We Ended Up Together Read online

  Table of Contents

  We Ended Up Together

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  We Ended Up Together

  Copyright © 2015 Veronica Makers

  All rights reserved

  Cover Photo credit: http://tinyurl.com/n2zfo3p

  Chapter 1

  Chloe opened her eyes to the bright daylight that was streaming through the curtains of her bedroom window. She just lay there for a moment with her eyes closed, listening to the only sounds in the room: her slow breaths and her steady heartbeat. Chloe sighed irritably before rolling over to look at the clock beside her bed. It was already 10:34am.

  Chloe shifted her gaze to look at the framed picture on her nightstand. It was of her and James on their wedding day two years ago. Chloe looked radiant in her elegant wedding gown and flowing vale. In the photo she stood beside her new husband, smiling into the camera. It was probably the last day she had felt happy in her marriage to James.

  Being married to James was not what Chloe had expected. All of her friends had explained how much fun it was to never have to work a day of their lives. They had made her think that a life living off her husband's money would be incredible. She had been infatuated with the idea that she would be able to shop all day and spend time with her friends, basically do whatever she pleased.

  But living with only the purpose of being a trophy wife was not fun.

  In the beginning of her marriage, she had enjoyed doing nothing all day. But the excitement of being carefree had worn off quickly and soon Chloe realized how miserable she was. Now her life was like an endless cycle of regrets. Each new morning never actually felt new.

  The worst part was that Chloe didn't feel loved. James was always at work; her husband spent more time with patients than he did with her. It was understandable that Chloe felt like her marriage was terrible. She didn't feel like she had a husband at all.

  Chloe slowly sat up, letting the covers slide off of her. She turned to sit on the edge of the bed before easing herself onto the cool wood floor. Chloe walked over to a chair where her robe lay. As she continued walking into her living room, she wrapped the robe around her.

  The apartment was silent. It wasn't a surprise that James was already at work.

  Chloe thought about her grand apartment. It had crown moulding, elegant wainscoting, and expensive furniture. Chloe had never felt at home in this place. She felt like she was trapped in a cage, similar to how she felt being married to James. But this was the life she had been raised in; she had no idea how to live any differently.

  Chloe had learned to deal with the fact that her days would only ever revolve around the image she had to keep up. The perfect home, with the perfect marriage and the perfect life was all an act. On the outside James and Chloe looked like the ideal couple, but on the inside Chloe felt like she was underappreciated.

  Chloe's relationship with James was barely a marriage. They only talked as much as they had to; there was no love, no passion, and no excitement. James saw her as another item in his house. He let her do whatever she wanted so she would stay with him to keep up their image.

  Chloe knew she couldn't leave James, no matter how unhappy she was. Her parents had set her up in this lifestyle in order to keep up their own pretentious image. Chloe hated having everything decided for her, but she had spent her whole life that way.

  Chloe often wondered why she didn't love living like this. She had plenty of money and no work. If all of her friends loved it and her family encouraged it, then why did she feel this way?

  Chloe walked through the hallway into the living room. She caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror and stopped. The face that stared back at her was a shocking sight, much different from the picture on her bedside table.

  Chloe had circles under her eyes and her hair stuck up in all directions. But worst of all was her expression. Her once bright eyes now had no life in them, no sparkle, only depression. Chloe couldn't stand to look at herself any longer. She walked into the living room and sat down exasperatedly on her white couch.

  She soon spotted her cell phone sitting on the coffee table. When she picked it up to give her friend Becca a call, she noticed a new message. Chloe didn't recognize the sender, but decided there was no harm in reading it.

  I don't know what's going on. Kathy has been spending a lot of time at the gym and she's really distant at home. I just don't understand.

  Chloe hesitated for a moment and stared at the screen, her fingers hovering over the buttons. She had no idea who this person was, but she felt the need to reply. So she texted the person back.

  You sent your message to the wrong person. And if you want my advice I think this Kathy isn't the one for you, if she's treating you like that. Trust me I'm in a terrible relationship I wish I had had the guts to get out of a long time ago.

  Chloe didn't know why she disclosed so much information to this person, but she hit send anyways. She continued on with her regular routine and called Becca. They planned to meet for lunch and then go shopping together, as usual.

  Chloe had a bounce to her step as she walked back into her bedroom to get dressed. She had been courageous and lived on the edge, for once. She had finally done something for herself, and it felt good.

  The day went by quickly. Soon Chloe was home again. Suddenly another text message made her phone vibrate in her Louis Vuitton purse. She pulled it out and looked at the screen. She recognized that it was the unknown number again. This time the message read:

  I'm so sorry about the confusion and thanks for the advice. As for you, I think if you're unhappy you should end your relationship too.

  Chloe smiled. She made a snap decision to reply again. She said:

  It's not that simple.

  Weeks went by. Chloe had been talking to this person over texts for the whole time. She felt like chatting with this person broke up the predictability of her day-to-day life. Every time she got a new text, she felt a little more cheered up and her day was brighter.

