qualifiedfor the advanced track. I'd only stayed in regular classes because ⚫ that's where Zephyr was.
• Now, I wanted as much physical and mental distance as possible.
• Different classes.
• Different future.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt• Different life.
• Zephyr stopped his attempts to see me.
• • All contact ceased completely.
• • In its place emerged his very public relationship with Katherine.
• Even with him blocked, screenshots of their Instagram and Snapchat stories found their way to my phone, sent by friends who thought I'd "want to know." • Before, his social media presence had been nearly nonexistent.
• Black profile picture.
• Private account.
• Rarely posted.
• The classic too-cool-to-care online persona.
• 40.2% • The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights • Now suddenly, his profile photo was an andated puppy Matching Katherine's bunny icon in a couples theme, • Their feeds transformed into a daily relationship highlight reel, • Every teenage romance cliché on display; Carefully arranged Bento boxes with heart-shaped contents, selfies sharing earbuds while studying, notebook margins filled with each other's names, videos feeding campus strays together, matching silver bracelets glinting in the sunlight as they held ⚫ hands...
• • The first few times I saw these posts, my chest tightened. I recognized the performance for what it was a show specifically designed for an audience of one; me, • But gradually, that knot in my chest began to loosen.
• My finger would hover over the "view story" button for a few seconds longer each tbefore I chose to close theinstead.
• So Zephyr wasn't incapable of treating a girl with respect-he just chose not to respect me.
• He knew exactly how to be a caring boyfriend-he just decided I wasn't worth the effort.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmEach realization stung, but less sharply than the one before it.
Like a wound that hurts when touched but is visibly healing.
"Let it go, Phoebe," I whispered to myself, setting my phone face-down.
"Their relationship has nothing to do with you anymore."
I still felt twinges of something-not quite jealousy, more pain from an anke phantom Er limb-when mutual friends mentioned them. But I was learning that emotional muscle memory takes tto reprogram.
Each day it got a little easier to redirect my thoughts when they wandered toward Zephyr.
He might be performing for my benefit, creating an elaborate show to prove I was missing out, but I was no longer in the audience. 12.48 The Ruined Bride of Velvet Nights 40.5% ممارسته
I was busy writing my own story-one where he was just a character from an early chapter, not the co autor douce imagined him to be. mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1 mmMwWLliIofifl0&1 mmMwWLlilofiflo&1