Chapter 5
Adam froze in place, clearly stunned that I was letting the incident pass without further questioning.
He parted his lips like he wanted to say something else, but he eventually bowed his head and continued packing his luggage.
I watched his flustered movements and felt a sharp sense of absurdity.
This was the same man who handled high-value business deals with unshakable poise and confidence. Yet now he was freaking out over a pair of underwear.
"Oh, by the way," I said suddenly, "I had a dream last night."
"What kind of dream?" he asked without looking up.
"I dreamed you were holding another woman's hand and told me you'd fallen for someone else," I said, folding his shirt slowly and deliberately. "Do you think that dream could ever come true?"
Adam stopped dead in his tracks.
He slowly straightened up and looked at me, his expression heavy and unreadable. "Dreams never reflect reality."
"Really?" I walked up to him and fixed his crooked tie. "People say dreams come from what occupies your thoughts during the day. I can't help but wonder why I'd have a dream like that."
"Because you've been overworking and wearing yourself out." He reached out to hold my hand. "Claire, once I wrap up this project, we're going to take a trip. We'll go to Frostland and chase those dreamlike views you've always wanted to see."
It was the same empty promise all over again. He kept masking his current betrayal with visions of a perfect future that would never come.
"Sure," I said, withdrawing my hand. "Don't forget to bring me a souvenir."
"Of course," he replied.
As he headed for the door with his suitcase, I called out to him from the entryway, "Adam."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember what kind of person you said you hated the most back in college?"
He paused briefly, hesitation flashing across his face. "I can't recall."
"You said you hated liars more than anything." I held his gaze steadily. "You told me lies ate away at every honest and genuine part of a relationship."
Adam's expression froze.
I smiled and waved. "Drive safely."
After the front door shut, I walked out to the balcony and watched his car pull out of the community. The passenger seat was still occupied. I could make out a woman's delicate side profile and long flowing hair through the car window.
Later, my phone buzzed. I took it out and saw that Emily had posted something on her social media.
She shared a photo taken inside an airport waiting area, with the caption: [Heading toward the future with someone important.]
In the corner of the photo, a man's hand hovered over a boarding pass.
The watch on his wrist was the exact one I had gifted Adam.
I liked the post and commented: [Have a great trip.]
Emily deleted the update several seconds later.
I smiled to myself and captured a screenshot before the post vanished to save as evidence.
*****
At 5:30 PM, I got all dressed up and headed out.
The restaurant Sophie picked was on the top floor of the tallest building downtown, with floor-to-ceiling windows showing off the whole city's night view.
By the time I got there, most of the people had already arrived.
Our college friends were all gathered together, and the place was buzzing with energy.
Sophie waved me over. "Claire, over here."
That was when I spotted Emily.
She sat in the middle of the crowd, dressed in a soft champagne dress with polished, event-ready makeup.
A brilliant diamond ring glinted brightly under the overhead lights on her left ring finger.
"Claire," she called out, getting up and giving me a warm hug. "It's been ages. You're still as gorgeous as ever."
"You too," I smiled. "That ring is stunning. Did your boyfriend give it to you?"
Emily lowered her gaze with a shy expression. "Yes. We made things official recently."
"Congratulations. So, who's the lucky guy?"
"I'm keeping it a secret for now." She winked playfully. "I'll introduce him to everyone once things are more settled."
Sophie leaned into our conversation with a laugh. "Emily's being so mysterious about it. She won't tell us anything, but a ring that nice definitely means she's dating someone wealthy and impressive."
Everyone burst out laughing.
Emily nudged Sophie in a lighthearted tease, but her eyes drifted to me, carrying a clear hint of provocation.
When we sat down, she deliberately took the seat right next to me. "Claire, I heard Adam's on a business trip today?"
"Yes, he's heading for Sheriston," I said, taking a sip of my wine. "How did you know that?"
"My team's company also has ongoing work in that city. I heard coworkers talking about it," she answered with a completely calm demeanor. "What a nice coincidence."
"It really is." I held her gaze with a faint smile. "You might end up running into him there."
Emily's face froze for a split second, but she quickly recovered. "That's pretty unlikely. The city is huge after all."