Left in the Cold,When My Cheating Ex Begged to Return

The first snow had just fallen in the mountains when Scarlett called, demanding that I hike up to the peak of Aspen to watch the snow with her. By the time night fell, the gondolas had already stopped running. Carrying a heavy backpack of gear, I made it halfway up the trail on foot when her text flashed on my screen: "Don't bother coming. Trevor and I are watching the sunrise together from the summit tomorrow morning." Wolves howled in the distance. Freezing sweat clung to my back. Staring at the message, I typed just one word: "Okay." The next morning, one of Scarlett’s colleagues sent me a photo. In the picture, the molten gold of the sunrise swept across the sky, casting a warm glow over the pristine snow. Scarlett and Trevor were locked in each other’s arms in the middle of the crowd, looking every bit like the ultimate romantic couple. My heart didn't even skip a beat. I replied calmly: "Wish you two the best." Seconds later, Scarlett's calls bombarded my phone. She screamed through the speaker, demanding to know what I meant. I answered in a flat voice, "It means goodbye." Three days after that first snowfall, Scarlett’s haughty voice echoed over the phone. "My vacation's over. Come pick me up." Once upon a time, whatever she asked, I would jump to make it happen without a second thought. Now, between folding the edges of my homemade meat pies, I casually replied, "Got it. Call yourself an Uber." Forty minutes later, Scarlett stormed into the apartment bundled in a heavy winter coat, her face thunderous. "Logan, what the hell is your problem? I'm out there freezing, and you're sitting here leisurely eating steak?" I took my time chewing the bite of steak before looking up at her. "And your point is?" Scarlett exploded. She ripped off her parka. "Stop eating! Take my coat and hang it out on the balcony to dry!" "It snowed all week, and my clothes are soaked." "Trevor and I slept in a tent. It was freezing and damp. I need a hot shower right now." "I'll deal with your attitude after I wash up!" With that, she threw the damp coat right onto my lap, ran a hand through her hair, and headed toward the bathroom. I stayed completely calm. "I don't have time. Hang it up yourself later." "Also, grab your dry laundry off the balcony while you're at it." Scarlett froze, spinning around to glare at me with pure fury. "Logan! I am seriously angry with you!" "It was the first snowfall! All I wanted was to enjoy the view—what's so wrong with that?!" "It's not like I didn't invite you! You're the one who walked too damn slow!" "Did you honestly expect me to stand in the freezing wind with you, babysitting that pathetic little BBQ cart of yours?!" "How can you be this selfish?" I took a deep breath, finished the last bite of my steak, and walked right past her to the sink to wash my plate. Scarlett blocked my path, a sneer twisting her lips. "Don't tell me you're jealous because Trevor had his arms around me in that photo?" "Everyone around us was cheering and daring us to do it! I only agreed because of the peer pressure!" "It was just a harmless joke." "Trevor sent it to you just to show you that we have nothing to hide!" "You're not a teenager anymore, Logan. When are you going to stop acting so childish?" I gave a dry smile and said nothing. Nothing to hide. What a great joke. Trevor, who went up a snowy mountain without packing a single scrap of gear, wasn't childish. Yet I, who hiked up a dangerous mountain in the pitch black with fifty pounds of supplies, braving wolves just because she asked, was "childish" in her eyes. I pushed gently past her, finished rinsing my plate, and said, "Think whatever you want. I'm not hanging your laundry." I walked to the front door, slipping on my boots to leave. Scarlett watched me in surprise. Usually, whenever this happened, I would yell, plead, or beg for answers. My quiet calm threw her off completely. Frowning, she hesitated for a second. Just as I put my hand on the doorknob, she threw her arms around my neck and planted a kiss on my cheek. "There. Happy now? You got what you wanted." She gave a smug, triumphant smile, convinced she had me wrapped around her little finger again. Without thinking, I rubbed my cheek with the back of my hand, a wave of disgust rolling through my stomach. In the past, no matter how desperately I begged, Scarlett never gave me a kiss. Now, as a cover for her little adventure with Trevor, she kissed me like she was tossing a bone to a stray dog. Three days in a cold tent together. Who knew what they had already done? It made me sick. Scarlett’s eyes widened, pointing an accusing finger at my face. "Logan, what are you doing?" "I kissed you, and you're wiping your face? Like I'm gross? What is that supposed to mean?!" My gaze went dead cold. "Nothing. Just felt dirty." I turned the handle and stepped out. Scarlett followed, practically spitting fire. "Logan! You explain yourself right now! What do you mean by that?!" "Who is dirty?!" I answered flatly, "I am, okay? I'm dirty." "Now, I have to open my food cart. Can you stop blocking my way?" Scarlett’s