Chapter 1: Savage Clapbacks and Broken Hearts

When my childhood friend went for my bra strap, my mind exploded with comments—my mental DMs blowing up, the comment section in my head going absolutely wild with snarky, unsolicited advice.

Every group chat. Every TikTok. Every Reddit thread. All of them running wild in my head. Every voice, nastier than the last. The room felt like it was closing in, the air thick with opinions crowding us out.

[Girl, run! That guy’s just using you for a quick hookup.]

[LMAO, he’s got a girlfriend—won’t even touch her, so he comes crawling to you.]

[Bet he drags his girlfriend in here later just to embarrass you.]

Their words weren’t just in my head. They hit like cold water, snapping me back. My stomach twisted up, a sick knot forming. I froze, and before I could think, I shoved him away.

He blinked, confused. “What’s up? You were all over me last time.”

He sounded so casual, almost cocky. Like he couldn’t imagine me saying no. I didn’t even let him finish. “I was faking it.”

“You weren’t even that good, to be real.”

Jackson Lowell’s breath was hot against my neck, sending a weird jolt through me. My brain screamed, but my body still noticed him.

His lips brushed my skin. I shoved him away. “Do you have a girlfriend?”

He paused. Gave me a lazy grin, like it was no big deal. “Did Tyler say something to you? That guy can’t keep his mouth shut.”

Jackson’s tone was so breezy it made my skin crawl, like he thought this was all a game. “Anyway, she’s starting her rotation in your department tomorrow. You’ll look out for her, right?”

“She’s real sweet. So innocent…”

Just talking about her made him smile.

There was only one new person joining tomorrow—Megan Alvarez, the new intern. On interview day, Jackson had hired her on the spot. HR thought her skills and background were nothing special, but once the boss had spoken, nobody argued.

Heard some break room gossip yesterday—President Lowell must have a thing for Megan. Otherwise, why spend so much on a recent grad who didn’t know much yet? Made me snort. People really think he’d go that far for a crush? Please.

Back then, I rolled my eyes at all that gossip. After all, Jackson and I had already been hooking up, just not out in the open.

I looked down, silent. Jackson lifted my chin, raised an eyebrow, let out a soft laugh.

“Harper Quinn, you don’t really think we’re a couple, do you? I never said I wanted to date you or anything. We’re just scratching an itch for each other. You don’t really think one night means I owe you, do you?”

His words landed like a slap. For a second, I just stared at him. The room was dead silent. “Yeah, you’re gorgeous and all, and it’s hard to say no to that, but your personality is just too much. Guys—when they settle down—they always pick the sweet, easygoing type.”

Guess the comments were right. Jackson was only here for this.

I waited a second, then smiled. “Don’t flatter yourself. I never expected anything from you—I was never that into you as a person.”

While he let out a breath, I started putting my clothes back on, one piece at a time.

He watched, confused. “What’s your deal? You seemed into it last time.”

I shot him a glare, heat rising in my chest. “I was faking!”

With a loud smack, his belt slipped from his hand and hit the hardwood floor, echoing through the awkward silence and making me flinch.

I finished dressing. Stepped closer. Glanced down at his jeans.

“Sorry. You really didn’t do much for me last time.”

The comments flashed again.

[LOL… didn’t do much… I’m dying, the guy just got roasted.]

[Wait, the doormat heroine suddenly grew a spine? This isn’t how the original went!]

[Finally, a heroine with some self-respect. The original made her so pathetic just to set up the later chase.]

…I couldn’t help a tiny smirk. About time.

A win-her-back hellscape. That’s the kind of romance novel I’d landed in.

And I, Harper Quinn, was the main character. Childhood friends with the male lead. Left my family to follow him. Even slept with him—no strings attached.

Later, Jackson Lowell would go public with the fake-sweet side character Megan Alvarez. According to the plot, Jackson, fooled by Megan’s lies, would see me as some scheming shrew who wouldn’t stop clinging to him, and claim I’d even drugged Megan to send her to some sleazy client.

In the end, Jackson would fire me from the company. I’d finally give up on him, and meet the deeply devoted second male lead.

Then Jackson would realize it was all Megan’s setup and that he truly loved me. Cue the long, dramatic chase.

The wildest part? He actually wins me back in the end. We confess our feelings and live happily ever after. Like, for real? Sure, that’s how the book goes. But come on.

Seriously? Out of all the men in the world, why would I ever pick Jackson Lowell?

Yeah, we grew up together—classic childhood friends. Our families were next-door neighbors in Maple Heights. As a romance lead, Jackson was stupidly handsome—those sly, wolfish eyes were trouble since grade school. I fell for that face at first sight and started trailing after him in middle school. Anyone with eyes could tell I liked him.

Later, his family’s business took off and they moved to Chicago. I followed him, even got into a school there.

Three years ago, he had a falling out with his family and went out on his own. When I heard, I quit my cushy job at a tech firm without a second thought. Threw in both money and sweat to help him build what became Lowell & Co. Yeah, I was that girl.

Last week, we were out entertaining clients together. Jackson kept covering for me, got wasted, so I took him home.

As I was about to leave, he grabbed my hand, his eyes glazed from the whiskey. “Harp, don’t go…”

Then he pulled me into his arms and whispered in my ear, “All these years, I’m so glad you’ve stuck by me. Stay tonight. Please.”

I’ll admit, I was tipsy too. With the guy I liked acting like that, there was no way I could keep my cool. Not a chance.

The next morning, every muscle in my body ached in ways I hadn’t felt in years. I woke to find Jackson looking at me with dark, unreadable eyes. “Harper, I don’t want this to mess up our friendship. Let’s keep it friendly—just colleagues.”

Normally, I would’ve slapped him. But that day, instead of anger, there was this weird, hollow ache that settled inside me. Like I’d lost something I never really had.

I tried to reassure myself—maybe it was all too sudden, he just couldn’t flip the switch that fast. It takes time to go from friends to lovers. Since we slept together, it had to mean something, right? Or so I told myself. Ha.

Looking back, I was just letting the damn plot string me along. Out of my mind.