My Six Year April Fool

Every April Fools Day, my boyfriend would stage an elaborate, fake proposal as part of a prank coordinated with his best friend, Lexi.

Last year, I was so caught up in the moment, heart hammering against my ribs as I reached for the ring, that I didn't notice the mechanical trap hidden in the velvet box. It snapped shut on my finger. I screamed in genuine pain.

Jackson and Lexi just roared with laughter, completely oblivious to the fact that my finger was turning a bruised, sickly purple.

To make it up to me, Jackson had spent months swearing that this year would be different. He promised he would finally ask for real. So, when he sent me a "top priority" text telling me to meet him at the bistro where we had our very first date, I believed him.

I spent three hours getting ready. I got a blowout, had my nails done, and applied a full face of makeup with surgical precision. I even wore a brand-new silk slip dress. I had the "announcement" post drafted in my notes, waiting for the photo of the ring.

But the moment I pushed through the door, a heavy, cold mass of buttercream slammed into my face.

A girls sharp, bright laughter erupted from the center of the room.

"I told you shed show up! Pay up, Jax, you lost!"

Jackson walked over, his expression as smooth and gentle as it had been for the last six years. He used a napkin to wipe a glob of frosting from my cheek.

"You look beautiful, Cass," he said, though his eyes were dancing. "Shame about the dress, though."

"What is this, Jackson?" My voice was trembling.

"I made a bet with the guys on whether I could actually get you to come out tonight. I bet that you wouldn't. My stake was simple: if I won, Id propose tomorrow. If I lost, Id wait another year." He shrugged, offering a half-hearted grin. "Sorry, babe. Since you actually showed up, I guess were not getting married this year either."

I stood there, the weight of the frosting pulling at my skin, and looked him dead in the eye. "So, you know what tomorrow is?"

He laughed, dismissive. "Of course I do. Our six-year anniversary. How could I forget?"

The sticky sweetness on my face felt suffocating. In that moment, the realization hit me with the force of a physical blow: our anniversary would always play second fiddle to a prank.

And I would always play second fiddle to Lexi.

I reached down and slid off the simple silver band wed worn as a "promise" set since college.

"Then were done. Were breaking up."

1.

The sharp clink of the ring hitting the hardwood floor silenced the entire room.

Jacksons brow furrowed.

"Don't do this, Cassie. Its just a little cake. Ill help you clean it up when we get home. You know Lexishe used to play way rougher than this. Shes actually being restrained tonight for your sake."

He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low, warning hum. "I went to a lot of trouble to get everyone here. Don't make me look like the guy whos dating someone who cant handle a joke."

Lexi slumped onto the velvet sofa, her face a mask of exaggerated poutiness.

"Seriously, Cassie, it was just a laugh. If youre going to be like that, we wont play anymore, okay? But 'breaking up'? Thats a bit dramatic."

She looked at the guys, her eyes wide. "I told you she couldn't handle it. Jax, you shouldn't have invited her. Now the whole vibe is ruined."

She sat there, the undisputed "mascot" of their little tribe. In this circle, if Lexi wasn't happy, no one was allowed to be. Jackson was no exception.

I remembered the first time I met her. Shed organized a game of Truth or Dare. Usually, dares involve something embarrassing in public. Her dare for me was to "perform" an intimate sound right there in front of the group.

When I told her I didn't appreciate that kind of humor, Lexis eyes instantly welled up. Shed bolted out of the room.

The entire groupJackson includedhad chased after her to comfort her. The party that was supposed to be my "welcome" ended with me sitting alone in a dark apartment. Jackson never brought me to another hangout unless Lexi gave the green light first.

Jackson looked at me now, his jaw set. "Cassie, apologize to Lexi."

In the past, I would have swallowed my pride. I would have apologized just to keep the peace, to make sure Jackson didn't lose face in front of his friends.

But watching him prioritize Lexis "hurt feelings" over the fact that hed just humiliated me on the eve of our anniversary... I finally saw the truth. This wasn't a relationship. I was just an accessory to his life with his friends.

I picked up my coat and the designer bag Id bought specifically to impress his parents later this month.

"Jackson," I said, my voice steady for the first time in years. "Its over. I mean it."

I turned and walked out, my heels clicking unevenly on the pavement.

As the door swung shut, I heard Lexis teasing voice drift out. "Is your 'ball and chain' actually leaving? Youre not going to go full 'simp' and chase her, are you?"

Jackson let out a cold snort. "Shes just throwing a tantrum. If I chase her now, shell think shes won. Besides, she has no one else but me. Shes easier to win back than you are."

His words felt like a serrated blade across my chest.

2.

Six years ago, Jackson had stood in this very spot and told me he couldn't live without me.