expression softened slightly, adopting a patronizing tone. "Fine. It's freezing outside. I'll drive you." The car she drove was a gift from me. I was still paying off the monthly loan on it. Yet she rarely let me sit inside. Her excuse? I always smelled like grill smoke and cooking grease, and I'd ruin her pristine leather interior. So, no matter how hard it poured or snowed, I always rode my beat-up electric scooter to work alone. Now, driven by cheating guilt, she was actually offering me a ride in "her" beloved car. How pathetic. I was about to decline, but she snatched the keys to my scooter right out of my hand, giving me a defiant look. Exhausted by her childish games, I gave up and agreed.I opened the passenger door, only to see a Polaroid photo of Scarlett and Trevor hanging from the rearview mirror. Sitting right there on the leather passenger seat was a pair of men's socks. I didn't even need to guess whose they were. Scarlett walked around to the driver's side, watching me closely with a smirk, waiting for my inevitable explosion. In the past, the mere mention of Trevor’s belongings in our space would trigger a massive argument where she'd scream at me until I broke down. This time, I didn't say a single word. I quietly shut the passenger door, opened the back door, and sat in the rear seat, fastening my seatbelt. Scarlett’s face dropped instantly. "What? You don't have anything to say?" I looked at her blankly. "Say what?" Scarlett inhaled sharply, forcing words through gritted teeth. "I just thought that photo looked nice, so I hung it there." "And the socks—Trevor forgot them after our trip. I left them there so I could give them back next time." "Don't start acting like a jealous, petty child. Try acting like a real man for once." "Okay," I murmured softly. None of this mattered to me anymore. Scarlett stared into the rearview mirror, trying to see if I was faking it. After a beat, she said: "Even though Trevor and I shared a tent, nothing happened." "I told you not to hike up because I didn't want you getting hurt." "Besides, Trevor is younger than you, and we were at high altitude. I was worried he couldn't handle things alone if an emergency happened." "He's just my coworker, Logan. Don't go imagining things." I nodded along like a supportive bystander. "Right. You're just coworkers doing what coworkers do." "Nothing happened between you two." Once, whenever Scarlett and Trevor did something inappropriately intimate, I would get upset, and she would always weaponize these exact words to shut me up. She made me feel like I was insane. Now, I was handing them right back to her. Her face flushed crimson with rage. "Logan! Don't play dumb with me! I know that tone!" "I already explained everything! What are you still sulking about?" "Have I been indulging you too much lately?" I knit my brows. "Why are you screaming? I literally told you I believe you." "Unless... you don't even believe yourself?" "SLAM!" Scarlett smashed both palms against the steering wheel, screeching, "Get out! Get the hell out of my car!" "Do you even care about me anymore?! I don't want to look at your face!" I frowned, unbuckled my belt, and stepped out. The woman was utterly unhinged. She forced the ride on me, and now threw a tantrum kicking me out. Before stepping away, I reached into the front seat, snatched my scooter keys off the console, and walked over to my moped. I rode for a couple of miles, catching glimpses of her car tailing me in my mirrors. I took a sharp turn into a narrow alleyway and lost her completely. She was toxic. When I asked questions, she called me petty. When I stopped caring, she yelled that I was heartless. How had I been blind to this drama queen for so long? Popping out of the alley, I arrived at my usual spot. My grill cart was chained to a lamppost, all my equipment locked inside. This would be my last shift. Once I sold off my remaining supplies, I was heading home. Years ago, Scarlett said she fell in love with this scenic mountain town. So, I packed my bags and followed her here. My sudden departure had sent my grandfather—the patriarch who raised me and groomed me to run the family empire—straight to the hospital in rage. My parents even threatened to cut all ties with me. For Scarlett, I endured it all in silence. Local wages here were too low to support her expensive shopping habits. So, I swallowed my pride, learned the art of wood-smoked barbecue, and built a street-food cart from scratch just to pay her bills. All of that devotion shattered three days ago on that snowy mountain peak. I had risked my life climbing that trail at night. When I made it halfway up, all I heard was her voice telling me to turn back—followed by Trevor's flirtatious laughter in the background. On my way back down the mountain, a pack of wolves stalked me. I barely escaped with my life. Waking up the next morning in a local clinic, bruised and bandaged, I received that photo from Trevor. Lying in that cold hospital bed, I finally saw the truth. And I told her: "We are done." Right then, my phone had buzzed with an incoming call from my grandfather. "Logan... I