Chapter 2

Anna Carter took Daniel's hand, acting all intimate.

So it was not that he didn't like holding hands. He just didn't like holding mine.

As Anna spoke, her gaze landed on me, challenge flashing in her eyes.

She said, "Daniel, is this your girlfriend? Aren't you going to introduce us?"

Daniel suddenly became flustered. He glanced my way, his usual hint of a smile wiped away, and his lips pressed into a tight line.

He shook his head earnestly like a loyal puppy. "Of course not, Anna. I told you I wouldn't even think about dating anyone until you came back."

I stood frozen, feeling everyone's eyes on me. Each glance was like a blade, cutting right past my skin and making my heart ache.

Anna flashed a smile and reached out her hand to me. "Hi, I'm Anna Carter. I grew up with Daniel."

I stared at her hand, realizing how much it looked like the one in Daniel's profile photo.

A wave of sadness hit me and nearly brought me to tears.

Daniel urged me, "Emily, why are you spacing out?"

I looked up, meeting Anna's searching gaze.

I reached out and shook her hand briefly. "Hi, I'm Emily Lane. I'm Daniel's—"

Before I could finish, Daniel cut in, "Just a friend. We happened to come together."

I stood there, feeling like my blood had turned to ice.

We were about to get our marriage license, yet when Daniel spoke, I was reduced to just some barely familiar friend in his eyes.

Everyone seemed relieved when I stayed quiet.

I was supposed to be his girlfriend, but at that moment, I felt like a total outsider, just watching from the sidelines.

Daniel had never really cared about our relationship.

He never showed me off or bothered to clear up whether he was single or not.

I always thought it was just his cold personality, so he never explained, denied, or confirmed.

But today, I finally got it.

It was because the person he truly cared about was too far away to know what he was doing.

Now that Anna had come back, he could just erase me from his life, like I never mattered at all.

I stood by myself in the corner, watching Anna and Daniel laugh and enjoy themselves together.

Then Anna threw me a sly grin, swaggering over with her chin cocked. "Emily, how about a game of pool? Let's bet on it."

Her eyes were filled with provocation.

"What's the bet?" I asked.

"Let's bet on Daniel," Anna said. "If you lose, Daniel will spend the whole night at my side, taking care of me."

She acted like there was no way I'd win.

A painful twist hit my heart. How could Daniel just be thrown onto the table like some wager?

I looked over at Daniel, but he was completely focused on Anna, grinning at her like she was the only person in the room. "You got this, Anna! I know you'll win."

I looked down and picked up a pool cue, not saying a word.

One after another, my shots found their mark, and Anna's expression soured.

A competitive fire blazed inside me. My every move grew sharper, each shot cleaner and more decisive.

Finally, there was only one ball left to sink. I was just about to take my shot when Daniel grabbed my arm hard, yanking me back.

"Emily, can't you just give Anna a break for once? Do you have to stir up all this drama just to make yourself feel better?" Daniel said.

I locked eyes with him, his glare practically burning a hole through me. My chest twisted painfully. "You really want to spend the night taking care of her, don't you?"