Chapter 2

It was ironic that Luis was trying to convince his fiancée to let another woman move in.

But none of that mattered to me anymore. In five days, I'd be gone for good.

I nodded, keeping my face blank. The moment Luis saw me agree, he couldn't hide his excitement and planted a kiss on my cheek.

"You're the best, honey. I'm so lucky to have a wife as understanding as you," he said.

Yeah, lucky for you, but unlucky for me.

*****

Early the next morning, Luis headed out to pick up Dani.

He took extra care getting ready, fussing over his clothes and even spritzing on cologne, clearly wanting to look his best for Dani.

When he returned with Dani, Luis had his arm around her, laughing and chatting.

Dani was clutching a bouquet of flowers, looking radiant.

The moment they stepped inside and saw me sitting there in the living room, their laughter died instantly.

Luis instinctively pulled his arm away from Dani's waist.

"Gwen, uh, why aren't you at work today?" he asked.

I pretended not to see how close they were when they came in, and slowly looked up at him.

"Since Dani's moving in today, I'm waiting for you both so we can eat together," I said.

If Luis had glanced around the apartment, he'd have noticed I'd thrown out every photo of us together. But he only had eyes for Dani now.

When we got to our usual restaurant, Luis naturally sat down right next to Dani.

I glanced at the empty seat beside me, a bitter feeling twisting in my chest.

Dani was dressed to the nines, and Luis looked sharp in his suit. Anyone who saw them together would say they were a perfect match.

Meanwhile, I was wearing something plain, sitting across from them, feeling totally out of place.

At this moment, the waiter turned up. His words proceeded to rip down whatever scraps of dignity I still had.

"Hi there. Today, we're running a promotion: just snap a couple's photo and you'll get 20% off your bill," the waiter stated cheerfully.

He raised the camera, eyes locked on Dani and Luis, not even sparing me a glance.

"Uh, we're not..." Luis shot me a guilty, uncertain look, observing me carefully.

"Of course," Dani chirped, grabbing the camera and throwing her arm around Luis's neck before anyone else could react.

As the shutter went off, she leaned in and kissed Luis right on the cheek.

Luis was taken aback, and instinctively glanced at me.

When he saw I stayed unfazed, he relaxed and continued posing for several more pictures with Dani.

I smirked and dropped my gaze.

It felt like thousands of razor-sharp shards sinking into my skin and racing through my veins, torturing every nerve and making me ache all over.

After the photos were taken, the waiter took back the camera, beaming at Luis and Dani. "Congrats, you scored the 20% discount. If you need anything else, just let me know."

When the waiter left, it was just us three left. The awkward silence between us was so thick it was almost suffocating.

"Dani's been living abroad for a while, and things are way more casual over there. She's still getting used to how things are here..." Luis started to explain.

But before he could finish, Dani cut him off, turning to me. "Oh please, Gwen, you're not going to make a big deal out of this, are you? I did stuff like that all the time overseas.

"If Luis and I ever had something going on, trust me, you'd never even have gotten a shot at him. Right, Gwen?"

Dani was all smiles, playing the harmless sweetheart, but her eyes were openly provocative.

I knew the photoshoot was her way of telling me Luis was his, to spite me.

I picked up my coffee and took a slow sip, sneering inwardly. Did they take me for a fool?

I didn't bother saying a word. People like them just weren't worth my time or energy.

When Luis saw I wasn't upset, he relaxed at once.

Only then did he realize he'd been sitting in the wrong spot, and quickly got up to move over next to me.

I subtly slid my chair a notch farther away—I wasn't letting him get close.

"Gwen, try to be a little more understanding. Dani's just blunt like that—she doesn't mean any harm," Luis said.

While piling food onto my plate, Luis kept nervously defending himself. "Seriously, Gwen, there's nothing going on between me and Dani. Don't let it get to you."

I shot him a calm, indifferent look. "Relax. It doesn't bother me at all."

If this had been before, I probably would've thrown a fit. But now that I know the truth, nothing he did mattered to me anymore.

I ate in silence.

As soon as Luis left to settle the bill, Dani dropped her sweet-girl act and scrutinized me, oozing contempt.

Dani said, "Luis kept bragging about how gorgeous you were, Gwen. Honestly? The reality's a whole lot less impressive.

"Seriously, I can't see what Luis ever saw in you. You're way past your prime—if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were just hired help."