Chapter 1

On my birthday, my best friend, Lilith Quinn, threw me a party.

Midway through the party, I caught her and my boyfriend, Spencer Perez, getting intimate in the garden.

She was sitting on his lap, asking, "You're not really going to marry Dakota, are you?"

He just scoffed. "Marry her? No way."

I found it utterly ridiculous.

He had just promised to marry me, but now he was fooling around with my best friend.

I walked away from them without looking back.

But then Spencer begged me to forgive him.

*****

Today was my birthday.

Lilith had been planning a birthday party for me for ages, inviting lots of friends.

Spencer was supposed to be away on a business trip, but he rushed back overnight, saying he couldn't miss such an important day.

Halfway through the party, Lilith said she was feeling a bit tipsy and wanted to step outside for some air.

I knew she could hold her liquor better than that. But her cheeks were flushed, so I didn't push it. Instead, I asked, "Do you want me to come with you?"

She just waved me off.

Not long after, Spencer said he had some work to deal with, apologized to everyone, and slipped out.

A couple of friends, still not ready to call it a night, raised their glasses and called out, "Dakota, looks like we're out of booze."

I smiled and said, "There's more in the cellar. I'll go grab some."

I hurried to the cellar. On the way, I passed by the garden.

Before I even stepped inside, I heard heavy breathing and some pretty explicit noises coming from a man and a woman.

I froze in my tracks.

All my friends were inside, so who could be out in the garden?

"Penn..." I heard a familiar voice.

It was Lilith. She'd just left, saying she felt tipsy. And now she was calling Spencer by his pet name.

They had always been at odds, bickering every time they crossed paths. I'd never seen them act this close. Never heard her use that name.

I crept closer. Through the bushes, I saw a man and a woman locked in a passionate kiss on a bench.

She was sitting on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. They were both completely lost in the moment.

This time, I saw clearly. It was Lilith and Spencer.

My legs went weak. I stumbled back a step, clapping a hand over my mouth to keep from making a sound.

After their kiss, Lilith reclined in Spencer's arms, lazily tracing circles on his chest with her finger as she purred, "Penn, do you like me or Dakota?"

He chuckled, pinching her cheek, "Of course it's you. Dakota's nothing compared to you."

Lilith blushed, giggling as she nestled in his arms. "Then what was all that about marrying Dakota just now? You're not actually planning to marry her, are you?"

Earlier at the party, we were playing a truth-or-dare game. Someone asked Spencer when he was going to propose to me.

To everyone's surprise, Spencer pulled out a custom-made diamond ring from his pocket, dropped to one knee, and gazed at me with deep affection. "Dakota, this ring was made just for you. Will you marry me?"

Everyone started cheering and teasing us, except for Lilith.

At the time, I just thought she looked upset because she never liked Spencer.

Ever since I started dating him, she'd been badmouthing him nonstop, practically wishing we'd break up.

But now I got it. She was jealous and pissed off.

Spencer scoffed at her question. "Marry her? No way."

I couldn't hold back my tears. They just kept falling.

Spencer and I had been together for seven years. I always believed he'd marry me. But now, finding out he'd been sneaking around with my best friend behind my back—how absurd.

Lilith, jealous and upset, hit Spencer's chest. "Then why did you even propose to her?"

He tried to calm her down. "It's just because the company needs cash. Dakota might be dull, but at least she's rich."

I clamped a hand over my mouth, almost losing it.

Was he only with me for my family's money?

So all these years, he had just been using me.

Choking back sobs, I pulled out my phone and called him.

Spencer glanced at the caller ID, his face showing clear annoyance as he answered, but his voice turned instantly sweet. "Dakota, what's up?"

I watched the contrast. My heart felt like it was bleeding.

So every time he talked to me on the phone, he always had that annoyed look.

I tried to steady my trembling voice and asked, "I just wanted to know... did you get to the office yet?"

Spencer, still flirting with Lilith, replied, "Not yet. Why?"

I asked again, "Are you coming home tonight?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I regretted it. I almost wanted to hang up, as if pretending none of this was happening could make it all go away.

Without missing a beat, Spencer pressed a kiss to Lilith and said, "I'm not coming home tonight."

I covered my mouth, tears streaming down my face, holding my breath so I wouldn't make a sound.

When I didn't say anything, he sounded impatient. "Dakota, do you need anything else? If not, I'm hanging up. I've got some urgent work to deal with."

He ended the call and immediately went back to kissing Lilith.

Lilith asked, "Are we going back to our place tonight?"

He smirked. "You already know the answer."

I stood there, frozen.

So they had their own place together. Their relationship was already that serious.

And all this time, I'd been busy decorating the new apartment I thought Spencer and I would share.

What was the point of that now?