Seven Years of Love, One Cruel Punchline

I'd had a crippling fear of heights for as long as I could remember. Even standing on a second-floor balcony was enough to make my knees buckle and the world spin.

For the past six months, my fiancé, Julian Reed, had been putting me through what he called exposure therapy.

He insisted that the only way to overcome my fear was to face it head-on.

No therapist. No safety plan. No gradual steps at my own pace.

Just Julian deciding how far was far enough.

It started with a ten-foot platform. He left me stranded up there with nothing but a narrow ladder to climb down.

I'd clung to the railing until my hands cramped, crying so hard I could barely breathe.

Meanwhile, Julian watched from a security feed, recording every second of my breakdown.

Then came cliff swings and glass skywalks.

Every time I froze, screamed, or dropped to my knees, Julian sighed as if I'd disappointed him.

"Harper, our future home has floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Hudson. If you can't handle a little height, how are we supposed to get married?"

I'd believed him.

I'd loved Julian for seven years. I trusted him with the parts of myself I was most ashamed of, never imagining he'd turn them into entertainment.

That night, he drove me to an abandoned observation tower on the outskirts of the city.

The place had been closed for years. The glass platform at the top was weathered, and several sections of the railing looked dangerously loose.

"Trust me," Julian said as he tied a blindfold over my eyes. "I've got a surprise for you."

I let him lead me up the stairs.

Then, without warning, he released my hand.

"Julian?"

No answer.

I heard footsteps retreating, followed by a door slamming somewhere behind me.

My stomach dropped.

I tore off the blindfold.

A hundred feet of empty air stretched beneath the glass.

The city lights blurred. My vision tilted violently, and my legs gave out. I collapsed against the platform, unable to stop shaking.

Then I realized what had happened.

I'd lost control of my bladder.

Warmth spread down my legs, soaking through my jeans. I couldn't even bring myself to look at the dark patch spreading across the fabric.

I curled into myself, trying to breathe while the wind tore through my clothes.

Something glinted beside my hand.

Julian's Bluetooth earpiece.

He must have dropped it on his way out.

I picked it up with trembling fingers. The connection was still live.

Then I heard laughter.

"Oh my God, did you get it? Did you get her face when she realized how high up she was?"

It was Ava, my best friend.

"I got everything," she said between laughs. "Her jeans are completely soaked. She's on the ground crying like a dog. Chloe is going to lose it when she sees this."

Then my brother Mason joined in.

"Julian, man, I have to give you credit. You actually figured out how to make Harper's panic attacks entertaining. Chloe's been doing so much better lately. This is exactly what she needs."

Julian chuckled.

"Well, if Harper hadn't ruined Chloe's life, Chloe wouldn't have ended up with depression in the first place. A little embarrassment is the least Harper can do to make up for it."

The wind hit me hard enough to make my teeth chatter.

For six months, I'd endured every humiliating exercise because I'd believed Julian wanted to help me.

Every terrified scream. Every tear. Every time I'd begged him to stop.

It had all been a performance.

A private comedy show staged for Chloe's entertainment.

And I was the only one who hadn't known I was the punchline.

Thirty minutes later, a security guard finally helped me down from the tower.

My jeans clung to my skin. I couldn't stop shivering.

Ava pinched her nose and doubled over laughing.

"Jesus, Harper. You smell awful."

Julian looked me up and down with open disgust before tossing a change of clothes at me.

"Go clean yourself up. You're making me sick."

The area around the tower was deserted, with nowhere to hide from the wind.

"Julian," I whispered, "can I change in your car?"

His expression hardened.

"I just had the interior redone. You want me to drive around smelling like piss?"

He pointed toward a dilapidated ticket booth near the entrance.

"Change in there. Hurry up. Chloe's waiting for us."

I dragged my numb legs toward the booth.

Inside, I stripped off my wet clothes, fighting back tears as I changed.

I'd barely pulled on my underwear when a shadow lunged out behind me.

A large hand clamped over my mouth. Someone grabbed me and dragged me into the darker end of the booth.

Panic seized me.

I kicked at the metal wall, hoping the noise would alert Julian and Ava. I fought to break free, but my attacker only tightened his grip.

Nobody came.

My knees scraped against the rough concrete as I was hauled farther into the shadows.

Then the man finally pulled off his hood.

Mason.

My own brother.

Ava appeared behind him, already holding up her phone on a video call.

"Chloe, look at this!" she said, pointing the camera at me. "Harper was harder to hold down than a greased pig."

Chloe's laughter burst through the speaker.

"Oh my God! I wish I'd recorded it myself. I could watch her make that stupid face all day."

Mason leaned toward the phone, his expression softening into the kind of smile he'd never given me that night.

"Don't worry, Chloe. Julian and I put together a whole collection of videos for you. You'll have plenty to laugh at."

Something inside me snapped.

I lunged forward, snatched Ava's phone, and smashed it against the concrete.

The screen shattered.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ava screamed.

Julian strode into the booth, his face dark with anger.

"It was a joke, Harper. Do you really have to make everything about yourself?"

I stared at the three people who had just humiliated me.

"Was it a joke? Or did you deliberately put me through hell so Chloe could laugh at me? You tell me."

Julian froze.

For the first time that night, he looked genuinely startled.

"You heard us?"

I opened my palm.

His earpiece blinked faintly against my skin.

"Why?" My voice shook. "Why would you use my worst fear to entertain her?"

Julian's expression went cold.

"Because you drove Chloe into depression. She can't even go out in public without worrying people will recognize her. We're helping you make up for what you did."

"I didn't do anything to her!" I shouted. "She stole my work! She was the one who plagiarized me!"

The slap came so suddenly I barely saw Mason move.

My head snapped to the side. For a moment, all I could hear was a high-pitched ringing in my ears.

Mason glared at me, disappointment written across his face.

"Harper, when did you become such a heartless bitch?"