Cheated But Not Broken Novel – Seeing my boyfriend of three years,Jake grin and stand,putting the ring on her finger had made me realize I had never been an option for him. He got down on one knee in the middle of the restaurant, surrounded by our friends and proposed-to a woman he’d been seeing for only a couple months. I lifted my hands and buried my face in them,trying to hold off the sobbing. Why did she get to wake up next to Jake?Why did she deserve the huge,almost 2-carat diamond ring his grandmother had given him?Why did she deserve to wear the beautiful ivory wedding dress,handed down through Jake’s family for the last seventy years? However, my three years were wasted. It’s time to move on.
I know exactly when it happened.When my heart shattered into a million pieces. When my best friend,the man I was secretly in love with,got down on one knee in the middle of the restaurant,surrounded by our friends and proposed-to a woman he’d been seeing for only a couple months. “I tell you,Joey.”Jake had mumbled three nights earlier,snuggled up on the couch,with me.”I think Phoebe might be the one.” Yeah?If she was the one,then where was she?Not there,with us,watching horror movies and eating trashy food,wrapped up under a blanket.Not falling asleep against Jake’s shoulder,being completely serene in his arms. So,if she wasn’t there,doing those things with him.. why did she get to wake up next to Jake?Why did she deserve the huge,almost 2-carat diamond ring his grandmother had given him?Why did she deserve to wear the beautiful ivory wedding dress,handed down through Jake’s family for the last seventy years? My lip had trembled as Phoebe,as fake as could be,had gushed and squealed,nodding as if her head was on a spring.
Seeing Jake grin and stand,putting the ring on her finger;had made me realize I had never been an option for him. I’d had my heart set on being with Jake but obviously,I’d just taken too long in making my move and someone else had taken up the spot I had quietly and secretly reserved. I had been cordial to them;wishing them luck,telling Jake I was happy for him.I could see he didn’t believe me but didn’t say anything.I didn’t stay long after the proposal and the friendship between Jake and I pretty much died. The wedding was set for only a month later. A month.Way to absolutely destroy my heart. Jake had all but avoided me for the first three weeks,claiming Phoebe had him running around like a chicken with its head cut off,chasing wedding supplies he could only get from certain places. I Googled it..the sh-it she was searching for,was cheap and could be bought on eBay for under a hundred dollars.I knew what she was up to.
She had him running around,so he had less time with me,and I had less time to talk him out of it,because she knew I didn’t like her gold-digging a-ss. It was no secret Jake was a high-paid businessman and had properties which bought in a tidy sum every month.But none of that had ever interested me.I only wanted Jake,because I was in love with him and had been,since we’d been ten. Now,only a week out from the wedding,I was sitting here,staring at the ugliest dress in the world,while Jake sat on the sofa opposite,staring at the floor,and Phoebe stood over me,tapping her foot on the ground impatiently. “Obviously we’re going to have to get the straps reinforced to compensate for your larger-“I glared at Phoebe who in return frowned,biting her lip so she didn’t say anything snarky to me.”And it might be a good idea to watch what you eat for the next week. Maybe head to the gym?Sauna?You wouldn’t want something to happen to the dress and you pop a seam,because you-” “Phoebe,enough.” I blinked as I looked over at Jake,seeing the flush to his cheeks.He didn’t look at me,as he ran his hand through his hair,hair which had been cut shorter.No doubt Phoebe’s doing,and it only accentuated Jake’s larger than average forehead.
Something he’d always been conscious of. Phoebe stomped her foot a little,as her tone changed from the snappy one,she’d just been speaking to me in,to a whine.”What Jakey?I told you;she just doesn’t fit into the bridal party.She is not the right size,or coloring.She’s too pale and to-” “Phoebe,Jolene is my best friend,she will be in the main party,or there will be no wedding.”A glimmer of hope sparked in me,this might be the fight they needed,for Jake to realize he was making a mistake. Jake looked up at Phoebe,not even glancing in my direction.”But if you like,at the reception,we can sit her at the table with your aunt?Instead of up with us.” That little glimmer went poof!with his words. I closed my eyes,as Phoebe sighed.”Okay,I guess I can deal with that.” I put the lid on the box on my lap and slid it to the seat next to me and folded my hands in my lap,as Jake stood and hugged his fiancee,who giggled.I hated it when they smooched and hugged in front of me,it made me only more aware of the inadequacies I had as a partner for Jake and Phoebe loved to rub it in too.
Giving me sideways glares as she smooched the man I had set my heart on. “Then that’s settled.”I looked up at Jake,who had his arm around Phoebe’s shoulders,grinning from ear to ear,as Phoebe melded against him.Just another blatant show he was off limits.”Joey,we’ll keep the dress with us,until Saturday.You’re going to look great in it.” Phoebe scooped up the dress,as if it was a baby and flicked her hair,looking at Jake.”Baby,I’ll go wait in the car.Don’t take too long.We have that dinner reservation at eight.” Jake nodded,smooching Phoebe again and as she turned to my front door,she glared at me. All I wanted,was to jump to my feet,crash tackle the bimbo and break something squishy. Preferably her nose. Let’s see her be the beautiful bride then… “Joey.”I turned my head,looking at Jake,as he crouched in front of me.”Are you okay?” No…no I’m not.I’m in love- I didn’t voice my emotions to Jake,instead I lowered my gaze from his and nodded.”Yeah,just tired.
