Chapter 3
"Sera, you're a girl. You can't really compete with us guys. You'll always need a man to look out for you. Let's toast to that. From now on, I've got your back!" a man said.
Keenan punched him, and he went down hard.
Back then, I used to think Keenan was just some sheltered guy—always quick to throw a punch over a bit of cheap talk.
But he looked at me with unwavering resolve and said,
"A girl's reputation is important. You shouldn't ruin it. I can't look out for every girl, but at least I want to protect you."
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, I spent a whole month completely severing ties with our partner company, found a new supplier, and even bought out the bankrupt company. Then I handed it over to Keenan as a gift.
"This is a little something to mark you becoming my boyfriend," I told him.
I still remembered that, even though I looked calm on the outside, my heart was quietly stirring beneath it all.
But just five years later, he became the one who personally slandered me.
Turned out, the one with truly innocent eyes was me all along.
Kailynn said, "Sera, that bastard Keenan is trash-talking you everywhere. He's saying you can't handle being single, that you only land projects by sleeping around, and that you're using your status to pressure your assistant into something shady with you.
"He's saying some really nasty stuff. Now it's not just rumors at your company; even the whole scene is buzzing with gossip about you.
"Honestly, stop holding back. Just blast your couple pics on Instagram and air out your five-year relationship and all the dirt about him cheating. Let everyone see what he's really like."
I was not the type to take selfies. My life was all about work, so I hardly ever bothered to document anything personal.
I opened up my phone gallery, and it only took a second to reach the end.
There it was—the first pic I ever snapped of Keenan.
It was totally out of focus.
I can still picture that moment like it was yesterday.
It was the first weekend we spent together after we became a couple.
He didn't take me out to the movies or the mall like you see in TV shows. I thought maybe he was just too proud to let people know about us.
I understood him.
But instead, he showed up at my place early in the morning, arms full with two big bags of fresh fruits, veggies, and meat, saying he wanted to make me a feast himself.
I asked all the staff and chefs to leave, and became his sous chef for the day in the kitchen.
Seeing the table covered with all those amazing dishes, I suddenly understood the simple romance of sharing meals and seasons together.
For the first time ever, while we were eating, I actually wanted to capture the moment.
I pulled out my phone, ready to snap a picture of him and the whole feast laid out before us.
But just as I was about to take the shot, he gently pushed my phone aside.
"Babe, sorry, I'm really not into having my picture taken. How about just snapping a photo of the food?" he said.
I snapped out of it and swiped away that blurry photo.
The next photo was the spread he cooked up for me that day.
That was also the first time I ever posted something from my personal life on Instagram.
After that, I'd sometimes post quirky photos on Instagram—maybe just the corner of a sleeve, a bit of my arm, or a hazy shot of his back.
Like any girl falling for someone, I couldn't resist showing off my little bursts of sweetness.
No one else had a clue who he was, but I knew that I was a girl madly in love, living her happiest days.
Thinking back to how Keenan threw a huge, public proposal for Morgan, it finally hit me that all that stuff about not liking photos or being too shy to go public was just an excuse.
He just didn't want anyone to catch him two-timing.
From the moment he started getting close to me, it was all about using me.
I wiped out every trace of Keenan from my Instagram and photo gallery in one go, then said to Kailynn, keeping my voice calm and distant.
"I don't want my name associated with trash," I said.
Kailynn was right there with me as I scrolled through my photos.
Her heart ached for me, so she didn't mention clearing my name again.
"Come on, girl, let's go find some new fun," she said.
That night, Kailynn dragged me out to her go-to nightclub.
She somehow brought over a whole crew of hot guys, just trying to lift my spirits.
But I just grabbed my drink and started doing shots.
In the end, I drank myself under the table.
I woke up to the feeling of someone kissing me.
Payton was gazing at me, his eyes deep and unreadable.
I blinked, then noticed her strap had slipped off her shoulder.
"What are you doing?" I muttered.
I tried to push Payton away, but ended up knocking myself back onto the bed instead.
"Miss Miller, you were all over me just now, and now you're pretending nothing happened?" he said.
Payton pressed in close, and that was when I realized he was already stripped bare.
Did I undress him?
No clue. I really couldn't remember.
As I was spacing out, his lips were already making their way down my body.