He had worked hard to get me. When I was fifteen, my parents both remarried and started new families. I became the "legacy baggage"the kid who was shuttled between houses but belonged in neither. I grew up terrified of intimacy, terrified of building a home only to have it dismantled.

I turned Jackson down five times.

The sixth time, a man had followed me home to my apartment. Jackson had appeared out of nowhere, tackling the guy and holding him until the police arrived.

He ended up in the ER with a fractured wrist. As the nurse wrapped his arm, his eyes had turned red.

"Cassie, why are you so stubborn?" hed whispered. "Why won't you just let me protect you?"

My heart had disintegrated right then. I thought that if I could be with someone so reliable, so protective, maybe Id finally be safe.

That night, hed taken me to this bistro to ask me out. When I said yes, hed picked me up and spun me around like a kid until we were both dizzy, eventually collapsing onto the grass. Hed held me tight and sworn to the moon that as long as he was around, I would never be lonely again.

But now, he was the one reopening the wounds Id spent years trying to heal.

I let out a bitter laugh and pulled out my phone. I opened an email from five days agoa transfer offer to our corporate headquarters in Chicago that was set to expire.

I accept the transfer.

It was surprisingly easy to type.

I looked up at the moon, partially obscured by a thin veil of clouds.

Jackson, Im not as easy to win back as you think. And I dont need you to protect me anymore.

The move was scheduled for the 2nd. I didn't have much time.

I went back to our apartment, scrubbed the sticky frosting off my skin until it was raw, and started packing. I didn't own much; two suitcases were enough to hold my entire life.

At 3:00 AM, I was heading for the door to check into a hotel when Jackson walked in, smelling of bourbon and smoke. He was carrying Lexi, who was passed out cold, and dumped her on the sofa.

He tossed a bag of fruit onto the counter. "Glad youre still up. Shes wasted. Make her some of that ginger tea you make, or shes going to be a nightmare in the morning."

I didn't move.

When we first moved in together, Jackson had come home sick from a bachelor party. Id stayed up all night making him soup. The ceramic pot had cracked from the heat and exploded, splashing scalding broth and shards all over my arms.

Hed been terrified. Hed stayed awake for twenty-four hours, tending to my burns, crying from guilt. Hed banned me from the kitchen after that, insisting hed rather order takeout for the rest of his life than risk me getting hurt again.

Hed even made a little wooden sign and hung it on the pantry: CAUTION: CASSIE-FREE ZONE.

I looked at that sign now, walked over, and tossed it into the trash.

"Im not your maid, Jackson. If she wants tea, she can wait until shes sober enough to boil water."

I grabbed the handle of my suitcase.

He lunged forward, grabbing my wrist and pinning me against the door. "Enough, Cassie. You made your point with the packing. It was an April Fools joke. Quit being a brat. I know you want the ring. I want to give it to you. Next year. I promise, next year well do it for real."

His breath, laced with alcohol, brushed against my neck. I felt nothing but a dull, aching revulsion.

I pushed him back with everything I had and slapped him hard across the face.

"I said were done, Jackson. There is no 'next year.'"

3.

The slap didn't just wake him up; it seemed to startle Lexi into consciousness.

She stumbled off the sofa, swaying, and lunged at me, her hand connecting with my cheek in a stinging blow.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" she shrieked. "You don't touch him!"

My face burned. I raised my hand to hit back, but Jackson caught my wrists, twisting them painfully as he shoved me away. My lower back slammed into the door handle.

He stepped in front of Lexi, his eyes flashing with irritation. "Shes drunk, Cassie! Are you really going to pick a fight with a drunk girl? Just go. Get out and clear your head. Well talk tomorrow."

I stared at him, stunned by his indifference. It was like I was a stranger to him, a nuisance he had to manage. He didn't even look at me; he just turned around to murmur soft, soothing words to Lexi, giving her all the tenderness I had craved for years.

I gripped the handle of my suitcase and walked out.

I checked into a budget hotel near the station and didn't close my eyes until dawn. When I woke up, my phone was a graveyard of notifications.

Aside from the usual "Happy April Fools" group texts, there were dozens of messages from coworkers and friends asking why I wasn't at the office or if there was "big news" to share.

I typed out a short, blunt response: Jackson and I broke up.

The replies were instantaneous. Is this a joke? Stop it, Cassie, don't prank us like that. You guys are the 'forever' couple.

They didn't know. They only saw the version of Jackson he allowed the world to seethe steady, reliable man who always had a plan.

They didn't know that on our fourth anniversary, hed set up a "romantic" dinner only to have Lexi jump out with a live snake because he knew I had a phobia.

They didn't know that on our fifth, hed used a trick ring that nearly cost me my finger.

