Jaded

Exposed

In a great stroke of terrible luck, the entire villa seemed to have congregated at the firepit, enjoying the warm evening with some cool drinks and seemingly lighthearted conversation.

So as Gabi stormed down toward them, they all took notice.

"Gabi, don't," he pleaded, catching up with her. "Let's talk about this first!"

"I'm done talking, Suresh," she seethed. "It's time Jade knew what was going on."

Jade's eyes widened at the sound of her name, turning toward the two of them as they approached the firepit.

"Jade, I've got something to tell you, and everyone needs to hear it."

"Gabi, please, stop this, feelings are going to get hurt, and–"

She turned on him, her finger poking his chest. "You should've thought about that before you lied right to my face. Feelings are already hurt, Suresh. What's one more person?"

The expression on Jade's face was one he'd never seen before, and it suddenly ground him to a halt.

Disappointment. Fear. Defeat.

"What is it, Gabi?" Jade asked, her voice quiet and resolute. "What do you want to tell me?"

"The truth," Gabi sneered, "is that I was never the other woman. You were."

The islanders all gasped, but Jade's face remained stoic, waiting for her to continue.

"Suresh only had eyes for me the whole time we were together. I am tired of being made out to be some dirty little secret, when I know that I was the one that Suresh actually loved."

"Gabi, please, just drop it," he pleaded, panic and alarm bells ringing in his head.

"What's wrong, Suresh? Don't like people outing all your selfish actions?" Gabi seethed.

"Will you just let me explain, before you–?"

"No," Gabi spat. "You and Jade were never as serious as you and I were. Because I'm the one you bought a fucking engagement ring for."

The gasp that went around the firepit was unlike one he'd ever heard.

And then it started.

"I thought your lies couldn't get any worse, Suresh," Alfie frowned, shaking his head.

Finn nodded in agreement. "You were planning to marry Gabi while you were stringing Jade along?"

"Jesus," Kat agreed. "You're a real piece of work, Suresh."

"Jade... are you okay?" Dana asked.

He looked over at her, and noticed her rapidly paling, almost as if she was going to faint.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fucking super," she said, her voice cracking.

She got to her feet, and pushed past him, without so much as a glance in his direction. The panic rose in his throat, the band tightening around his chest, as a voice fell out of him so loudly he knew it could only come from sheer desperation.

"Jade, STOP."

She froze, turning back to face him, as he turned to Gabi.

"Tell everyone what the fucking ring looked like. In detail."

Gabi smirked.

"It was gorgeous. It was this giant, oval-cut emerald. It was so green, and it had these two pear-shaped diamonds, one on either side. It was stunning, and–"