  This excitement was just what Chloe needed. She was beginning to find life less of a drag because there was a new message to look forward to every day.

  Eventually she and her new-found-friend exchanged emails. It felt like having a pen pal, and Chloe enjoyed emailing back and forth. They had soon become good friends, and she didn't even know the person's name, all she knew was that he was a man.

  She felt like she finally had someone to share her thoughts with. Even though Chloe had plenty of friends, none were like this one. Chloe knew this person was there to listen and not judge, unlike her other friends.

  Chloe discovered that this was what she needed all this time. She finally had an outlet for her problems. She was beginning to feel a little less alone.

  The two of them gave each other advice; it just so happened that her new friend also needed someone to talk to. Chloe didn't know how, but she could tell this person was kind and trustworthy. She felt comfortable talking to him about James.

  At first Chloe considered how dangerous it was to be talking to a complete stranger, but she didn't want to stop and she couldn't stop. This person was saving her from the downward spiral her life as James’ wife had turned into. Her conversations with this person were comforting; finally somebody cared about her.

  Chloe got into the elevator and rode it to the penthouse suite. It was her friend Oliva's birthday party that night.

  Chloe was not looking forward to another party with h
er friends. For one thing she was alone again because, of course, James had to work. But also, Chloe couldn't stand having to spend the night making small talk with people that were so shallow. She knew all she'd be hearing all night was gossip and meaningless stories, which she dreaded pretending to have interest in listening to.

  Chloe had only stepped out of the elevator and she could already hear the music blaring from the other side of the door. She took a deep breath before she knocked. It soon opened and Oliva's husband shouted over the music for Chloe to come in.

  Chloe looked around the dimly lit room. It was packed with people drinking, dancing, laughing and talking. The apartment had giant windows that overlooked the city of New York, which was now glowing with nightlife. Chloe hugged and kissed anyone she knew as she made her way over to see Oliva.

  "Chloe!" Oliva shouted, when she spotted her friend.

  "Happy Birthday!" Chloe said, as she hugged Oliva. "Here's a present for you," Chloe said when they pulled out of the hug. Chloe held out a small gift bag.

  "Awe, Chloe. You shouldn't have!" Oliva exclaimed as she took the bag. "So where's James?"

  "He had to work," Chloe replied.

  "You know who else said their husband had to work? Haley. But I heard from Sofa that he's actually cheating on her!" Oliva gossiped. Chloe pretended to care by acting shocked. "Chloe, will you do a birthday toast for me when everyone's here?" Oliva asked.

  "Sure," Chloe replied. Oliva soon spotted another friend and ran to go hug her.

  Chloe decided she needed some air; lately parties, like this one, were beginning to feel too hot and overcrowded for her liking. She pushed through the crowd, once again, until she got to the door.

  A few floors below the party, Brad was leaving Kathy's apartment. Brad had been married to Kathy for about three years now and they had dated for four years before that. They had a son, Jake, who was now two.

  Brad and Kathy's marriage had just ended a few days previous.

  Brad looked around the apartment he had called home for years. All of the pictures of him and Kathy were gone, only the pictures of Jake remained.

  Brad took one last peek into Jake's bedroom before he left. It was dark but he could still see his son sleeping in his crib. Brad walked closer to Jake and just looked at him. It was going to be very hard to not see his son every day.

  "Daddy?" Jake called, sleepily. He stared up at his father with a concerned expression.

  "Shhh, it's okay. Go back to sleep," Brad said softly as he rubbed Jake's shoulder soothingly. Jake laid his head back down and was back asleep shortly. Brad couldn't stand to look at Jake any longer; it hurt to know how hard this was going to be on him, even if Jake was only two.

  As Brad turned the doorknob to exit the apartment he looked at his hand. His golden wedding band caught his eye. It reminded him of the discussion his now ex-wife and him had had a little while ago.

  Brad had finally had it with Kathy's withdrawn behavior. He decided he needed to confront her. Brad walked into the living room, where she was sitting on the couch, and stood in front of her. Brad’s presence caused Kathy to look up at him.

  "Kathy, can we talk?" Brad began, nervously.

  "Sure," Kathy replied, putting down the book she was reading.

  "Um, okay, so lately I've been feeling like you're acting really distant and strange around me. I-I guess it seems like you have no time for me anymore. You're always at the gym or doing other things. And when we are together we have nothing to talk about," Brad explained quickly. He paused as he sat beside her on the couch. "I've recently been told that if you're treating me like this and I'm not happy I should get out of this relationship before it's too late."

  "Brad the whole reason I've been so distant is because… there’s someone else," Kathy said carefully. Brad was speechless. He sat there staring straight ahead, frozen in shock. Brad took a deep breath as he absorbed this information. All this time and he didn't know. The room began to spin, Brad felt dizzy.

  Brad tried not to look at her. He cleared his throat before he continued, this time in a softer tone.

  "So, you-you're having an affair?" Brad asked. "Is this why you've been spending so much time away from me?"

  "Yes," Kathy said slowly. Brad felt like he was going to be sick.

