Chapter 5

11:45 AM the next day.

I took a seat early in a corner on the second floor of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Pike Street. The vantage point gave me a perfect view of the entrance and the window seats on the first floor.

12:00 PM sharp.

Jason walked in. He was wearing a smart-casual blazer, his hair perfectly styled. Another calculated performance. He walked straight to a window table and shook hands with the headhunter who was already waiting.

At first, he kept his posture rigid, playing the part of the highly sought-after talent who didn't really need the job. But within minutes, he was leaning forward unconsciously, his hand gestures growing increasingly exaggerated.

12:15 PM. Emily arrived.

"Mom, I'm downstairs."

"Come on up. Second floor."

She jogged up the stairs, looking as fresh and bright as a college student in a white button-down and jeans, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"I thought we were getting lunch? Why did we meet at a coffee shop?"

"Hold on a second." I tilted my chin toward the window seat on the first floor. "Look down there."

Emily followed my gaze.

The smile froze on her face the second she saw Jason.

"Jason?" Her voice was a fragile whisper. "What... what is he doing here?"

"Didn't he tell you he was meeting a friend to discuss something important?" I asked calmly.

Emily bit her lip, instinctively trying to find an excuse for him. "Maybe... whatever he needs to do, they're just talking about it here."

I didn't answer. I simply slid my phone across the table, showing her the text Jason had sent me the day before.

His words were right there in black and white:

Emily is too complacent. She doesn't know how to plan for the future. She's leagues behind you. You're the one I'm really interested in. I want to get to know you one-on-one, and I want you by my side.

Emily stared at the screen. Tears welled up in her eyes. She sat perfectly rigid, her fingers trembling slightly.

"He... he asked you out? And he said that about me?"

I nodded. "He must have gone through your phone when you weren't looking, got my number, and went behind your back to ask me out."

I pointed downstairs. "You said he was meeting a friend. He's actually talking to a headhunter about a new job. Add that to the texts he sent me himself, and you don't need to make excuses for him anymore."

Emily looked at Jason, then down at the texts in her hand.

The tears finally spilled over. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was done making excuses. She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and stood up.

"I'm going to ask him."

I followed a few steps behind her, not stopping her. Some truths she needed to shatter with her own hands.

She walked down the stairs step by step and stopped right at Jason's table.

Jason looked up. The smug confidence vanished from his face, replaced by a sickly white. His smile died. His eyes went wide, like he had just seen a ghost.

"Emily? What are you doing here?" His voice shook. He almost knocked over his coffee cup.

"I was having coffee upstairs with my mother." Emily's voice was still trembling. "Jason, didn't you say you were meeting a friend? Who is this?"

Jason's face tightened. He opened his mouth to speak.

Emily didn't give him the chance.

"You went through my phone, stole my mother's number, and asked her out on a date behind my back. Didn't you?"

"You belittled me to her face, told her I was nothing compared to her. Didn't you?"

"You played the doting boyfriend to my face, hit on her behind my back, and secretly shopped your resume to a headhunter. Didn't you?"

Jason's head snapped toward me. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, and his whole body began to shake.

"You... you said she's your mother?"

Chapter 5

11:45 AM the next day.

I took a seat early in a corner on the second floor of the Starbucks Reserve Roastery on Pike Street. The vantage point gave me a perfect view of the entrance and the window seats on the first floor.

12:00 PM sharp.

12:15 PM. Emily arrived.

"Mom, I'm downstairs."

"Come on up. Second floor."

She jogged up the stairs, looking as fresh and bright as a college student in a white button-down and jeans, her hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"I thought we were getting lunch? Why did we meet at a coffee shop?"

"Hold on a second." I tilted my chin toward the window seat on the first floor. "Look down there."

Emily followed my gaze.

The smile froze on her face the second she saw Jason.

"Jason?" Her voice was a fragile whisper. "What... what is he doing here?"

"Didn't he tell you he was meeting a friend to discuss something important?" I asked calmly.

Emily bit her lip, instinctively trying to find an excuse for him. "Maybe... whatever he needs to do, they're just talking about it here."

I didn't answer. I simply slid my phone across the table, showing her the text Jason had sent me the day before.

His words were right there in black and white:

Emily stared at the screen. Tears welled up in her eyes. She sat perfectly rigid, her fingers trembling slightly.

"He... he asked you out? And he said that about me?"

I nodded. "He must have gone through your phone when you weren't looking, got my number, and went behind your back to ask me out."

Emily looked at Jason, then down at the texts in her hand.

The tears finally spilled over. She closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, she was done making excuses. She took a deep breath, wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, and stood up.

"I'm going to ask him."

I followed a few steps behind her, not stopping her. Some truths she needed to shatter with her own hands.

She walked down the stairs step by step and stopped right at Jason's table.

Jason looked up. The smug confidence vanished from his face, replaced by a sickly white. His smile died. His eyes went wide, like he had just seen a ghost.

"Emily? What are you doing here?" His voice shook. He almost knocked over his coffee cup.

"I was having coffee upstairs with my mother." Emily's voice was still trembling. "Jason, didn't you say you were meeting a friend? Who is this?"

Jason's face tightened. He opened his mouth to speak.

Emily didn't give him the chance.

"You went through my phone, stole my mother's number, and asked her out on a date behind my back. Didn't you?"

"You belittled me to her face, told her I was nothing compared to her. Didn't you?"

"You played the doting boyfriend to my face, hit on her behind my back, and secretly shopped your resume to a headhunter. Didn't you?"

Jason's head snapped toward me. His pupils shrank to pinpricks, and his whole body began to shake.

"You... you said she's your mother?"