He had only been with her as a ruse... a sham... to get near Noelle. Everything he had done with her, every sweet word, every gesture of affection, had been a calculated move. He had pretended to be the caring boyfriend, the doting partner, just to slip closer to Noelle.
He'd used her, Noelle's bff as a shield, a mask to hide his real intentions. He had never loved her, not really. It was all just a game, a manipulation, a strategy to infiltrate her life.
He had been playing them both.
Mei Ling's stomach twisted violently as the weight of his deceit settled in her chest. Her hands went cold as the realization deepened. Everything she had believed about their relationship, about his feelings, had been nothing but a lie. The dinners. The walks. The quiet moments. They had all been part of a larger plan, one where Noelle was the ultimate target.
She hadn't been enough for him. She had been just another pawn in his twisted game.
Mei Ling gasped, the sharp ache in her chest threatening to break her open. A sudden wave of nausea rose in her throat, overwhelming her. Her eyes watered as the weight of betrayal crashed over her. The anger bubbled up, but it was quickly suffocated by the disgust that churned inside her, sickening and raw.
Her breath came in shallow bursts.
How could she have been so blind?
How could she have let this happen?
Before she knew it, the car door swung open, and Mei Ling was stumbling out onto the curb, her hands gripping the edge of the door for support. The world around her seemed to spin, and the sharp taste of bile rose in her throat.
She couldn't hold it back.
She vomited onto the roadside, the sharp, acidic taste burning in her mouth. The world around her blurred, and the gut-wrenching reality of it all overwhelmed her. Ethan had used her. He had used Noelle. He had used both of them, like tools in a game of manipulation.
The bitter aftertaste lingered in her throat as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Her whole body trembled, not just from the physical sickness but from the emotional weight of it. How had she missed it? How had she let him get so close?
No.
She couldn't think like that. She couldn't wallow in guilt or shame.
She had to do something.
The urge to do something, anything, to stop Ethan from getting away with it was like a spark in her chest, small at first, but burning brighter and hotter.
Mei Ling wiped her eyes, took a deep breath, and pushed herself upright. She couldn't let this go on any longer.
She had to take action.
Her hands trembled as she gripped her phone, the weight of her decision settling on her like a cold, hard truth. She wouldn't wait any longer. She had to act.
She fumbled with the phone for a moment, her fingers slick with sweat, before quickly pulling up the local police station's number. But then she paused. Her fingers hovered over the screen and a thought struck her as the right thing to do was not to wait, not to call and sit in fear.
She needed to face this head-on.
Mei Ling clicked off the phone and started the engine. She didn't wait for confirmation or second-guess herself. She couldn't.
Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as she drove through the thick fog, her mind racing. Ethan's face, his smugness, his manipulation of both Noelle and her, flashed in her mind. He had been pretending, wearing a mask this whole time, but now it was all too clear — he was a stalker, a predator.
She could still see him, standing by Noelle's mailbox, rifling through her letters as if he had the right to violate every corner of Noelle's life. The thought of it made her hands shake again, but this time, it wasn't fear.
It was anger.
Mei Ling slammed her foot down harder on the accelerator, the hum of the engine pushing her forward. The fog seemed to hang thicker the closer she got to the station, but nothing could block the fiery resolve burning inside her.
She couldn't let this man walk free.
By the time she pulled into the police station parking lot, her heart was pounding in her chest, adrenaline coursing through her veins. She didn't wait. She didn't hesitate. She stepped out of the car and walked briskly toward the front entrance.
The doors of the station opened with a soft chime as she entered, the fluorescent lights flickering above her. A uniformed officer at the front desk looked up, his expression neutral, professional.
"How can I help you, ma'am?" he asked, his voice almost disinterested.
Mei Ling didn't even pause to catch her breath.
"I need to report a stalker. His name is Ethan Xian. I have evidence, photos, everything. He's been stalking a woman I care about. I need to press charges."
The officer's eyes flickered with surprise, but he didn't question her. He motioned for her to sit. "Please, have a seat. I'll have someone speak with you shortly."
Mei Ling stood there, a beat too long, as the full weight of the situation settled in. The walls of the police station suddenly felt smaller, the fluorescent lights buzzed louder.
But she didn't falter.
When the officer motioned her to a chair, she sat without hesitation. Her stomach still churned from the disgust she felt for Ethan, but now, as she sat in the sterile, calm environment of the station, her resolve was stronger. This was the right thing to do.
She wasn't going to let Ethan get away with it.
And she wasn't going to let herself remain in the shadows, unsure and afraid.
She was done with that.
Mei Ling took a deep breath. She wasn't backing down. Not anymore.