During that time, I was swamped with work. Weeks would pass without me seeing Courtney. I thought it was temporary—that I could make it up to her once things settled down.
But when I was finally ready to share my success, excited to tell her how far I’d come, her childhood sweetheart Bradley returned from abroad.
After that, Courtney became distant, almost indifferent, for the next three years. No matter how much I wanted to reconnect or tell her about the industries I had built, she seemed uninterested. The spark between us was gone.
At times, she would brush me off, saying, “Jordan, we’re just boyfriend and girlfriend. You don’t need to report to me how much you’ve achieved.”
Then she would grab her bag and leave. Every time, I’d ask where she was going, and she'd casually reply, “I’m just going out to hang with some friends.”
But I knew what that really meant. I often asked, “Are you going to see Bradley again?”
She’d shoot me a look of pure disgust before sneering, “Bradley and I grew up together. If something were going to happen between us, it would’ve happened long ago. What’s it got to do with you?”
Her words always struck me like a blow. It’s not that I didn’t believe in pure friendship between men and women, but there’s a line that shouldn’t be crossed—and I could tell that line was starting to blur.
And let’s be honest, no man is ever comfortable with the idea of a so-called “male bestie” or a “childhood sweetheart” hanging around.
Whenever I suggested we go out together, she’d hit me with the same cold line, “Jordan, I’ve told you before—my circle isn’t one you can fit into. How did you even get in?”
I told myself that if I didn’t fit into her world, I’d choose to trust her and give her the freedom she wanted. That’s why, today, I was only there to handle the financial issues.
But the moment I stepped into the corridor, Courtney noticed me standing there. “What are you doing just standing around?” she snapped, pulling me inside with a look of disdain.
“The things in the The Light Vegas Club are expensive, so don’t touch anything,” she said coldly. “If you break something, you’ll have to pay for it, and knowing you, you'd be miserable about the money. I hate how stingy you are.”