Chapter 1

I lost at Truth or Dare, and my friend leaned in and asked, "So, during your time with Julian, when did you feel your heart skip a beat the most?"

I caught her drift and said, "After we broke up, it took someone else chasing after him for Julian to finally realize his true feelings, and that's when he came back to ask me to get back together."

The room erupted with cheers and well-wishes, but in the corner, Sienna sat alone, her face flushed with humiliation, eyes red, looking completely out of place.

I felt a wave of mockery rise inside me. I locked eyes with her, then deliberately leaned in closer to Julian, making our closeness obvious to her.

Julian stiffened for a moment, but he let me get close, even opening his arms to pull me into a hug.

Finally, Sienna couldn't take it anymore and stormed out of the room.

Julian suddenly leaned in close, his voice low in my ear. "Yvonne, don't overdo it."

*****

I froze, leaned back slightly, and sized Julian up with a critical eye.

He was dressed in the suit I'd carefully chosen for him, and the navy tie at his neck was one I'd tied myself.

He was the embodiment of my aesthetic—every detail just right.

But his words? Not what I wanted to hear.

It felt like a work of art I'd sculpted, suddenly tainted by a flaw.

Regret flickered in my gaze.

Feeling irritated, I didn't bother to filter my words.

"Did you ever think you were going too far when you were sneaking around with Sienna?" I shot back.

Julian was left speechless, so stunned he looked almost pathetic.

I looked around and saw everyone caught off guard, exchanging uneasy glances after my remark.

I chuckled and grabbed the cards again.

"Come on, let's keep playing. Whose turn is it?" I said.

I kept the vibe lively, and everyone just chimed in one after another, picking up the game right where we left off.

We were all just here to have a good time. If Sienna hadn't insisted on being such a buzzkill, I wouldn't have bothered messing with the mood.

We were all having a blast, and when I turned around, Julian was nowhere to be seen.

When he finally showed up at the door of the private room, he was with the guy who'd dragged Sienna here.

The guy was bowing and scraping, saying something, but Julian just frowned, looking impatient.

After sending the guy away, Julian kept staring at his watch.

When the clock struck ten, Julian finally spoke up, "Yvonne, time to head home."

I looked down at the cards in my hand, feeling a bit reluctant to leave the game, but I nodded anyway. "Alright, let's go."

Everyone here knew I wasn't in great health and couldn't handle late nights.

Julian kept a close eye on me about it, so nobody tried to make us stay any longer.

Before we left, I gave Wendy a quick wink and mouthed, "Thanks."

Wendy nodded back, letting me know she understood.

She really had my back today.

If Sienna hadn't forced herself into the group, I wouldn't have bothered embarrassing her.

Honestly, I'm not the type to hold grudges, even when Julian cheated on me; I just let it slide.

On the way home, Julian didn't say a word.

When we got home, he didn't help me out of my shoes like he always does. Instead, he just headed straight for his study with a grim look on his face.

I only realized then that he was actually upset.

"Are you upset? Why?" I asked, tilting my head, still confused.

"Is it because I made Sienna look bad?" I pressed.

Julian paused, his back still turned to me.

"You didn't have to target her. I really haven't been in contact with her anymore," he said.

"No contact? Then explain how Sienna managed to show up at the party," I retorted, sprawled out on the couch with my feet resting on the stool, an air of indifference about me.

I leaned back, feet casually propped up, and replied with a careless shrug, not bothered at all.

Julian spun around, staring me down with an intense look.

He closed his eyes for a few seconds, taking a deep breath.

When he opened them again, his eyes were full of determination.

"Yvonne, if I say I'm done with her, I mean it. I won't ever reach out to her again," he said, his voice steady.

"The guy who brought her? He's someone I used to connect her with. From now on, she'll never show up in front of you again," he shouted.

Listening to Julian, I felt a laugh bubbling up inside me.

He made the same promise six months ago, back when I found out about him and Sienna.

"Saying stuff like that doesn't just make her feel bad. It hurts you, too," Julian said, his tone shifting.

His demeanor softened.

He walked over, knelt in front of me, and spoke gently, "Don't say things like that again, okay?"

Our eyes lingered on each other, and I reached out, gently brushing my hand against his cheek.

"But I'm just telling the truth," I said, my voice soft.

That moment was like Julian earning a get-out-of-jail-free card in my heart. No matter what he did, I couldn't stay mad at him.

That's why, even after he cheated, I still let him back into my life.

Julian was stunned, his expression blank for a moment.

I withdrew my hand, suddenly feeling that everything was meaningless.

Julian was out the door early for work.

Right on cue, as soon as Julian left, Sienna messaged me.

I ignored it.

Sienna was waiting for me, blocking my path as I headed to the gallery.

She planted herself right at the entrance, eyes locked on me. "I need to talk to you," Sienna said.

"If you don't want that flawless reputation you've worked so hard to build to go up in smoke..." Sienna warned, her tone sharp and unmistakably threatening.