Chapter 5
My heart sank in an instant.
He stepped out of the car and opened the passenger door.
A girl in a white dress hopped out.
It was Helena.
So his so-called exclusive retreat was just him and her.
Turned out, his core team member was just her alone.
Rage surged through me, making my whole body shake.
I wanted to storm over and rip off their fake faces.
Kiara held me back tightly, refusing to let me go.
"Don't go," she said, totally calm. "What's the point? You'll just cause a scene, and he'll twist it around and make you look like the crazy one."
"I've got a better idea," she said.
She whipped out her phone, pulled up the food delivery app, and quickly found that dining spot.
She ordered a serving, the priciest thing they had.
She filled in Room 102 of the restaurant where Landon worked as the address, listed Landon as the recipient, and put down my number as the contact.
"Done," she winked at me. "Just wait and watch the show."
About fifteen minutes later, my phone started buzzing.
It was Landon calling.
I took a deep breath and picked up the call.
"Hello? Is that you?" Landon's voice came through, cautious and searching.
"What do you mean?" I pretended not to get it.
"Nothing," he denied quickly, then tried to cover it up, sounding like he was making excuses. "We switched our dinner plans here last minute, and just happened to bump into Helena, so she tagged along."
It was such a flawless lie. He just spat it out without missing a beat, like it was second nature to him.
He couldn't even be bothered to make up something remotely convincing.
I listened to his steady, unshakable voice on the other end of the line.
Suddenly, a wave of crushing sadness washed over me.
He was the guy who used to look at me with deep love in his eyes.
When did he learn to lie to me with such a straight face?
After that phone call, Landon and I fell into a strange, uneasy calm.
He didn't mention what happened that day.
I didn't ask, either.
We were like two actors wearing flawless masks, wordlessly holding onto a peace that could shatter at any moment.
I knew deep down.
Some things were already broken, so broken, there was no way to pick up the pieces.
His company's annual party came right on time, just like clockwork.
As usual, he gave me a heads-up a week before. "Remember, the company party's coming up. Bring your plus-one, and don't forget to wear that red dress I bought you."
That dress was the very first gift he ever gave me, expensive, gorgeous, and just a little too snug.
Every single time, he loved seeing me in that dress, on his arm, soaking up all the jealous stares from the crowd.
It was all part of his picture-perfect life, a girlfriend who was beautiful, polished, and made him shine in front of everyone.
Looking at myself in the mirror, wearing that red dress, I had to admit that it was almost laughable.
Maybe that was for the best.
Today, I'd put an end to all of this.
The annual party venue was dazzling, all glitz and glamour.
Landon held my hand as we mingled through the crowd, basking in everyone's flattery and praise.
His smile was flawless, never faltering for a moment.
My smile was just as unbreakable, not a single flaw showing.
To everyone else, we looked like the couple everyone envied, the perfect pair.
The annual party venue was dazzling, all glitz and glamour.
Landon was one of the stars of the night, the youngest investment director in the room, drawing all the attention.
I held my glass, smiling gracefully as I accepted compliments from his colleagues.
One of them said, "Iris, you're so lucky. Mr. Price is such a rising star, and you're absolutely gorgeous, a perfect match, the two of you."
I kept smiling, but inside, my heart felt as cold and empty as a dead sea.
As the star rookie of the year, Helena stepped up to the stage to give her speech.
She glided out from backstage in a pale yellow dress, her youth practically glowing.
Her speech was spot-on.
But at the end, she went off script.
She gripped the mic, her gaze locked onto Landon in the crowd, her voice tinged with girlish excitement and bashfulness. "I want to thank Landon most.
"He taught me so much, not just about the job, but also how to be brave when things get tough. Thank you."