#Chapter 90: Sabotaged
Abby

At the mention of the email and the rare ingredients, Karl’s face turns pale. Seeing him like this

instantly fills me with an odd sense of dread as my mind begins to whirl with unending questions: why

did Adam send him that email? Why did Karl give him rare ingredients? When did Karl give him rare

ingredients?

“Karl, please tell me what’s wrong,” I say again, more urgently this time.

He takes a deep breath, then finally speaks. “I bought a ton of ingredients for Adam,” he admits, his

voice barely above a whisper. “Rare ones. For his restaurant.”

My heart is in my throat. “For Adam’s restaurant? But why?” I ask, genuinely confused.

“He asked, and I just figured I would help him out,” he murmured. But as he speaks, his eyes dart away

from me, indicating that he’s lying. I’ve always been able to tell when he’s pulling my leg.

“You’d better not be trying to lie to me right now,” I warn, my voice brittle. “I know you too well for that.”

His shoulders slump, and he looks down at his hands, gripping the edge of the bed with white knuckles.

“Alright, fine,” he finally says, his voice low. “It wasn’t that.”

“Then what was it?” I press, but deep down, judging from Karl’s appearance I’m not sure whether I

want to know the answer or not.

Karl hesitates, then takes another ragged breath as though trying to steady himself. “I gave the

ingredients to Adam to bribe him into… into breaking up with you.”

The room spins. My head is swimming with thoughts, feelings, questions. I can’t fathom why Karl would

do such a thing, and I jump up to my feet, my voice rising an octave. “You what? You bribed him to

break up with me? But why?”

“Because, Abby,” Karl’s voice is shaky, “I knew he was g ay, and that he wasn’t being honest with you.

The ingredients were a way to convince him to be just that: honest. To come clean about his

your time on

words hit me like a sledgehammer, demolishing everything I

of your concern?” I find myself asking. “I don’t recall ever asking

in shining

pauses, his face still as pale as before. He can’t meet my gaze, and instead

floor in front of him. “I care about you, Abby,” he says.

a relationship with someone who didn’t feel the same

give me pause. I can understand his reasoning a little bit, but

gotten involved. It

a heavy silence. Karl still can’t meet my gaze, and it infuriates me even

To think that all this time I

person, only for this to

says, standing in my way. “I could see how he looked at you, how he looked at

just wanted

talked to me

he says, his eyes darting around in that telltale manner

—”

hold my hand up to make Karl stop, and pinch the bridge

holding. “You never knew,” I murmur. “Not before you

ingredients, at least.”

murmurs.

can tell when you’re lying. You didn’t

plan, did you? It just so happened to work out

what feels like an eternity, Karl

aching vulnerability there that makes my heart drop into my stomach.

first. I just knew that he wasn’t that invested in

that he’d take the

to scream, cry, and pass out.

believe this, Karl. How could you do something like that? Something so… c

to say something, to justify himself,

sort of defeated look in his eyes, as if

words can’t fix.

“Abby, I—”

I cut him off, my voice breaking. “Just don’t even bother, Karl.

time, I really thought you were changing, becoming a better

pleads, trying to take a step toward

for you. To

a wry chuckle. “Bu lls hit,” I

putting as much distance between us as the room will allow. “I’m booking

in the morning. You can stay here, and you don’t have to worry

with me. We’re done,

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255