Chapter 2

My hands were shaking so badly that I could barely hold my phone.

My tears dripped onto the screen as I opened the message.

There was a charge of 4,000 dollars from a shoe store downtown. The amount matched the receipt.

Footsteps approached from outside, so I quickly locked the screen and put my phone back where it belonged.

"Have you been waiting long?" Edward asked, carrying a glass of water as he walked in.

With a soft smile, he held an orange gift box in his other hand. "Guess what I brought you."

He opened the box, and inside was the latest designer handbag, the kind one could hardly get at the boutique.

"Here's your engagement gift in advance. Do you like it?" he asked.

If it were the old days, I'd have jumped into his arms and teased him for splurging. But now, all I felt was how absurd it was.

"Yeah, it's beautiful," I said.

Edward smiled and gently ruffled my hair. "When we get married, I'll give you a better gift, something more beautiful than this. You can start looking forward to it."

I looked at him in a daze, my heart twisting with sorrow. If only everything that had happened was a dream.

The next day, I stood in the shoe store's security room, my nails digging hard into my palms.

On the screen, Edward had his arm around a woman's waist, leaning down to listen to her whisper.

He took the high heels she was trying on, crouched down, and helped her put them on.

The salesperson was chatting away, and Edward took her bag naturally, waiting quietly.

After buying the shoes, she spun around on her tiptoes, her skirt flaring out.

Edward reached out to steady her, his eyes locked on her, full of warmth and attention.

I stared at the date on the security footage. That night, I'd pulled an all-nighter in the lab, trying to meet a project deadline so I could take some time off for my wedding ahead of schedule.

Edward had texted me, said he was working late, and sent a photo of a coffee cup at the office. Turned out, he was lying to me.

The salesperson whispered, "That guy's a regular. Every time he comes in, he always spends a lot of time helping that lady pick out shoes."

"Do you still have this style in stock?" I asked, my voice horribly calm.

The salesperson hesitated. "We do, but they're pretty expensive."

"Wrap them all up," I said, swiping my card and walking out with six gift boxes in hand.

When I got home, Edward was in the kitchen, making soup.

"You're back?" he said, stepping out of the kitchen. His eyes landed on the pile of gift boxes by my feet, and his smile froze.

"What's all this?" he asked, sounding a little nervous.

I slowly unwrapped one of the boxes, took out the red-bottomed heels, and held them up for him to see.

"Pretty, right? Apparently, these are the hottest sellers," I said.

Edward's face went pale. "Why did you buy so many shoes all of a sudden?"

"All of a sudden?" I smiled. "Didn't you tell me to wear them?"

He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but in the end, he looked down and avoided my gaze, his fingers absentmindedly tracing the rim of the soup bowl.

The silence hung in the air.

I stood up and grabbed my coat. "Something came up at the lab. I need to go."

"Now?" Edward looked up, panic in his eyes. "Our engagement ceremony is tomorrow."

"There's a problem with the data," I said calmly, turning to leave. "I'll be pulling an all-nighter. Don't wait up for me."

I turned the key in the ignition, hit the gas, and headed straight for the location Stella had posted on her social media half an hour ago. There was a small-brand fashion show tonight.

*****

The lights dimmed, and the final round of applause filled the room.

I stood in the corner, watching as Stella Hayes was surrounded by admirers while she made her exit.

She was more stunning in real life than in her photos. Her auburn curls bounced with every step, her waist moved with a fluid grace, and her eyes, soft and alluring, held a gentle warmth.

After the show ended, I caught some backstage staff whispering to each other.

"Stella was totally off today. She nearly sprained her ankle on the runway."

"Word is, her love life's a mess lately."

I followed Stella up to the rooftop.

In the cool night breeze, she leaned against the railing, smoking, the cigarette's tip flickering red in the darkness.

"Stella?" I said, pretending to be nervous as I walked over. "Can I get a photo with you? I've been following you for so long."

She gave me a lazy glance, a bit surprised. "A girl fan?" Then she waved me over. "Sure."

After we took the photo, I looked at her. "Are you feeling down?"

Her eyes dimmed as she crushed out her cigarette. "Whatever. No one invited me out tonight, so I don't mind chatting for a bit. You know, I actually thought he'd show up tonight. I guess no man is trustworthy."

She took a big gulp of her drink and continued. "I met him after a show. He gave me a bouquet of white roses, said he was drawn to my vibe."

"And then?" I asked.

She gave me a teasing smile. "The second time we met, he took me to his private wine estate. While I was a bit buzzed, he kissed me and told me I was the sexiest woman he'd ever met."

My heart clenched. That was the night Edward didn't come home. He told me he was working late at the office, prepping for a case.

She went on. "Later, he posted a picture of an engagement ring with another woman on his social media. I knew he had a fiancée. He said she was an innocent girl who was always in her lab, that she's not fun at all.

"It's only a transaction, really. I needed his connections to climb the ladder. I've seen plenty of two-faced guys like him. The moment his fiancée's not around, he's quick to invite me over.

"Our first time was in the apartment meant for their marriage. He pretended to be all innocent, and when he woke up, he said he regretted it and that we shouldn't meet again. But next time I texted him, he still came.

"Every time he comes over, he goes totally crazy. Though he never bothers with condoms, he's always going on about not cheating on his fiancée. But the second I hook my arms around his neck, he forgets everything.

"Lately, he's pretending to be sentimental, saying he owes it to his fiancée to do the right thing, but he can't bring himself to cut things off with me. See these shoes? He bought them for me and said I looked extra hot in them."

Then her phone buzzed. She glanced at the message, quickly wiped the corner of her eye, and put on her bright smile again. "Alright, fangirl. Catch you later."

I stood in the shadows at the corner of the rooftop, watching as she rushed into the arms of someone I knew all too well.

Edward was wearing the dark gray trench coat I'd given him. A bouquet of white roses was resting on the hood of his car. He seemed gentle, but somehow like a stranger.

I raised my phone, the camera shaking slightly with my hand.

He pulled her close by the waist, kissing her with a fierce, lingering passion, like they never wanted to part.

At that moment, it felt like my heart was shredded into pieces. The pain hit so hard that I nearly collapsed. Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I was shaking all over.

I sank my teeth into the back of my hand, choking back the sobs.

After all that heartbreak, all I felt was exhaustion.

They were already gone. I collapsed onto the ground, gazing at the moon, my mind completely blank.

Tomorrow would be the engagement party, the day we'd been dreaming about for so long. Ten years together, and only now did I finally see who he really was.

What was I going to tell my parents? How would I explain things?

I hated myself for being so blind and for wasting ten years of my life on him for nothing.

Suddenly, my phone chimed with a notification. Without a second thought, I added my name to the list.

With great effort, I got to my feet and staggered away.