Ended My Six-Year Relationship with a Cheater

Chapter 9

"Get lost! This has nothing to do with you!" Landon yelled, his face twisted with rage. In a flash, he swung a punch at Eugene, the impact ringing out with a sickening thud.

Eugene staggered back, blood spilling from his lips, his eyes wide with disbelief.

In that moment, everything inside me snapped. I shoved past Eugene, leaping forward to slap Landon hard across the face. "Get out of my way! He's my boyfriend now, and you have no right to touch him!"

The crowd erupted into deafening applause, the energy crackling through the air like an electric shock.

Landon stood there frozen, his face blank as the light in his eyes slowly faded.

Brittany rushed to his side, positioning herself protectively in front of him. Tears sparkled in her eyes as she turned to me. "Olive, what's wrong with you? How could you hit Landon? After everything he's done for you, all these years, you've only been able to shine because of him! Without Landon lifting you up, you're nothing!"

Her words hit me like a slap, but instead of making me falter, it sparked a painful memory I'd tried to bury. It was last year, our fifth anniversary. I had arrived at Landon's office with a carefully chosen gift, excited to celebrate. But when I reached the entrance, I saw Brittany. She was draping the necklace Landon had bought for me around her neck, looking over her shoulder with a playful glint in her eyes.

"Does it look good on me, Landon?" she cooed, her voice dripping with sweetness.

Landon smiled at her, affection gleaming in his eyes. It made my stomach churn.

Brittany turned on the charm again, feigning jealousy. "I really envy Olive for landing such a handsome, rich guy. I mean, she's got such a temper, but you spoil her anyway. If I ever had a boyfriend who treated me like that, I swear I wouldn't say a bad word about him."

Landon frowned, lost in thought. After a long pause, he sighed and pushed the necklace box toward Brittany. "Alright, if you envy her so much, I'll spoil you too."

That moment replayed in my mind like a nightmare, deepening my frustration. I shook my head, trying to push it away, before turning back to Brittany. In two swift steps, I grabbed the cotton candy from her hand and smeared it across her shocked face. The sugary goo stuck in her hair as her eyes went wide with surprise.

Without hesitating, I shoved her down, pressing her face into the rough ground, where sharp pebbles dug into her skin. She struggled beneath me, her face quickly stained with blood.

"Landon, help!" she screamed, her voice a desperate wail. "Olive's lost her mind! She's crazy!"

Eugene rushed over, trying to pull me back. "Oli, stop! Please, let's just calm down."

But Landon shoved Eugene aside, his voice cold and furious. "Get away from her! Don't touch her!"

The sudden force sent me stumbling forward, my palms crashing into the gravel. Sharp stones sliced into my skin, but I hardly felt it as I quickly got back on my feet, my eyes locked on Landon. I slapped him hard across the cheek, my hand like a whip, unforgiving and full of rage.

"Isn't this rich?" I spat. "When I cared about you, you pushed me away, tossed my love aside like it meant nothing. Now that I've moved on and want to live my own life, you show up here to make me sick. Who do you think you are?"

I leaned in closer, my voice growing louder with each word. "Do you even remember the things you called me? Small-minded, arrogant, a troublemaker, a shrew. Maybe you should remind yourself of that before you come back begging."

I stared into his eyes, seeing the shock in them. "Let me make something clear. 'Forgiveness' is a joke when it comes to you."

I was drained, emotionally spent. As I turned to leave, Eugene gently took my hand, his face etched with concern. "You idiot! What were you thinking? You're hurting yourself just as much as him!"

I smiled at him, my heart lighter than it had been in years. "But it felt so good."

The weight that had been dragging me down for so long seemed to lift. Eugene chuckled, reaching out to affectionately scratch my nose. "Let's go. He's not worth it."

As we walked away, I heard Landon crawling toward me on his knees, desperate. "Oli, I didn't mean it. I've been a fool, I, "

I cut him off, my voice steady and laced with disgust. "You didn't hesitate to belittle me when you thought I'd always be there. You thought you could treat me like dirt and I'd just accept it."

His eyes widened as our gazes locked. Without another word, he let go of my pant leg, as if burned by the very touch of it.