Winning the Heir Who Bullied Me Chapter 65

For a brief second, I forget that my name is April Farrah. I glance around, looking for the girl Nathan just eliminated.

Then, my gaze lands on Eliza, and I catch the tears glistening in her eyes as she bites her wobbling lip. Something thuds in my stomach.

*I’m eliminating April Farrah.*

My head snaps back to the stage, my eyes wide. Nathan is already stepping back, his head bowed.

What the *fuck?*

Something lodges in my throat, and it feels like the only way to dislodge it is to scream. And scream. And scream.

But I can’t do anything. I can’t move—or squeeze June’s hand back when my little sister tries to offer me a semblance of comfort.

My brain is lagging, and information is not quite processing right.

*I’m eliminating April Farrah.*

Are those words even English?

Easton returns to the center stage and says curtly, “Rachel Timmons, Gracie Storm, and April Farrah”—why the hell is my name there?—“you have this evening to say your goodbyes and pack your things. Vehicles will arrive tomorrow morning to take you back to your residences. That is all; enjoy your dinner.”

The girls around explode into a flurry of movement, consoling Gracie and Rachel. This time, at least, Valerie pretends to care about her eliminated minion, even though I can bet my right hand that she’s the one who told Gracie to push Eliza.

“Oh, April,” Eliza says softly, a tear sliding down her cheek as she hugs me. For the first time since we’d been calling each other sister-wives, the idea actually felt tangible, but now that’s history.

I don’t hug her back. I’m still frozen, staring over her shoulder at the brothers on stage—at Nathan.

As Easton walks off, Peter turns to Nathan and smacks his arm, whispering something to him furiously.

Lucas pays them no attention and descends the stairs, disappearing through the door closest to the stage.

I stare at Nathan, who barely pays Peter any mind, his head still bowed. I’m trying to figure out *what the fuck* just happened.

How can he eliminate me after last night? After this morning?

*You’re the only one I want to marry.*

He said that to me less than twelve hours ago, and now…*this?*

“April,” Eliza says softly as she pulls away. “Do you want to get dinner?”

I blink. Food? How am I supposed to eat when it feels like someone took a blender to my internal organs?

I glance down at June, who still has a hand in mine. Her face is contorted in confusion, and I wonder if she feels as hurt as I do. She loves it here, and she loves Nathan. He’s betrayed both of us.

“Yeah, dinner.” I squeeze June’s hand and force a smile I definitely don’t feel. “Come on, Summer. Let’s stuff our faces with all the goodies one last time, yeah?”

Her lower lip wobbles, but she returns my smile. “Yeah, okay.”

As we walk out of the ballroom, I turn around one last time. Nathan’s head is up, and our eyes meet. Something shudders in my chest at the look in them—blank, unrecognizing. Like that first day on the terrace.

He says he fell for me at that moment, so maybe I shouldn’t read into the look. But I can’t help feeling like just as it was what welcomed me, it’s what’s bidding me goodbye.

***

Jessica and Lucy are waiting for us in the room after dinner.

“Miss April!” Lucy gasps and pulls me into a hug before I’ve even stepped across the threshold into my room.

The emotions I held throughout dinner threaten to burst as I wrap my arms around the maid. The fact that she didn’t want to be assigned to me when we first came, and now she’s sobbing softly against my shoulder at the knowledge of my impending departure makes me realize just how much of an impact I’ve had on this place—and that it has had on me.

Jessica is more conformed, but I can see the emotions brewing in her eyes.

Lucy pulls back and sniffs again. “I’m so sorry, Miss, I—”

I shake my head. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

“You’re more qualified to be a bride than any of those other girls,” Jessica says adamantly.

“Hey, I think I’m pretty qualified, too,” Eliza says softly from behind me, trying to lighten the mood.

Jessica blushes. “Of course, Miss. You, too, are an angel.”

Eliza waves her away. “I’m blushing.”

I laugh lightly, entering the room fully.

I look around the room at the three new friends I’ve made in this competition, and emotion threatens to choke me.

I know I hated it here for the first couple of days, and I wanted to leave countless times. Now that it’s a reality, I want to tie myself to a fixture and scream at anyone who tries to pull me away.

I take a deep breath. “Do you mind helping us pack?” I ask Jessica and Lucy.

A tear slides down Lucy’s face. “Of course,” Jessica answers.

I nod and turn to Eliza and June. “Think you guys can keep each other company? I need some fresh air.”

Eliza nods and wraps her arm around June. “Do what you have to do.”

I give her a grateful smile before leaving the room.

My steps are stiff as I walk through the house. The few girls I encounter shoot me sympathetic glances that I try my best to ignore. Only Jamie and Bea express any sadness at my elimination. I don’t know if they’re genuine, and I’m glad I at least no longer have to spend my days analyzing every interaction I have.

I leave the house and inhale the cool, fresh air as a slight breeze rolls over my skin.

I walk the familiar path to the garden pavilion, where June, Eliza, and I spent most of our free time.

Although the moon isn’t out, the twinkling lights strung all around make the space look ethereal. I sit in the same spot I was sitting when I met Eliza.

As that memory flits through my mind, a couple more follow it: the first day we were presented to the public, finding out that many of the common people rooted for me; the awe of living in a castle-like home for weeks; the surreal magic of designing my dress, the chaos of having it ruined, and then the wonder of fixing it; and the ball—dancing with Nathan and having Lily Ellington take an interest in me.

Will Lily even want to work with me now that the Ashfords have rejected me?

A tear drops onto the back of my palm folded on the tabletop. At the sight of that one tear, the emotions bubble over, and a dam breaks open.

I slap a hand over my mouth to muffle the gut-wrenching sobs coming out of me as tears spill down my eyes like rain.

My chest twists as I sob, alone in the pavilion where no one can see me and offer me useless words of comfort.

Because I don’t think I can ever be comforted.

It felt like all my dreams were coming true—the boy I loved since I was sixteen *finally* returned my feelings. He kissed me, held me in his arms, and declared he wanted to marry me.

Then he turned around and betrayed me.

I hear a branch snap and jump, snapping my head towards the sound. My chest tightens to the point of pain when I see who steps out into the light, almost as if he’s being conjured by my thoughts.

Nathan *fucking* Ashford.