I’ve been doing back-to-back shifts at the hospital,to get time off for my vacation.” The moment Jake and Phoebe announced their wedding would only be a month after their engagement,I had booked a week off,to go to Hawaii. I’d always wanted to go and had one day hoped to go with Jake.I’d been squirreling money away for it since I had started working at the hospital.I had enough for me to go for a week.So that’s where I was going,in the hopes of forgetting what had happened. “Oh,you got time booked off?” “Yeah,I’m going to go and spend a week in Hawaii.”I grinned and Jake’s face reddened. “Oh.well,we might see you there.” I blinked and the smile fell from my lips.”Are you kidding me?” His face reddened further,and he turned his head away.”Phoebe has always wanted to go to Hawaii…” “Well,enjoy.I spat,sinking back into the sofa,folding my arms over my chest.”Now,you better go,before she starts beeping the horn like an impatient dog.” Jake’s gaze snapped to mine,and I caught the first glimpse of anger aimed at me in the thirteen years we’d been friends.
It left quickly and he stood,leaving my tiny bungalow,slamming the door behind him. “Oh.”I lifted my hands and buried my face in them,trying to hold off the sobbing,until I heard Jake’s car leave.The sound of the vehicle pulling out of my driveway had my stomach dropping to the floor and I cried until my chest hurt. Of all the places they had to pick for a honeymoon,it had to be Hawaii. My dream destination. I’d only ever dreamed of going there and now I could afford to;the experience was about to be ruined,because they would be there too. “Like fu-ck.” Reaching to the side,I picked up my phone and bought up the airline’s number.Dialing it,I waited for it to connect.Once the woman had said her hellos,I bunkered down for what I knew would be a marathon in trying to get my money back. – It’d taken me almost an hour to get through to a person to get a refund.Then another hour of trying to convince them I couldn’t make it to Hawaii.I had to incur late cancelation charges,but in the end,I had managed to get my money back. Now,I sat on the sofa of my tiny apartment,on the verge of tears. I had cried so much in the last couple months,I knew if I kept trying to,eventually I’d cry blood.
Jake and I had known each other since we were kids. Almost fifteen years.I’d been by his side the whole time,and he’d been my rock.He’d protected me and made my schooling life easier,and for him to just move on like he had…Ijust struggled to understand what I had done wrong. My phone buzzed across the coffee table,and I leaned forward,picking it up,smiling at the happy face flashing on the screen. Holding the device to my ear,I held back tears.”Hey,papa bear.” Hey,there’s my Roo.” Roo…it had been my father’s nickname for me since I was five and had seen a kangaroo at a zoo and refused to move around the world without jumping like one for weeks.”Where are you?” Cyprus.”My father had decided after my mom had passed a few years ago,to travel.He was still reasonably young,and I was happy for him.But at moments like this,I missed him.”I’ve sent you another package.” “Papa,you don’t have to keep sending me things.” “Yes,I do.I want to make you happy.Especially at the moment.”there was a pause.
Dad had been furious when he found out Jake was marrying someone else. He’d all but expected Jake and I to get together,since we’d been friends for so long.”How are you doing?” “Terrible.I just had to cancel my trip to Hawaii.” “What?Why?Dad asked.”You’ve been saving for that trip for years.” “Yeah,tell me about it.One guess on where they’re going for their honeymoon…at the same time as me…” “Oh,Roo.”I could hear my dad’s heart breaking all the way from the Mediterranean.”That is unfair. “Oh,and I got shown my bridesmaid dress today.It’s pale,milky snot green.” “You know how hard it is for me not to get on a flight back and sock the pair of them?Seriously.That boy has rocks in his head.He always has.” I giggled and leaned back on the sofa.”Yeah,he’s not the brightest star in the sky.” “You’ll find someone who is the brightest star,and he’s going to outshine the dim light that boy is giving off.” I whole belly laughed this time.I gave my dad one thing;he knew how to make me laugh.”Papa,jeez.I thought you liked Jake.” “I did.Until he broke my Roo’s heart.
Now if I see him, I’d probably run him over. “Stop.”I cackled and sighed,wiping the tears from my eyes.”One good thing I guess,at least I won’t have to stress too much about impressing him anymore.” I’d been doing that for so long,I was actually scared about the thought of having a life without Jake.He’d been such a big part of my world,I was worried what my world was going to look like now,without him in it. “You’re going to be fine,Jolene.You’re strong,like your momma was.You’re going to shine so bright;he’s going to wonder why he decided to go for someone like Phoebe.” “I’d like to hope so,Papa.”I leaned my head back on the sofa and stared at the glow in the dark stars on my ceiling.”Enough talking about Jake,where are you off to next?” As my dad rambled about his adventures and where he was headed to in the next leg of his trip,I got up and pottered around the apartment,making sure my daily chores were done,before I headed to bed. “Anyway,I better let you go,Roo,it’s getting late there,and I don’t want to keep you up any longer.” “Ok Papa.I love you.” “Love you too.night Roo.”my dad hung up and I held the phone to my lips for a minute,before placing it on the coffee table.
Turning away,I headed toward the bathroom,when it buzzed again. Sighing,I went back to it and picked it up. Jake’s face was on the screen,and I frowned,tempted not to answer it.but in the end,I did.”Hey,Jake.” “Hey,Thursday night,Phoebe and her friends are heading out for her hen’s night.I managed to convince her to take you.” Oh eww…I didn’t want to go out with Phoebe and her fake friends. “Really?I was hoping for a quiet night.” “Well,I want you to go.It’ll be good for you guys to hang out and smooth things over.”There was not a single sliver of compassion in his voice.It was an ultimatum and I felt like telling him to shove it up his a-ss.But in the end,I sighed and closed my eyes,pinching the bridge of my nose. “Fine.What time?” “They will pick you up at seven.” “Uh huh.” “This is going to be good,Joey.You and Phoebe are going to become great friends.I’ll chat to you later. The phone clicked and I almost threw it across the room in anger. This was not going to be a good thing;this was going to be a disaster waiting to happen. And when it did happen,I hoped it would kick Jake where it really hurt.