My VIP Ticket Turned Into Their Date

When I opened my eyes again, I smelled a strong disinfectant smell. As it turned out, a paramedic in a Red Cross vest was taking my blood pressure.

"You're up now?" she said. "You've had a mild heatstroke. Some kind passersby brought you to the medical tent."

She then put away the blood pressure monitor, and I sat up on the canvas bed, feeling a churning sensation in my stomach.

"Thank you. How long have I been out?" I asked weakly.

The paramedic checked her watch. "About an hour. You should call your friends or family to take you back. It's too hot outside."

I felt for my phone in my pocket and saw that I didn't have any missed calls. There was just a text message from Cornell sent ten minutes ago.

"Go and buy a tote bag for Ellie at the official merchandise store since you're waiting outside with nothing to do anyway. She didn't manage to get it just now."

I stared at his text message and laughed in anger.

I had just fainted from a mild heatstroke outside the music festival venue, and he didn't even bother asking me where I'd been. Instead, he ordered me to buy merchandise for his "good friend".

I called him instead.

He picked up after a long time.

"Did you get the tote? Don't get the wrong color. Ellie wants the black one."

I said coldly, "I just got heatstroke, Cornell Glover. I'm at the medical tent now."

There was a slight pause on the line. Then, his impatient voice sounded.

"Really now, Marie? Playing the damsel in distress now? Who do you think you are? How the hell can anyone even get heatstroke in 84-degree weather?

"You're just trying to cause trouble for Ellie because you don't like seeing her happy, aren't you? Trying to make your presence more felt?"

I closed my eyes and suppressed the urge to just fling my phone to the ground.

"I'm not playing at anything. I'm dizzy and nauseated. I can't even stand properly."

Cornell just clicked his tongue.

"Yeah, yeah. Stop it with the pathetic act. Ellie twisted her ankle after someone trampled on her. I was about to go and bring her an ice pack. But since you're at the medical tent already, you might as well bring one with you to the ticketing entrance."

For a moment, I wondered if I'd actually heard him correctly.

"You're telling me, someone who's suffering from heatstroke, to bring you and your sidechick an ice pack?"

Cornell exploded. "What the hell? Don't go around spouting nonsense like that! Who do you think you're calling a side chick? Ellie is a pure, innocent soul! We're just good friends!

"Why the hell are you thinking such filthy things about us? You're the one with the dirty thoughts. Don't you dare think that everyone else is as filthy as you are!"

Ellie's upset voice could then be heard on the other end of the line.

"Don't yell at Marie anymore, Corey. It's all my fault. I should never have twisted my ankle. I'll just limp out painfully like this. I don't want to cause Marie any trouble…"

Cornell immediately began comforting her.

"Who told you to walk? Can't you see how swollen your ankle is? The one who should be doing the walking is Marie, since she's so heartless!"

I had had enough of listening to the filthy couple arguing and just hung up on them. Then, to distract myself, I began scrolling mindlessly on Instagram.

I soon came across Ellie's most recent post from just ten minutes ago. The first photo was one of Cornell kneeling on the ground while gently massaging her swollen ankle, and the second one was a screenshot of my digital ticket.

The caption read, "So lucky to be a spoiled princess today. I got front-row seats and a special someone to search high and low for an ice pack for me when I twisted my ankle.

"So what if some people get so jealous they start barking like a bitch? He still chose me after all. Love, peace, and rock and roll forever."

In the comments under her post, people marveled at her close relationship with Cornell. Some of them also condemned the "some people" she'd been referring to in her caption.

I stared at the screen for a long time, feeling the nauseating feeling in my gut intensify.

Just then, I got a call from my best friend, Sylvie Barrett.

"Marie? Did you see that bitch's Instagram post?" Her voice was loud and piercing. "Is Cornell with that fucking bitch right now?"

My voice was hoarse. "Yeah. He gave my ticket to her and is now happily massaging her foot inside the venue."

Sylvie began cursing him out loud. "Fucking hell! I'm coming over right now to snap his manhood in two! Where are you? Don't go anywhere alone!"

I told her everything about how I got heatstroke from standing out in the sun. Sylvie was so mad that she was on the verge of tears by the end of it.

"Cornell's such a monster! How did I never notice before that he was such a fucking piece of trash after all!

"Just wait there, Marie. I'm coming to get you now. I swear, I'm going to tear that disgusting couple to shreds if that's the last thing I'm ever going to do!"