  "It's Harry," Kathy replied, bracing herself for his reaction. Brad remembered hearing Kathy talk about her co-worker Harry a lot, now it all made sense.

  "If we're both unhappy in this marriage I-I think we should get a divorce. I mean it's our only option…" Brad explained as tears came to his eyes. He looked at the floor.

  "Brad I'm sorry. I should have told you sooner-" Kathy began, but she was interrupted by Brad.

  "Kathy, I'm just- I just have to go," Brad stammered, he felt hurt and angry. He quickly got up and walked out of their apartment with his head hung low in grief.

  Brad was glad he got out of the relationship when he did, he had just been so miserable. But, he also felt sad it had ended. All those years he had loved and cared for Kathy were for nothing.

  Brad just felt so stupid. Did he drive his wife to have an affair? Was he actually so awful to be married to that he had actually pushed Kathy over the edge?

  For the longest time he had felt like he and Kathy were growing apart, he just didn't want to admit it. Then he had reached out and talked to his best friends. They gave him advice but nothing seemed to help.

  Luckily, Brad happened to accidentally find a new friend to talk to about it; otherwise he wouldn't know what to do. That friend was the one that gave him the advice to get out of the marriage while he could.

  Brad had meant to text his friend Jason one day, but he unintentionally sent the message to the wrong person. They had only ever talked over text messages and email, but he was glad to have someone other than his friends and sister to talk to.

  Brad felt like he could trust this person. They were both going through bad marriages and they were both there for each other, to give advice and receive advice. She was in a loveless marriage as well, but was too afraid to get out of it.

  Before Brad walked out of Kathy's apartment, he took off his wedding band and placed it on a table.

  Brad didn't know what to do as he left, he felt so alone.

  Brad walked over to press the down button for the elevator. He waited a few moments before the elevator doors opened with a ding.

  Brad stepped into the elevator and noticed a young woman standing against the back wall. He couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, with her straight dark blonde hair and blue eyes. She looked like she was dressed up for a special occasion.

  Chloe looked up as a man entered the doors of the elevator. His demeanor seemed to give off a troubled vibe. He had dark brown hair, which was messily styled with gel and he was wearing everyday clothes.

  Brad pressed the button for the ground floor. Then he turned and leaned against the wall, a few feet away from her. He observed her again. In that instant, she just happened to steal a look at him. They locked gazes for a moment and Brad noticed her eyes held a shockingly sad expression. It made him sad to look at her.

  Chloe couldn't help but stare at the man. His soft brown eyes focused on hers and she felt like she couldn't look away.

  There was an energy that passed between them. Chloe felt drawn to this man. Brad felt like he knew her from somewhere, he had definitely seen those eyes before.

  Suddenly the elevator came to a jolting stop. They both grabbed the horizontal bars, on the elevator walls, to gain their balance. They looked at each other once more, shock and fright was now clearly in their body language. The lights flickered and they immediately knew something was wrong. The doors did not open.

  They were trapped in the elevator.

  Chapter 2

  Brad and Chloe stood in place for a moment, frozen with fear. Brad walked the few steps across the elevator to press the button to open the doors. Nothing happened. He then pressed the button for another floor but the e
levator did not move.

  Brad held the button for the elevator's emergency phone. Again nothing happened. Brad took his finger off the button and ran his hands through his hair in frustration. He let out an agitated sigh.

  Chloe was still frozen in place, just watching the man try and help their situation. Her breathing sped up and her heart began to pound faster in her chest. They definitely weren't getting out anytime soon.

  Brad turned around to face Chloe. She stood against the back wall of the elevator with her arms wrapped around herself. She looked utterly terrified as she now stared at the floor. Chloe eventually met his gaze.

  "What do we do?" Brad asked, his voice filled with fear. Chloe looked into his eyes, he looked panicked. They both were scared.

  "I think I have my cell phone," Chloe said, almost inaudibly. Brad watched her with fear still written across his face. Chloe went digging through her purse. Her hand felt what she was looking for. She pulled the phone out and opened it. The screen read: No service.

  "Crap!" Chloe cursed. She began to hold the phone up, trying to find a signal. "I don't have any service in this stupid elevator. Do you have a phone?"

  Brad began patting his pockets, but he soon realized he hadn't grabbed his phone when he left his apartment that morning.

  "I must have left it at home," Brad said, mentally kicking himself. "Maybe we should yell for help. Someone in the building might hear us."

  Chloe nodded as she put her phone back in her purse. She put her bag on the floor and then they both walked over to the metal doors of the elevator. They shouted as loud as they could and banged on the sliding doors with their fists, hoping someone would hear them.

  After quite a while Chloe gave up. She couldn't yell anymore and her arms were tired, her knuckles were throbbing. She just leaned against the door and let out an exhausted sigh. Brad continued to bang on the door but his pace was much slower.

  Chloe eventually stepped away from the door and turned away from the man. She couldn't stop thinking about the fact that she had a birthday toast to make in a few minutes at a party that she didn't want to come to in the first place. Now she was trapped.