The Day I Chose Myself

They Broke Me for Her

The video on the screen began to play.

Madison was pinned against a wall by several burly men, humiliated and manhandled as she struggled in terror.

"A nobody from some junior college thinks she's good enough for Mr. Shawn?"

"It's a good thing Ms. Shaw tipped us off behind the scenes. Otherwise, Mr. Shawn would've been ruined by this slut. Break her."

"Someone like her thinks she belongs with the heir to the Hooper family? Please. Only someone like Ms. Shaw deserves to be the Hooper family's future daughter-in-law."

Then, one of the men lifted his foot and brought it down hard on Madison's leg. "I'll break this bitch's leg and see how she plans to seduce anyone after that."

Soon, a sickening crack rang through the room.

Madison collapsed to the floor, clutching her leg and screaming so hard her whole body shook.

"I didn't tell anyone," I said.

Shawn turned and slapped me so hard my face instantly began to swell.

My voice turned cold. "Your mother wouldn't have found out about this if the two of you hadn't made your relationship so public online."

No one listened to me.

He looked down at me with pure arrogance. "Enough. Get on your knees and apologize. It's Madison's birthday today, and I promised I'd grant her one wish."

"In your dreams," I shot back before turning to leave.

I didn't even make it two steps.

That was because my former classmates had clearly been waiting for me to act when they rushed forward and pinned me in place.

Madison rolled closer.

Then, she pressed the heel of her shoe against my face and slowly ground it down. "I'm a kind person," she spoke sweetly. "Say sorry, and I might just forgive you."

"I will never—"

Before I could finish, Shawn grabbed a broken chair leg and swung it straight at my leg.

Pain exploded through me.

My knee gave out instantly. Something shifted out of place with a sickening jolt, and every muscle in my body seized in agony.

I nearly blacked out.

Shawn crouched slightly, his voice low and threatening. "If you refuse to apologize, it won't just be a dislocation next time."

I bit down so hard I thought my teeth would shatter. Every word tasted like blood as I spat, "I'm sorry."

Only then did Shawn turn back to Madison.

He knelt in front of her with all the tenderness in the world, lifted her injured leg, and kissed it gently.

"My princess," he murmured. "Do you feel better now?"

Madison tapped him lightly on the nose and smiled. "Much better, dummy."

The classmates around them practically melted on the spot, squealing over how sweet they were together.

When they were done playing happy couple, no one even bothered looking at me anymore. They just let go and left me crumpled on the floor like garbage.

I crawled my way to the hospital.

I was gritting my teeth through the agony of having my leg reset when I received a video from Madison.

I clicked on it.

Shawn was shirtless in the clip, his toned body half-lit in the dim light. Madison was kneeling between his legs.

His breathing was uneven, and a strained groan would occasionally escape his throat.

I watched it once.

Then, I deleted it.

Trash like that wasn't worth the storage.

...

The day before departure, I was out drinking with my best friend when Shawn suddenly burst in with a group of people behind him.

He charged straight at me and slapped me several times in a row.

My head rang, and I nearly fell out of my chair.

Before I could react, the people behind him surged forward, shoving me to the ground and pinning me there.

The other customers in the bar scattered at once, terrified of getting dragged into trouble.

Shawn stood over me, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles had gone white.

"I already agreed to go with you," he yelled through gritted teeth. "So, why are you still refusing to leave Madison alone?"

His eyes burned with hatred. "Do you really have to drive her to death?"

I stared at him, completely blindsided.

His expression only darkened further.

"You actually had someone kidnap her while I was gone." His voice rose in fury. "I'm telling you right now. Let her go. If you don't, I'm not going anywhere with you."

I was still trying to understand what he said when, after a long pause, Madison entered the room awkwardly.

Her clothes were disheveled and torn, her hair messy. She appeared pale, shaken, and near collapse.

Anyone looking at her would assume the worst.

Shawn's entire face changed.

He rushed to her side, draped his jacket around her shoulders, and pulled her into his arms like she was something precious.

Then, he turned to look at me, disgust written all over his face.

"So it really was you. I know you're obsessed with me, but that doesn't give you the right to turn into a jealous lunatic."

Before he left, he threw one last sentence over his shoulder.

"I'll still go with you as I promised, but from now on, you'll be my girlfriend in name only. My heart will always belong to Madison."

When I didn't respond, his tone softened. It made him sound disgustingly kind. "It all ends here. Go home. We're leaving tomorrow. Do make sure you clean yourself up before then. Don't embarrass me."

I almost laughed. 'Did he actually think he's the prize here? I'm the one who topped the state.'

...

The next day, I left for Blackridge University alone.

On my phone, the video Shawn and Madison sent me the night before still haunted me. Those pixels felt like filth I couldn't quite wash off.

Shawn called not long after I boarded.

His voice was still thick with sleep.

"Bring a dress to Suite 13-3 at the Langford Hotel later," he said lazily. "Madison messed up last night. I got carried away and tore hers."

Then, Madison's coy voice drifted through the phone. "Just one dress? What if that's not enough, Shawn?"

I listened in silence.

Then, I responded calmly, "Shawn, you really are trash."

I hung up.

Right after that, I pulled out the SIM and snapped it in half.

Just then, the plane's engine began to whir.

As its wheels lifted from the ground, it felt as if my past with Shawn and all the baggage that came with him had finally fallen away.

I was finally heading toward the future that was mine alone.