saw the local news. They said a young man nearly got torn apart by wolves on the hiking trail last night." "The silhouette looked like you. Are you alright, son?" Hearing the trembling, aged voice of the man who raised me, tears spilled down my cheeks uncontrollably. I had thrown away my family, my fortune, and my pride for a woman who treated me like garbage. I thought I was fighting for true love. It turned out I was just a lovesick clown in her twisted circus. I laughed through my tears. When Grandpa worriedly offered to fly his private jet out to check on me, I stopped him. I promised him I would be back home in a few days to take over the family business, just as he always wanted. Grandpa broke down in tears of relief. He asked what would happen between Scarlett and me. I told him: "We walk our separate paths. Forever."Setting up the cart, I did a quick inventory. If business was good, I could sell out in half a day. My smoked meats had a stellar reputation around town. I used top-grade cuts and crafted my own marinades. Several high-end restaurants in the resort had tried to recruit me as head pitmaster with generous six-figure salaries. I had turned them all down just so I could have flexible hours to wait on Scarlett hand and foot. As I fired up the charcoal, Gus, an older pitmaster who ran a nearby diner, walked over. "Hey, Logan. Trouble in paradise?" "Your girl literally called my diner phone looking for you." "Take it from an old dog—young couples fight all the time. Blow off some steam and make up. Don't let your ego cost you your relationship." I kept wrapping meats and prepping sauces, not saying a word. Gus continued, "She told me to let you know she blocked your number and on Snapchat. Said she doesn't want to see your face today and that you need to sit in the corner and reflect on what you did." In the past, our fights were strictly between us—and Trevor, of course. Scarlett never aired our dirty laundry to strangers. This time, she was truly desperate to put me in my place. If this had happened months ago, I would have dropped to my knees, crying, begging for her forgiveness. Now? It just felt pathetic. "Gus," I said, wiping my hands on a towel. "Scarlett and I broke up." "Wait, really?" "Yeah. And remember that signature spice blend recipe of mine you’ve been begging to buy?" "Give me five hundred bucks, and it’s yours. Cart and moped included." Gus stared at me like I had grown two heads. "Five hundred? I offered you thirty grand to come work for me and share that recipe, and you wouldn't budge! What changed?" He went quiet for a moment, then sighed softly. "Are you really letting it go, kid? And I don't just mean the barbecue." I exhaled a cloud of white vapor into the chilly air and nodded. "Forget five hundred," Gus said, clapping a heavy hand on my shoulder. "I'll transfer you five grand right now. Truth is, back when I tried hiring you, I planned to steal your secrets and fire you. But you’re a stand-up guy, Logan. I'm not ripping you off." I chuckled. "Appreciate the honesty, you old bastard." A few hours later, every last rib and brisket was sold out. I handed the keys to the cart and the moped over to Gus. I unlocked a rental bike and pedaled back toward my apartment complex. Right outside the front gate, Scarlett's luxury sedan was parked by the curb. Inside, she was dressed in a pristine white dress, laughing playfully with Trevor in the passenger seat. She tilted her elegant chin up, asking Trevor, "Well? How do I look in this dress today?" "Stunning. Absolutely breathtaking," Trevor replied, his eyes filled with shameless lust. I locked the rental bike and walked past them with an indifferent expression. Seeing me, Scarlett smirked. She reached out and tapped Trevor on the chin. "Trevor, my stocking has a little run near my thigh. Smooth it out for me, would you?" Trevor looked thrilled, but put on a coy, hesitant act, glancing in my direction. "Oh... won't that mean touching your leg, Scarlett? Isn't that a little inappropriate?" "Look, Logan's right there. Why don't you have him do it?" Scarlett cast a disdainful glance my way. "Him? He doesn't deserve to touch me." With that, she grabbed Trevor's hand, pressed it against her sheer-stockinged thigh, and guided it upward. Then she slammed on the gas and sped away. I let out an amused snort. Childish mind games only worked on foolish boys. A year ago, a scene like that would have driven me completely insane with jealousy. Now? My heart was as cold and still as the falling snow.Back inside my quiet apartment, I called my grandfather. We talked for hours about his health, the family estate, and what my parents had been up to. The old man sounded like he had a lifetime of stories saved up just for me. It was past midnight when my mother gently took the phone, telling me Grandpa had fallen asleep mid-sentence. She gave me a few sweet words of encouragement before hanging up. I took a deep, grounding breath. Just as I climbed into bed, Scarlett's best friend called me. "Logan! Scarlett got completely wasted at Gus's diner! You better get down here and pick her up right now!" Right