No Saving My Blind Crush

My best friend asked me to help her plan the perfect confession to the love of her life.

I spent weeks drafting her texts, picking out her outfits, and curating the perfect playlists. It was only on the night of the confession that I realized the man she loved was Chasemy childhood best friend, the boy Id secretly loved for ten years.

They kissed right in front of me, under the amber glow of the streetlights. When they got married, I wore the champagne-colored bridesmaid dress, smiling until my cheeks ached.

When she was caught in a high-end escort raid, she claimed she was taking the fall for me.

When she stole and sold his family's priceless antique heirloom, she swore it was to pay off my non-existent gambling debts.

And finally, when she framed me for embezzling two million dollars from his family's firm, I was sentenced to fifteen years. I died a cold, lonely death in a prison cell.

But then, I opened my eyes.

I was back. Back to the exact day her affair was exposed.

Whenever Tori sneaked out to hook up with her assistant, Zack, shed tell Chase she was with me, helping me handle some crisis.

This time, as Chase's name flashed across my vibrating phone, I hesitated for a long second before sliding the screen to answer.

I didn't sound like my usual submissive, eager-to-please self. My voice was flat, hollowed out of any warmth. "What is it?"

"Isabel, are you seriously doing this again?" Chases voice boomed through the receiver, sharp and dripping with irritation. "What is it this time? Did you get dumped, or did your dad get into another car accident? Whats your excuse for keeping Tori out late tonight?"

He sighed, a heavy, performative sound. "You make an absolute mess of your own life, so you just have to drag everyone else down with you, dont you?"

"Do you even remember last month? When the police raided that wellness spa and you almost got arrested for soliciting? Tori literally took the fall for you to save your reputation! Do you have any idea how much drama that caused for us as a married couple?"

"Isabel, youre Toris best friend, which is the only reason Ive turned a blind eye to your trashy habits and your gambling debts. But if you don't show some goddamn gratitude and keep harassing my wife, don't expect me to remember our childhood. I will ruin you. Now tell Tori to get her ass home right now!"

If it weren't for this phone call, I wouldn't have known just how wretched my reputation was in his mind.

Among close friends, covering for each other is common. But the moment I died in that prison cell, knowing Tori had put me there, our friendship died too.

In this life, I was only living for myself.

I had absolutely no intention of warning her.

Instead, I kept my voice cool and detached. "Youve got it wrong. I have no idea where Tori is. Why don't you ask Zack? He's her assistant. He practically lives in her pocket. Hed know her schedule better than anyone."

I hung up before he could respond.

Tori was a gold-digger, pure and simple. For a prominent family like Chase's, a wife cheating with her subordinate was a cardinal, unforgivable sin.

The thought of her perfect world shattering brought a rare smile to my face. I walked to the kitchen and popped open a cold can of beer, taking a long, satisfying sip.

But Chase's hatred for me ran deeper than I had calculated.

Barely ten minutes later, my front door shook. Chase didn't just show uphe brought the company's security guards with him.

They burst into my apartment, grabbing my arms and pinning me like a common criminal. One of the guards kicked my bedroom door open, but the room was empty.

"Isabel! Where the hell is Tori?"

Chase stared at me, his eyes burning with pure disgust. Once, we had been inseparable. We had shared whispered secrets in treehouses and stayed up late talking about our futures. Now, in his eyes, I was a cheap delinquent, a gambler, a parasite on society.

Meanwhile, Tori had carefully painted herself as the long-suffering, saintly best friend who carried my crosses.

Theres a word for that, isn't there? Contrast.

It was time Chase saw the real contrast.

"I told you," I said, wincing as the guard tightened his grip on my wrist. "If you want Tori, ask Zack. They're always together."

He sneered, stepping closer. "You think playing these petty mind games is going to make me angry, Isabel? I know my wife. I know her heart. I wouldn't believe a single lie that comes out of your mouth."

"Honestly, I feel sick just thinking about how much she protects you. How did she ever end up with a piece of trash like you?"

"I'm giving you one last chance. Where is Tori? Why isn't she picking up her phone?"

In Chases mind, Tori was flawless. Because she spoke in sweet, soft tones and carried herself with grace, her narrative was the only one that mattered. He truly believed I was trying to poison his marriage.

