Carlie squares her shoulders and rolls her neck, a physical manifestation of her mental preparation. Her transformation from the tentative, self-doubting woman I first met to the confident, self-assured person she is at this moment is a palpable thing.
We’re not just walking through a gym—we’re walking into a moment of reckoning.
“Ready?” I ask softly.
She nods, releasing my hand to stand alone. This conversation—it’s her battle to fight, but she knows I’m right there with her. A silent pillar of strength for her to lean on.
Jillian’s smile is all carefully orchestrated personal trainer charm, but her eyes narrow when she sees the two of us. They zero in on Carlie’s determined stance and a barely veiled sneer flickers to her face. Without even a moment’s hesitation, she walks over to us.
“Carlie, Adam, what brings you here …together?”she asks, her tone patronizing.
I can see in the shadows that flicker in her eyes, she wasn’t expecting a united front.
Hell, she probably wasn’t expectinganyfront.
She probably thought her BS would break us apart.
Carlie doesn’t miss a beat, though. “I’m here to close a chapter, Jillian. One where the antagonist gets her comeuppance.” Her voice is steady, her writer’s mind turning this confrontation into a climactic scene.
I chuckle under my breath, sliding my hands into my pockets, and looking forward to however this thing plays out.
“What are you even on about?” Jillian, as expected, rolls her eyes. “Please, spare me your dramatics, Carlie, and talk like a normal person.”
Carlie steps forward, undeterred. Her nostrils flare and her hands clench into fists at her side. “This isn’t drama, Jillian. This is you, being called out on your web of lies. Like any poorly written villain, you underestimated the hero.”
Jillian laughs, a sharp, derisive sound. “And let me guess, you thinkyou’rethe hero in this story.”
Carlie’s eyes flash emerald. “Every story has its hero, Jillian. Sometimes they’re hidden in the shadows, but they always emerge. And when they do, villains likeyoufall.”
Irritation flickers across Jillian’s face. She’s not used to being spoken to like this. It’s only a matter of time before she lashes out. I take a step closer to Carlie, ready for it.
“You’re delusional,” Jillian spits out. “This is real life, not a silly novel. God, you’re such a loser. I can see why the two of you were drawn together. You definitely deserve each other’s crazy. So, good luck with that.”
Jillian’s eyes flit to me and all I can do is huff a laugh. If she thinks that comeback is going to hurt either one of us, she’s the delusional one.
Carlie’s face hardens, her voice cutting through the gym’s ambient noise. A couple of gym-goers stop their reps to gawk as she takes a step into Jillian’s space and says, “Let’s talk about real life, Jillian. Like how you treated me when you were my trainer. Remember all the ways you kept trying to make me feel small? Or the times you told me I was too hopeless to get fit? That was you trying to break me—to project your own insecurities onto me.”
Jillian’s smirk fades, replaced by a look of contempt. “You were a waste of my time, Carlie. Clumsy, incapable of …”
Carlie interrupts her, her voice rising with conviction. “No, Jillian. I was a project you failed at because you were too consumed with your own jealousy. I didn’t know about your history with Adam at the time—butyoudid. You saw a potential relationship happening between us and you tried to stifle it. But here I am, stronger, not because of you, butin spiteof you. And that relationship you tried to kill off, it’s a reality now.”
Jillian scoffs, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Oh, please. You’re giving yourself too much credit. You’re?—”
Carlie cuts her off again, her tone unwavering. “Oh, and let’s not forget how you spread those lies about Adam using me for his business, then concocted stories about him crawling back to you. That’s the kind of plot twist you see in cheap thrillers, not in this‘real life’you seem so fond of. Your heart isn’t just black, Jillian—it’s a void. A place where empathy and decency go to die.”
Jillian’s face turns a deep shade of red, her fury palpable. “You think standing here makes you something special? You’renothing, Carlie.”
The tension in the gym is palpable, with bystanders stealing glances at the unfolding drama.
Carlie’s voice, however, carries a note of finality as she huffs a humorless laugh. “This is where your part in my story ends, Jillian. You’re just another lesson along my journey. My only wish is no one else would ever have to deal with you. You’re not fit to train anyone.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I’m good at my job. Just because you couldn’t trade your two left feet for ones that work, doesn’t change that fact. So, if you even think about fucking me over—I’llburyyou.” Jillian’s face is the epitome of rage as she spits out, “God, you’re such a b?—”
Her venomous words are cut short by a gasp from the crowd.
We all turn to see an older gentleman, distinguished and clearly important, his eyes fixed on Jillian with a mix of shock and disapproval. He’s wearing a polo shirt with the gym’s logo and “Board Member” embroidered beneath it.
Oh, shit.Mr. Richards.