Chapter 2

I grab Dominic's arm. "Wait. I'm not done."

He looks annoyed. "Verity's alone on the side of the road. Something happened to her."

"I have to go. We'll talk when I get back."

He yanks his arm free so hard I stumble into the wall and crash to the floor.

The door slams shut behind him.

I pick up my phone.

Ten minutes ago, Verity posted a story.

[My heel got stuck in a street drain. I wonder who'll be the first to come save me?]

She even added her location.

I tap like. Then I take a screenshot.

Her private girls' group is already going crazy.

[Girls, guess who gets there first?]

Everyone starts voting.

Dominic's name is way ahead.

Then Verity sends a voice message. Her voice is sweet. Way too sweet.

"You girls guessed right. He's almost here."

"The second he heard I was in trouble, he rushed over like crazy."

"I only had to slip something into his drink once. Then I faked that whole car accident, and he actually bought it."

A video pops up in the group. It’s the fake rescue she staged for Dominic.

I watch it once. That's enough. Her acting is terrible.

The group chat fills with laughing emojis.

[Verity, your acting is so bad.]

She replies: [Who cares? It worked.]

Then she sends another voice message.

"Thank God I got my tits done before we fucked. You should've seen how fucking obsessed he was."

My stomach turns. I rush to the sink and gag.

I almost laugh. So this is what he thinks 100 looks like?

I don't know how to put on a show. I don't know how to fake some big romantic moment.

So the fact that I stepped in front of that knife for him means nothing.

The deals I busted my ass to get for him mean nothing.

The kidney I gave him to save his life means nothing.

Apparently, none of that counts.

I splash water on my face, grab my coat, and pull up Verity's location. Then I go after them.

When I get there, Dominic is carrying Verity in his arms. He's holding her high heel in his other hand.

And he's looking at her the way he used to look at me.

Then I see the shoes and stop cold.

I know those shoes.

Dominic designed them himself. The rhinestones are custom. There isn't another pair like them.

I've been looking for them forever. I thought I lost them. I even blamed myself for being careless.

Turns out they weren't lost. Dominic gave them to Verity.

And somehow, the woman he loves has the exact same shoe size as his wife.

Cute.

Dominic picks her up and carries her into the car, then turns around and sees me.

"Annelise?" There's panic in his eyes.

He walks straight toward me.

"You followed me? Did you come here to start something with Verity?"

I look at the shoes.

"Those are mine."

His face tightens.

"They're just shoes. I'll make you another pair. Just leave her alone."

My stomach twists again, and I gag.

Dominic reaches for me on instinct. For a second, he actually looks worried.

Then Verity jumps out of the car.

"What the hell are you doing?" She raises her hand.

Slap. Right across my face.

"You shameless bitch! You're seriously hitting on my boyfriend right in front of me?"

That's it. I slap her back. Hard.

Her head snaps to the side. She just stands there, holding her cheek, staring at me.

"That slap is for crossing the line."

Then I look at Dominic.

"Didn't you tell her? She's the other woman. I'm your wife. So what's wrong with me hitting her back?"

Dominic snaps at me, "Enough!"

"Annelise, you've gone too far!"

I laugh. "I've gone too far?"

Then I step closer to Verity. My voice drops.

"Remember those one hundred identical bracelets?”

”Want me to tell Dominic what you're really like?"

Her expression changes instantly.

"You... I don't know what you're talking about. Don't even try to scare me."

Dominic looks between us. "What are you two talking about?"

Verity immediately grabs her chest.

"Dominic, she's threatening me. I can't breathe. My asthma..." She keeps talking, then suddenly goes limp.

Dominic catches her. He looks at me like I'm the problem.

"Go home. I'll make you another pair of shoes. Just stop upsetting her."

Verity looks up at me from Dominic's arms and gives me the tiniest smile.

Dominic doesn't notice. She makes sure I do.

I watch Dominic carry her away.

Then I stop a taxi.

As soon as I get in, the driver looks at me in the mirror.

He hands me two tissues.

"Miss, your lip is bleeding."

I take them and force a smile. "Thanks."

A stranger notices. Dominic doesn't. Funny.

He wants me to love him with everything I've got. But he can't even see when I'm hurt.

I look at myself in the mirror. My Love Score has dropped again, from 40 to 20.

That's fine. Let it keep dropping.