Unlikely (H.S.)

thirty-three

***earlier***

~Tripp~

I stormed back to my desk, pissed off and seething. I didn't care what my boss had to say. He could chew me out all he wanted, but it wasn't my fault that he was an idiot. He had no clue how to manage anything, and frankly, I was sick of doing his job for him. But of course, I'm the one who gets reprimanded when shit goes sideways. Typical.

I slouched into my chair, fingers stiff on the keyboard. My phone buzzed, and I glanced at the screen—nothing important, just a few emails and a reminder about some stupid meeting later. I groaned. Work was the last thing I wanted to think about right now.

But then, as I swiped through my notifications, something caught my eye. A notification from iCloud.

My stomach twisted. Harper's iCloud.

I didn't expect anything, not really. But there it was. An alert for a new video. And it wasn't just any video—it was of that fucker Harry Styles.

My heart skipped a beat. I'd been so caught up in work, so consumed by the mess with my boss, that I hadn't even thought about her and that little pussy. But now, this?

What the hell was this about?

I clicked the notification, ignoring the little voice in my head telling me this was a bad idea. 

I do still love her, will this make it unfixable?

The thumbnail loaded, and I felt a sick sort of anticipation as I saw her name on the screen. 

Harper's new video.

Fuck it.

I didn't know what I expected, but it sure as hell wasn't this.

The video started, and there was Harper. Her voice, light and teasing as she filmed herself. She was talking about... him. About Harry Styles.

I sat back in my chair, my stomach tightening with a mix of confusion and anger.

What the fuck is this?

Why the hell is she filming him?

Is this some weird fucking homemade porno?

She was laughing, like they were in some private moment together, talking about him flipping pancakes like it was the most normal thing in the world. Like they were buddies. She even made a little commentary about how "cute" he was in the kitchen, doing something as mundane as making pancakes.

I could feel the blood rushing to my head, my pulse quickening.

Is this some kind of joke?

Is she trying to make me jealous?

I hated the thought of it, but I couldn't look away. The video felt like a slap in the face, like she was flaunting this moment she shared with Harry Styles in front of me. She was filming him like some fan-girl, and yet, she didn't even think twice about posting it.

As the video went on, it became clear that it wasn't just an accidental shot. This was deliberate. She was enjoying this. The way she was narrating it, the way she was so comfortable—too comfortable—around him.

My mind started spinning.

This is it.

This was what she had been chasing all along.

Just wants to be fucking famous.

I wasn't stupid. I knew she wasn't just some innocent bystander in all this. She knew exactly what she was doing. She was chasing fame, just like the others. Just like I always thought. I told her little hobby would bite her in the ass one day. 

Fucking whore.

I shut the video off, my chest tightening with every passing second. But something in me snapped. I wasn't going to sit around and let this happen. I wasn't going to be some pawn in her game.

I gotta to do something.

I didn't have time to think it through. Without even realizing it, my fingers were typing, clicking through different websites, checking for who would buy this kind of footage. I knew what it was worth.

Exclusive Harry Styles footage? 

Yeah, that was money. 

BIG money.

I started searching for websites that would buy celebrity videos. It didn't take long before I found a few that would pay top dollar for this kind of thing. If I played it right, I could make a small fortune from this video.

And Harper?

She won't even know what hit her.

I dug deeper, clicking through different links, trying to get a feel for what kind of payout I could get. The dollar signs flashed in my head, and the anger only seemed to grow.

She was a fool. She had no idea what she had just handed me. She thought she was in control, thought she could be with Harry Styles and walk away from me without a second thought. But I'd show her. I'd make this my win, not hers.

This bitch doesn't realize how stupid she is...

But I do.

She was once worth it, but not anymore.

I sat there, making my plan, knowing exactly what I was going to do next. I had no intention of letting this pass. If she wanted to play games, then so be it. But I'd make sure I came out on top.

She'll see.

She'll get what she deserves.

No one dumps me and gets away with it.

At least now we'll be even.