Chapter One
MARLEY
“We need to talk,” Derek, my long-term boyfriend, mumbles as I sit next to him on the sofa, playing on my cell. It’s after midnight, and I was thinking about getting ready for bed because Lord knows he is going to be up working on his computer for another couple of hours.
“Okay…” I set my cell down on the coffee table, my hands already starting to shake. “What’s going on?”
He doesn’t move closer. Actually, he barely even looks up from his laptop. He simply sits there as if we’re in his office, and I’m an employee he’s about to fire.
Which, I guess, is exactly what’s happening.
“This isn’t working anymore, Marley.” His voice is flat, rehearsed. He’s clearly practiced this. “I think we both know that.”
The words hit me like a punch to the chest, knocking the air from my lungs. “What? Derek, what are you talking about?”
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while,” he continues, as if I haven’t spoken. “We’re just not compatible. You don’t fit with my lifestyle, with my friends, with where I’m going professionally.”
I blink, trying to process what’s happening. “Your lifestyle? Your friends?” Heat crawls up my neck. “Derek, those aremyfriends too. We’ve been together for six years—”
“Exactly!”He cuts me off, his jaw tight. “Six years, and youstillcan’t seem to understand what’s expected of you.”
“Expected of me?” My voice rises, confusion mixing with the first sparks of anger. “What thehelldoes that mean?”
He sighs, like I’m being difficult. LikeI’mthe unreasonable one. “Look, I’m trying to be nice about this—”
“Nice?”I laugh, but it comes out strangled. “You’re breaking up with me and calling itnice?”
“Fine.” His eyes narrow, and something cold slides into his expression. “You want me to be honest? You’re just… not the right image for me anymore, Marley. You don’t take care of yourself the way you should.”
The room tilts on its axis, and I feel I’m the reason the weight is shifting. “What?”
“Come on.” He gestures at me, his lip turning up slightly, that same dismissive wave he uses when an idea in a pitch meeting isn’t working. “You’ve put on weight. Clearly quite a bit. It’s noticeable. My colleagues have mentioned it. My mother has mentioned it. God, Marley… can’t you even think about what this is like formein this?”
His words are daggers, each one finding its mark.
My hand automatically goes to my stomach, that instinctive, shameful gesture I hate myself for. “I… I work out four times a week,” I rebut, and I hate how defensive I sound. “I eat healthy.”
“Obviously not healthy enough.” He shrugs, and the casual cruelty of it makes me want to be physically ill. “Look, I’m not trying to be a jerk. I’m just being real with you. You’re beautiful, Marley, youcouldbe stunning, but you need to put in the work. Maybe when you lose a few pounds, maybe forty or fifty, you could reach back out to me. We could try again.”
I stare at him, blinking.
This is the man I’ve shared a bed with for six years.
This is the man I’ve cooked for, laughed with, built a life with.
This is the man who’s looking at me right now as though I’m a before picture in a weight loss ad.
“You’re s-seriously breaking up with me because of my w-weight?” My voice cracks, and I hate myself for showing him I am vulnerable.
“I’m breaking up with you because you’renotthe rightfitanymore,” he corrects, like there’s a difference. “And honestly, it’s starting to affect me professionally. When I take you to client dinners or company events, people notice. They make judgments. And I can’t afford for my personal life to negatively impact my career. You understand that, don’t you, Pookie-bear?”
My stomach churns, and the worst part? I see it in his eyes. He actually believes this is reasonable. He thinks he’s being practical.
The condescending fucking jerk!
“Also,” he continues.Oh God, there’s more.“You’re going to need to step up your appearance at work. I can’t have the other employees seeing you looking so… casual all the time. It reflects poorly on the firm. Onme, Marley. Maybe consider some more professional attire. Tailored pieces. Things thatfit properly.” He glances at me up and down, his expression screaming disgust, then exhales and shakes his head.
Something inside me breaks.
