Chapter 2

The night we broke up, he offered to give me that apartment.

I refused.

In this relationship, he'd given a lot. Even if to him, it probably felt like nothing.

Because of Benjamin, at twenty-five, I got a taste of a life that wasn't meant for someone like me.

But for a long time, it also threw me completely off balance.

As I looked through my closet for something to wear, Ella moved on to my background, pointing out how I had no family, no roots in this city, how I should've held onto a man like Benjamin instead of just letting him go so easily.

My eyes landed on the seventy-thousand-dollar bag hanging on my closet door.

What Ella didn't get was that Benjamin was like that bag to me. Carrying it might make me look polished and put together, but deep down, I knew I never truly owned it.

In just one year, that feeling of not belonging, of not being enough, had worn me down completely.

After we got the place cleaned up, we headed out to grab a bite.

Over the meal, she said, "You have no idea. People are already saying Benjamin was the one who dumped you."

I kept eating without looking up. "Oh, word travels fast. I thought it'd take a little longer."

Ella leaned in. "Did you hear about last night? Mr. Brooks booked out the entire Summit Crest Villas."

I shook my head.

The Brooks Group was the only one in Kandos City that could really stand up to the Wilson family. And Jackson, the heir to Shepherd, was Benjamin's childhood friend. They were tight.

Ella gave me a look that screamed you're hopeless. "It's all over the news. They say it was a 'single again' party for Benjamin."

Even though it stung, I kept my voice casual. "Yeah, well. He's rich. He can do what he wants."

She tapped my hand as I reached for more food. "I really don't get you. Don't you feel even a little bit of regret? That's Benjamin. Every woman in this city wants to marry him."

I met her gaze. "Do you really think I had what it takes to cross that kind of divide? To actually be accepted as part of the Wilson family?"

The light in her eyes dimmed almost instantly.

Of course, she knew. She was just like everyone else, watching from the sidelines and expecting me to cling to Benjamin for dear life and try to squeeze every bit of fame or money out of the relationship.

What she didn't get was that when the class gap was that wide, there was no such thing as an equal partnership.

I rarely reached out to him first, because I knew how busy he was, all the meetings, the networking, the social events that ate up his time.

Tagging along in his social circle, I'd catch the looks his friends gave me. It was not exactly judgmental, more like... indifferent.

They never asked what I did for a living. It was like they'd already decided I was just a pretty accessory on Benjamin's arm.

Benjamin was perfect. In a year of dating, he never once told me what to do. But even when he casually mentioned something small, I'd find myself going along with it without thinking.

All my friends envied me. They'd say how lucky I was to have a boyfriend who was handsome, rich, and so thoughtful. Only I knew how deeply insecure I felt in that relationship.

Because I knew he always held the reins. He was the one who could say "over" whenever he wanted.

And most importantly, Benjamin's mother had found me. She made sure I understood how cruel the real world could be.

As we left the restaurant, Ella gave my shoulder a sincere pat. "Honestly, I respect you. You're so clear-headed that it makes me wanna bow down to you."

I smiled. "Go ahead, then."

She laughed and pinched my arm playfully.

After the breakup, I pulled myself together and threw myself into work.

Around that time, I ended up moving again because of my job.

From one not-so-spacious rental to another not-so-spacious rental.

The day I moved in, Ella brought her boyfriend, Logan, over. I cooked a whole table of food, and the three of us talked late into the night.

After cleaning up the kitchen and dining area, I leaned against the window and looked down at the neon lights below. It was hard not to think of Benjamin.

For half a year, Benjamin hadn't reached out once.

And neither had I.

I scanned the small apartment, exhaustion weighing on me, and collapsed onto the sofa.

I thought about his spacious luxury apartment, the way he'd close his eyes when he kissed me, looking completely lost in the moment.