Aww Seven Exes Begged Cute Blocked novel Chapter 4

**A Promise Written on the Rusted Edge of Time by Dael Rowan Sire**
**Chapter 41: I Changed My Future While You Kissed Her**

That summer, right after the senior prom, everything changed for me. Alden took my V-card.

Even amidst the lingering pain, I found myself lying wide awake through the night, a swarm of butterflies flitting about in my stomach. It felt surreal, as if the six long years of harboring secret crushes had finally blossomed into something tangible and real.

But the euphoria was short-lived. The very next day, as I walked through the bustling hallway, I overheard Alden’s friends chatting animatedly. “Damn, you hooked up with little Miss Perfect?” one of them exclaimed, their tone dripping with mockery.

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I instinctively began to turn away, desperate to escape the embarrassment. But then I heard Aiden’s dismissive voice slice through the air, freezing me in place:

“I’m trying to get with Madison—you know, the Instagram-famous cheer captain? But she thinks I’m too green. Just using Brooklyn here to level up my game.”

His words were like a thunderclap, shaking me to my core. I stood there, paralyzed, unable to utter a single word. Instead, I felt an overwhelming urge to take action. I quickly logged into the college portal, my fingers trembling as I switched my acceptance from Columbia to Stanford. Three thousand miles felt like a necessary distance, a fresh start away from the painful reality that was unfolding around me.

Aiden’s casual dismissal of my feelings struck me with the force of a lightning bolt on a clear day, leaving me utterly defenseless and bewildered.

My thoughts spiraled into chaos, blanketing my mind like a dark fog.

Even though the summer afternoon was stiflingly hot, a chill crept over me, wrapping around my heart like a winter’s embrace.

Meanwhile, the chatter in the classroom continued, oblivious to my turmoil. His friends fell silent for a brief moment before one of them broke the stillness.

“Can’t blame her—our boy Aiden’s got game. Might as well take what’s offered,” another chimed in, the laughter growing louder.

“After pining after you for so many years, bet she couldn’t wait to get her hands on you,” someone added, and the laughter erupted again, ringing in my ears like a cruel symphony.

I bit down hard on my lip, my hands clenching into tight fists, fighting against the wave of humiliation and anger that threatened to swallow me whole.

It took every ounce of strength I had just to remain standing outside that classroom door, my heart racing and my breath quickening.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from down the hallway, snapping me back to reality. Panic surged through me, and without a second thought, I fled, stumbling into a nearby bathroom stall, desperate to escape the laughter that felt like daggers piercing my heart.