Hey y'all! Bit of a shorter chapter this time around but I figure quality over quantity, right? This is just a brief dip into Angela's past. I figured she deserved one since Molly got one a few chapters back. I hope you lovely people enjoy this chapter despite its length. Maybe tell me what you think? ~Shaymie

Angela

"What the fuck is this?"

Angela's voice shook with barely-contained rage as she held the phone up to Mikhail's face. She hated the way her whole body was trembling, hated the tears pooling in her eyes. She could feel that familiar thickness forming in her throat and tried to choke it down. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much this hurt. She's given everything to this relationship. She put up with his ridiculous parties, she wore the stuffy dresses he picked out for her, she stopped going out so much with her friends. And for what? For him to just throw it all away?

"Ah. You... weren't supposed to find out this way." The casual tone of his voice infuriated her further. Most guys make a big fuss when they're caught cheating, make up excuses, claim it was photoshopped. They don't just stand there casually in the kitchen with the same aloof expression on their face. She shrieked, slamming her cell phone onto the counter so hard she wouldn't be surprised if it shattered. Honestly she'd be grateful for that. Then she wouldn't have to look at that post of Lillian Flowers kissing her boyfriend of four years, proudly holding up a positive pregnancy test.

They were having a baby girl. The girl didn't even look like she was showing, but she was far enough along in her pregnancy to know the sex of the baby. She was the reason Mikhail had been going off on so many "business trips" lately. Why the teenager had decided now was the time to make a big social media post about it, Angela didn't know. To add insult to injury, Lillian had the gall to tag her in the post. If she wasn't eighteen—practically still a child, what the hell is wrong with Mikhail—and pregnant, Angela would have gone down to Bluebell and given her a piece of her mind.

"That's all you have to say? No excuses, no apologies?! You promised nothing would happen when you went on tour! You said I could trust you!" She clenched her fists in frustration, wanting to laugh at herself. Reina was right. She should have listened. Of course he wouldn't be able to keep it in his pants. Of course he'd cheat on her for someone younger and prettier and more feminine. How could Angela have ever thought this would work out? They were too different. She was punk rock and piercings and he was classical and tailcoats.

"I'm sorry, Angel-"

"Don't fucking 'Angel' me, Mikhail." She crossed her arms, trying her hardest to refrain from hitting him. "Did you ever love me?"

"Of course I love you, Angela. I still do. I'll never stop loving you." Mikhail exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair. "But... Lillian needs me. Her parents kicked her out and she has nowhere to go. I wanted to sit you down and have a proper conversation but I wasn't expecting her to make that post."

"...You're raising the baby with her?"

She didn't think it was possible for her heart to shatter further.

Angela groaned quietly, throwing her pillow over her head. Looks like Molly isn't the only one having dreams about the past. She didn't want to think about her break-up with Mikhail. As much as she hated to admit it, his betrayal stung. She wasted four years of her life with that filthy cheater. She should've known something was up. People like him didn't fall in love with people like her. She was too boyish, too impulsive, too much of a partier...

Kasey and Reina were right to not like Mikhail. Even Molly, shy as she was, had quietly voiced her distrust of him. That should've been an immediate red flag. Molly liked practically everyone. Hell, she had decided to become friends with Chase of all people.

Why am I crying? Angela pushed her pillow onto her face as she felt the prickle of tears behind her eyes. It was just a stupid break-up. She should be over it by now. Compared to everything Molly's been through, this was just child's play. She didn't have the right to cry over something as trivial as this. She took a shaky breath, trying to will the tears back. She had to be strong for Molly.

...Maybe she'd let herself cry just this once.