With a curt nod, he gestured to the guards. "Make her talk."

The punches came fast. I was thrown to the floor, boots and fists raining down on me until my vision blurred and the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. My face throbbed, swelling instantly.

But beneath the blinding pain, a cold, dark spark of satisfaction flared.

Let them hit me. The anger was a physical weight, burning away the lingering weakness of my past life. It fed the desire to see Tori burn.

"You're nothing but a gutter rat, Isabel," Chase spat, looking down at me as I lay curled on the hardwood floor. "And the gutter is exactly where you belong."

"I told Tori a thousand times to cut you off. But she insisted you were her sister. She kept giving you jobs, paying off your debts, lying to your parents to keep your squeaky-clean image alive!"

"And this is how you repay her? Stabbing her in the back? You think if you keep your mouth shut, I can't touch you?"

Chase pulled out his phone, his face twisting into a cruel grin. "Youve always been such a dutiful little daughter, haven't you? Let's see how your parents feel when they find out what a degenerate you really are."

My parents had worked for Chase's father for decades at the family firm. They had practically raised Chase alongside me, and they still looked at him like the golden boy who would one day inherit everything. Of course he had my mothers number.

He pressed dial and put it on speaker.

My mothers fragile, aging voice echoed in the quiet room. "Chase? Sweetheart, is everything okay? Why are you calling this late?"

"Mrs. Peterson," Chase said, his tone instantly shifting to a polite, albeit stern, register. "Im calling because we need to talk about your daughter."

"Oh? What about Isabel? Is she having trouble at work?"

Chase let out a cold, sharp laugh. "I wish it was just work. Mrs. Peterson, did you know your daughter was arrested at a sketchy massage parlor last week for soliciting sex?"

"What? No... no, that cant be right. Not my Isabel. She would never do something like that!"

My mothers voice trembled, breaking into a sob.

An electric jolt of rage went through me. I lunged forward, trying to grab the phone, but the guard slammed me back down, pinning his knee into my back and crushing his heavy hand over my mouth. I could only make muffled, desperate noises.

"Tori saw it with her own eyes, Mrs. Peterson," Chase continued, mercilessly. "Tori went there to find her, and the police raided the place. Isabel ran, leaving Tori to take the fall and protect her name. Do you really think Tori would lie about something like that?"

I glared at Chase, my eyes burning with a silent, venomous promise. You blind fool. She's going to ruin you, and you're going to deserve every second of it.

"And it's not just that. Shes got a massive gambling problem. She owes millions to loan sharks. Tori even had to pawn one of our family heirlooms just to keep those thugs from breaking Isabels legs! Drugs, gambling, prostitutionshe's practically running the gamut. I'm telling you this because you need to rein her in before she drags my wife down to hell with her."

He ended the call.

Seeing my bloodshot, furious eyes, his chest swelled with triumph.

"Look at you. Your poor parents have no idea. They still think you're the straight-A student they sent off to college."

"I honestly don't get why Tori tolerates you. What do you even bring to her life besides filth?"

"She even bought you a townhome, Isabel. You are the definition of an ungrateful leech."

I froze, the blood in my ears suddenly roaring. I managed to spit out the hand covering my mouth. "What did you just say? Tori bought me a townhome?"

"Oh, cut the act." Chase scoffed. "Tori bought you that place near the harbor as a thank-you for setting us up back in college. She didn't want me to tell anyone to spare your pathetic pride. But looking at you now, its clear you don't have any."

A manic, dark humor bubbled up in my chest.

Tori hadn't bought that townhome for me. She had bought it for Zack. And right now, they were probably in it.

I spat a mouthful of bloody saliva onto the floor and looked up at him. "I didn't receive any townhome, Chase. I swear, your brain is so rotted by love that you'd believe her if she told you the sky was pink."

"I know the address, Isabel. Don't play dumb."

I nodded, a slow, dangerous smile stretching across my swollen lips. "Fine. If you're so sure, take me there. Or are you just like Toriall bark and no bite?"

"You really want to play this out?" Chases eyes darkened. "You do realize she bought that place with my family's money, right? Since you're going to keep lying, I might as well reclaim what's mine."

He pointed at the guards. "Throw her in the car. Keep her locked down. Tonight, she loses everything she never deserved."