Chapter 1: Public Humiliation Breakup
Jayden had been planning this moment for days.
He printed out a custom hoodie with her name stitched across the sleeve. Spent four hours writing a handwritten letter—front and back—talking about how her smile healed his anxiety, how her favorite perfume was now his favorite scent, and how he could still taste the cherry lip balm she wore during their first kiss.
Which—by the way—was technically on the cheek.
He ordered a teddy bear the size of a medium child and paid extra to have it wear a fake engagement ring on its paw. Not even from a store.
From Etsy.
Jayden stood by the vending machines outside the cafeteria, a smile that barely held together. He'd brought her favorite drink—iced peach tea, no sugar, just how she liked it. His hands were clammy and full. Heart racing like he was about to confess for the first time. He was holding the bear, the drink, the letter, and a Spotify playlist titled "For Her Soul" open on his phone like a mobile mixtape shrine.
He walked inside the cafeteria and...
And she—
She walked up with a face like she smelled something dead.
"Jayden." Her voice carried like an air raid siren. Heads turned. Conversations paused. Even the lunch ladies stared from inside.
He smiled. "Hey babe—got you the tea you like. I, um... also made you something." He offered her the hoodie, the letter, the bear. A full buffet of cringe.