He was reliable, sure. But his loyalty wasn't for me.

I scrolled through social media and saw Lexis latest posta gallery of photos from last night. Jackson at the movies with her, Jackson winning her a stuffed animal at an arcade, Jackson laughing.

Hed always told me those things were "childish" and a "waste of time." He said he preferred staying in, watching documentaries, being "mature."

Looking at his genuine, wide smile in her photos, I realized those things weren't boring to him. Doing them with me was boring to him.

The comments were full of people saying how "perfect" they looked together.

I was about to delete the app when a message from Jackson popped up.

Don't overthink the photos. Im just helping her blow off steam. Come back to the apartment when you can. She says she wants to apologize.

I scoffed. As if on cue, a notification from a delivery app pinged. My anniversary gift to hima high-end watch Id saved for months to buyhad just been delivered to the apartment.

I needed to get it back. And I needed to drop off my keys. A clean break.

I threw on some clothes and took a cab over. But the moment I stepped through the door, a bucket of liquid with a sharp, chemical sting was doused over my head.

"Surprise! April Fools, bitch!"

4.

The liquid burned instantly. Before I could even blink, Lexi was on me, rubbing a coarse makeup remover wipe across my face with frantic, mocking energy.

The burning intensified, turning into a searing, crawling itch that felt like my skin was being peeled back from the bone.

I shoved her away, gasping. I tried to touch my face, but the slightest contact was agony.

"My face... it burns... what was in that?"

Jackson rushed over, grabbing my hands to stop me from scratching. His voice was a mix of shock and anger. "Lexi, you said it was just micellar water! Why is her skin breaking out like this?"

Lexis face went red. "I... I don't know! I just grabbed a bottle from the garage. Besides, she always wears that 'natural' makeup look just to make me look like a mess in comparison. I hate it! You even said it made her look washed out, Jax! You said I could do it!"

I was shaking, my breath hitching in my chest. "And I thought... I thought you were actually going to apologize. You don't deserve a 'goodbye,' Jackson. Youre a monster."

I tried to stumble toward the bathroom to wash my face, but the room began to spin. My throat felt like it was closing.

"Cassie? Cassie, talk to me!"

When I woke up, the sun was setting.

My face was throbbing. Through a haze of painkillers, I heard a nurse mention something about stitches on my chin and right cheek.

Jackson, who had been dozing in the chair next to the bed, jolted awake.

"Thank God, youre awake. You gave us a heart attack. The doctor said you had an anaphylactic reaction to some industrial disinfectant that was in the bottle. You went into shock."

He leaned forward, his voice urgent. "Lexi really did want to apologize, Cassie. Shes just... shes impulsive. She didn't mean for this to happen. Don't be mad, okay?"

I looked at himat the man I had loved for nearly a decadeand he felt like a stranger. There was no concern in his eyes for the permanent scars I might have. Only the desperate need to excuse her.

I felt a single, hot tear roll down my cheek. It stung.

"Im not mad, Jackson," I whispered. "Im just filled with regret. I regret every second I spent with you."

His face paled. He opened his mouth to speak, but his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screenthe caller ID said "LEXI"and he immediately stood up.

"I have to take this. Rest. Ill be right back."

He hurried out. Moved by some ghost of a feeling, I forced myself out of bed and followed him.

I stood by the heavy fire door of the stairwell, listening through the crack.

He was sitting on the steps with Lexi. "Hey, hey, stop crying. Shes not going to be mad. Weve been through worse than this."

Lexi sniffled. "If shes this upset over a little rash, imagine if she found out the truth. Imagine if she knew you only asked her out because of that $500 bet we made in college. Or that we chose the anniversary date specifically because it was April Fools weekend."

The world seemed to explode in a deafening white noise.

Jackson hissed, "Shh! That was years ago. Keep your mouth shut!"

My knees gave out. I slid down the wall, clutching my chest.

Every doubt Id ever had, every time Id wondered why I was always the punchlineit all made sense now. I wasn't his girlfriend. I was a six-year-long prank.

The "hero" who saved me from the stalker? Was that a setup too? It didn't matter. The foundation was rot.

I covered my mouth to stifle a sob. I had to leave. Now.

I managed to get back to my room, grab my things, and call a car. I went straight to the hotel, grabbed my suitcases, and headed for the station. I changed my ticket to the earliest train to Chicago.

As I boarded, a text from Jackson arrived: The doctor says you need observation. Don't run off. Where are you? Im coming to get you.

I looked at the screen and started laughing until I cried. I didn't reply. I blocked him. I blocked Lexi. I blocked every single person who had ever laughed at my expense.

The joke is over, Jackson. And Im not sticking around for the encore.