Wait…Why Did Everyone I Love Suddenly Call Me a Bitch?! novel Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Isaac handed over the contact for a rogue chemist. I told him exactly what I needed: a specialized chemical compound.

The specialist abroad confirmed the order. “It’ll take thirty days to stabilize the formula.”

I sent a “receipts” folder to Skylar, the CEO, and the VP. No explanation, just facts.

Then I went completely ghost. New phone, new number.

I spent the next month backpacking through Europe.

On my layover, I picked up the delivery.

The second I landed, I headed straight for the asylum.

I found Rowan in the courtyard.

She was rotting away in the common area.

Surrounded by the legitimately insane.

She was a wreck-gaunt, twitchy, and hollowed out. She looked feral, like her mind had finally snapped for real.

The second she saw me, she went nuclear. “Wren!”

She clawed at the iron fence, her nails screaming against the metal.

“I’m going to gut you!”

“And yet, you’re in a cage,” I replied with a deadpan stare.

Rowan let out a chilling, raspy laugh. “Think you’re the only one who can play the ‘power’ card? I’ve got a boyfriend too, and he’s getting me out

of here.”

I raised an eyebrow.

The orderly leaned in and showed me a photo.

It was a creepy old man who looked like a human grease fire, pushing eighty and weighing three hundred pounds.

“He’s filing for her release. The paperwork clears today. We can’t legally hold her anymore.”

I handed the small vial to the doctor I’d paid off.

“Fine. Let her out. The world outside is going to be much harsher anyway.” On my signal, the orderly stepped into the yard and slammed the

needle into Rowan’s arm.

“What are you doing?!” she shrieked. “GET OFF ME!”

The doctor didn’t flinch.

He pushed the plunger all the way down.

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“AHH! NO!”

Every drop of that custom-made hell entered her bloodstream.

Rowan started sniffing her own skin frantically. “What was that?! Why do I smell like… like rotting Bradford pears?”

“Exactly. That ‘musky, manly’ scent. You gave it to me as a ‘gift,’ so I figured I’d make it permanent. It’s bonded to your DNA now, Rowan. You’re going to reek of it until the day you die.”

“Wren! You bitch! How could you?!”

I gave her a look that chilled the air around us.

“Just a reminder: From now on, ‘Bitch’ is your new legal name.”

I turned and walked away.

A voice boomed over the intercom: “Rowan, your discharge is approved.”

Rowan bolted for the exit, desperate for freedom.

She climbed into her “savior’s” Range Rover, but thirty seconds later, she was kicked out onto the pavement.

The fat old man was purple with rage, his hand clamped around her throat. “You nasty little tramp! You couldn’t even stay in a psych ward without screwing half the patients?! You smell like a goddamn locker room! You think I’m an idiot?!”

Rowan wheezed, desperate. “No! It’s the medicine!”

She pointed at my retreating figure. “SHE DID THIS!”

The old man let out a bark of laughter. “Use your brain, you lying slut. How could a woman make you smell like you just had an orgy?”

A crowd of onlookers began to gather, pinching their noses.

The driver leaned out to his boss.

“Boss, just throw her in the back. You bought her life. We’ll take her home and you can ‘re-educate’ her however you like.”

Rowan was dragged back into the SUV like a sack of garbage.

All her joy was gone. She clawed at the tinted glass, screaming, “HELP ME!”

Not a single person moved a muscle.

I stood at the curb, waiting for my Uber.

I only came back to see the finale of the Rowan show. Now that the credits were rolling, it was time to leave.

Instead of my Uber, a fleet of luxury sedans pulled up.

Skylar stepped out first.

She grabbed my hand, sobbing. “Wren, please! I was crazy! I only cared about my husband… I’m redoing the whole wedding. You’re still my only bridesmaid. Please say you’ll come!”

I pulled my hand back. “No thanks. Like you said-any girl can do the job. I’m over it.”

As I kept walking, the CEO and the VP blocked my path.

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I pulled a folder from my bag and slapped it against her chest.

“I’ve already signed with your biggest rival. Your company is a sinking ship. See you in the market.”

Finally, Isaac stood in my way. He didn’t even try to beg anymore. “Let me drive you to the airport.”

“No thanks. My ride’s here.”

Under their desperate, watching eyes, I climbed into the car.

Rowan was right about one thing.

Real bonds survive the fire. Theirs were made of cheap plastic. If that’s the case, I’m better off starting fresh.

I deserve the best.

And I’m going to find it in a city that doesn’t reek of the past.

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