Chapter 75 I Wish I'd Never Met You

Chapter 75 I Wish I'd Never Met You
The metal door buzzes loudly as the guard lets me through. I give him a polite nod and smile before stepping forward.
Truthfully, I haven't been sleeping well since Jay's betrayal. Beverly suggested I come see him. She said maybe it'd help me find some kind of closure.
So, here I am.
It's been a few days since Lawrence came over, and thankfully, my period is finally over.

The visitation room is cold and nearly empty. Jay is already sitting at the table, dressed in an orange jumpsuit that's a size too big. He leans forward as much as the cuffs would allow, when he sees me.
Something hopeful passes across his face.
His trial was four days ago, but I didn't attend it.
I couldn't.
I was there—though not physically— for the meetings with the lawyers prior to the trial, when they dissected our friendship, reducing it to evidence and exhibits.
Lawrence let me join via Zoom.
But I did not bother to attend the main event itself.

The judge sentenced him to three years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to criminal trespass, unlawful access to private surveillance footage, and the illegal distribution of confidential images.
Lawrence could've buried him under civil lawsuits too, but he didn't.
A part of me suspects I'm the reason he chose not to push through with that agenda. Because he knew I still cared for him despite how fucked up his actions were.

Jay will spend three years behind bars.
Some people would probably say he got off lightly. Others would call it harsh.
I honestly don't know what to think anymore.
All I know is that no sentence, no matter how long, could heal the part of my heart that got hurt by him.
Jay's voice is quiet as I lower myself into the chair opposite him.
“You came to see me.”
I keep my hands in my lap. “Yes.”

He studies my face momentarily. "I thought I'd see you in court,” he says eventually. "But you never came."
I don't reply, staring at him.
I once shared lunch breaks with this man.
He made me laugh on stressful days, and I trusted him enough to call my friend.
Most days, I still struggle to wrap my head around what he did.
Jay lets out a weary sigh as if he'd read my mind. "Scarlett, I was trying to protect you."
His jaw tightens. "You have to believe me.
I shake my head pitifully. "When are you going to get out of your own head, Jay?" I ask.

My voice isn't loud despite the frustration I'm feeling.
It doesn't need to be.
"How could you think you were protecting me?"
I fold my arms across my chest, trying to contain the anger steadily building inside me. "You leaked private photographs of us to the entire world. You subjected me to weeks of scrutiny."
He doesn't look at me as I talk.
"My family was dragged into it." I jab my chest with a finger.

"You tried to destroy my life because you couldn't accept that I chose him."
Jay doesn't answer immediately.
Instead, he relaxes in his chair, watching me like I'm the one refusing to see reason.
Finally, he exhales through his nose.
"I never wanted to destroy your life," he says calmly. "I simply wanted you to learn."
A dry laugh escapes me.
"Do you even hear yourself?" I ask. "Do you have any idea how fucked up that sounds?"
"Not nearly as fucked up as what your boyfriend's been doing."

The hatred in his voice makes me cringe.
Jay's mouth twists into a sneer, and he shakes his head. "I underestimated how deep he got into your head."
He continues talking without looking at me. “I should've suspected there was something between you two earlier and acted before you fell too deeply for him.”
My arms leave my chest, curling into fists beneath the table. “That won't have changed a damn thing,” I reply confidently.

Jay watches me, quiet for a moment, before speaking again. “Did he ever tell you he arranged for me to be beaten?"
I stiffen.
The look on my face must answer for me because Jay lets out a dry chuckle.
"I'll take that as a no."
A strange feeling settles in my stomach.
"What are you talking about?"
"While I was in jail awaiting trial, I was taken out in the middle of the night."
He explains.

"Billionaires have ways of making things happen, don't they?”
His smile is humourless.
"I was blindfolded. My hands were tied.” He continues. “They drove me to some abandoned warehouse."
His eyes lock onto mine. "And then Lawrence beat the living shit out of me."
My heart skips a beat.
Jay points to the faint scar running across his cheekbone. "He gave me this."
His finger drops.
"When he was done, I was dumped right back in my cell."

Another humorless laugh leaves his mouth. “No one asked questions; even the doctor wouldn't fucking see me."
Jay's eyes grow hard with anger. “I nursed myself back to health. I limped for days; I was in pain for days, Scar.”
I don't say anything to offer him comfort because a part of me doesn't even feel sorry for him.
Lawrence is capable of calculated revenge; I know that for a fact.
But violence?
I'd never seen that side of him.

Jay watches my expression.
"Your boyfriend is dangerous, Scarlett." He says emphatically.
I lift my eyes to his.
"Maybe you deserved it."
His eyebrows rise.
"You hurt me." I continue. “And Lawrence is very protective of me."
I refuse to look away.
"So no..."
I shake my head.
"I can't say I blame him."

Jay scoffs in disbelief, placing his cuffed arms on the table. "So now you're defending him."
I meet his gaze without blinking. "I'm simply refusing to accept that you're the victim here.”
For the first time since I walked into this room, Jay is dumbstruck.
I push my chair back and rise to my feet.
"You know," I say quietly, "I came here because I thought this would prove something to me."
I smooth my palms over my blouse.
"I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe a genuine apology, or some sign that you regretted what you did."
My scoff is cold.
"I was losing sleep over this, Jay."

His expression wavers.
"I kept thinking there had to be another explanation. That maybe the friend I knew was still in there somewhere."
I shake my head slowly.
"But now it's all fucking clear just how horrible you are."
I look down at him. "You keep talking about Lawrence being obsessed, but at least he never pretended to be something he wasn't."
I hold his gaze. "You did. And all the while, you were becoming the kind of man I'd never willingly let into my life.”

My eyes burn with tears.
"I wish I'd never met you."
Saying it hurts more than I expected, because once upon a time, I liked Jay.
I trusted him.
A part of me even thought he'd always be in my life in some small, harmless way. But that version of him is gone.
Jay's face has gone pale. “Scarlett..."
"Goodbye, Jay." I cut in. “This is the last time you'll ever see or hear from me."

I swallow hard. “And for what it's worth…”
I meet his eyes one final time. "I hope prison treats you exactly the way you treated me."
"Scarlett, wait…"
He lurches halfway out of his chair, but the security guard immediately steps forward, a firm hand on his shoulder.
“Sit down," he orders.
Jay obeys immediately, but panic is written all over his face.
"Scarlett..."

He calls after me again, his voice cracking this time.
"...Scarlett, please."
I'm already walking through the door, and out of his life, permanently.