after the call, Gus sent me a short video clip. It was clearly filmed from behind a pillar. In the clip, Scarlett was practically draped over Trevor's lap, whispering in his ear with flushed cheeks while Trevor grinned like a kid in a candy store. Scarlett's best friend had always looked down on me. She believed someone as gorgeous as Scarlett was wasted on a "greasy street vendor" like me. In her eyes, Trevor—a corporate climber—was the perfect match for Scarlett. She wasn't calling out of concern. She was setting a trap to humiliate me. Before I could reply, Scarlett's drunken screech cut through the background of the call: "Tell him I'm not going home with him tonight!" "I'm going back to Trevor's place!" "He wants to break up with me?! I'll make him regret it for the rest of his life!" Her friend chuckled with mocking sweetness into the receiver. "Hear that, Logan? If you don't hurry, Scarlett's sleeping in Trevor's bed tonight." I yawned softly into the mic. "Sounds great. Tell them I wish them a happy life together." I hung up and drifted straight off to sleep. Around three in the morning, a loud crash woke me from a deep slumber. I blinked open my eyes to see a silhouette standing right beside my bed in the pale moonlight. Her hair was a messy nest; her mascara was smeared. She looked like a vengeful ghost from a horror movie. A cold shiver ran down my spine before I realized who it was. The ghost spoke. "Logan! How can you be this cold-blooded?! I went out for drinks with Trevor, got drunk, and told you to pick me up, and you didn't even show up?!" "Aren't you terrified that he actually took me home and slept with me?!" My brain was still half-asleep. Was I having a nightmare? In the past, whenever she partied late with her friends and I worriedly showed up to bring her home, she would publicly humiliate me: "Logan! Do I not even have the freedom to hang out with my friends?!" "Why are you so controlling and insecure?!" Her friends' mocking laughter still echoed in my memory. Now, when I actually let her have her fun, she broke into my room to scream at me? I rubbed my tired eyes. "Scarlett, we are broken up. What you do with your body is your own business." "You're a grown woman. Face the consequences of your own choices." Scarlett froze. Then, a triumphant smirk crept onto her face. "Ha! I knew it. You're jealous." "I knew Gus was filming us. I made sure he did." "I staged the whole thing just to get a reaction out of you." "And look at you—still the same petty little boy you've always been." I glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 3:15 AM. Scarlett crawled onto my mattress, swaying from the alcohol. She ran a hand along her leg, adjusting her stocking. "What? Are you still mad because I let Trevor touch my leg today?" "Fine. You can touch it as much as you want tonight." "From now on, whenever I go out for drinks, I'll even let you tag along." Her cold, clammy hands reached out greedily toward my bare chest. I flinched and shoved her off immediately. Scarlett scowled in frustration. "What more do you want?!" "Do you expect me to cut Trevor out of my life entirely?" "How am I supposed to work with him at the office?!" "I don't give a damn what you do at the office," I snapped, sitting up. "I just want to sleep." I took a deep breath. "I believe you're pure and innocent, okay? Happy? Can you get the hell out so I can sleep?" A flicker of hurt and confusion flashed in her drunken eyes. I pulled the blanket over my head, ignoring her. A second later, she violently yanked the duvet off my body, exposing me to the freezing room air. "Scarlett, are you insane?!" I yelled. "If you don't want to sleep, fine, but leave me alone!" Suddenly, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around me. The stench of stale alcohol hit my nose as she pressed her face into my neck, her voice cracking. "Logan... please. You never used to treat me like this. If you're still upset, you can have me tonight. Take whatever you want..." Her hands began snaking down my torso, her drunken breath warm against my throat. Months ago, I would have been over the moon. Now, all I felt was absolute revulsion. I grabbed her wrists, peeled her off me, and shoved her right off the bed onto the rug. "I'm tired, and I have hygiene standards." "If you're that horny, go call Trevor." Scarlett stared up at me in disbelief. Within seconds, her face contorted in rage, and she lunged at me like a feral cat, screaming curses. "You bastard! How dare you?!" I had zero patience left for her tantrums. I locked her arms behind her back, dragged her out into the hallway, shoved her out of the bedroom, and slammed the deadbolt shut. She kicked the heavy wooden door several times, screaming at the top of her lungs, before silence fell. A minute later, the front door slammed shut downstairs. She was gone. In the past, whenever she pulled this walk-out trick at night, I would run through the dark streets in panic, terrified for her safety, practically begging on my knees for her to come home. Now? Sleeping was way more important. With that manic energy of hers, she wasn't in any danger.