Chapter 2

When I put the proposal together, I held a little something back. I worked late, and only in the dead of night did I send him a message.

I'm done for the night. Come pick me up and take me home.

No reply came for a long time, and my colleague's words popped into my head at once, so I opened his social media feed right then.

Nothing posted. So I checked the supervisor's instead.

The night is soft tonight, and the person beside me knows how to appreciate it.

The caption sat beneath a photo of the supervisor in a white dress. She looked beautiful.

I remembered she'd left work in a sharp, businesslike suit. My eyes went back and forth over the picture, and a knot of unease tightened in my chest.

Then I saw it, a sliver of a finger poking out at the corner of the photo, with a faint crescent-shaped scar on it.

Last year on my birthday, to save money, he'd suggested we celebrate at home. We invited a few friends we were close with, and he led the way decorating the room. That was when he accidentally cut his finger and was left with a crescent-shaped scar.

He'd said it was a wound he'd taken for me, and it was worth it, that the scar it left was proof of his love.

Our friends had cheered him on, and I'd been wrapped up in the sweetness of it too.

The message I sent still got no reply, so I took a cab home myself.

The place we rented was some distance from the company, in an old part of town, and the apartment was small.

I pushed the door open and scanned the room. He hadn't come back.

I was tidying up when I realized one of my dresses was missing.

It was the most expensive thing I owned, a birthday present from my parents last year. It cost a lot, and since I was used to living frugally, I'd never once worn it.

I'd kept it stored in the closet like a treasure.

Frantic, I searched everywhere, then something struck me and I quickly opened my phone and looked closely.

"That's, that's my dress!"

The dress the supervisor was wearing in the photo was mine.

No wonder it had looked familiar at first glance, though I hadn't stopped to think about it then.

He'd actually given my dress to another woman!

He still hadn't answered my messages, but watching another woman wear my dress made me furious.

I fired off question after question.

Tom Estes, why did you give my dress to someone else!

Answer me! Why?

Do you even know that was a present from my parents?

The string of questions got no response at all. I couldn't take it anymore, so I sent another message.

If you don't answer me now, I'll call the police! I'll tell them Adeline Mason broke in and stole it!

Adeline Mason was the supervisor's name. She was about our age, yet she was a supervisor at the company, high up and powerful, and cold by nature.

Behind her back, the colleagues all called Adeline the ice-cold beauty.

But now she and Tom were too close. Close enough to make me uneasy.

The moment I mentioned the police, he replied fast.

Hazel, don't do anything crazy! You don't even wear that dress, and the supervisor called me out on short notice for something. I couldn't just leave her hanging, could I?

Once the bonus comes through I'll buy you a new one.

It was always like this with him, one question, one soothing line. I watched the screen. He was typing.

But nothing came through for a long while.

Just as I was about to ask again, a message arrived.

You didn't call the police, did you?

I won't be coming home tonight. Get some sleep. Don't forget the proposal tomorrow. Once it's locked in, I'll make it up to you.

He said it like it was only natural, and I was already worn down.

I'm not stupid. I could guess there was probably something going on between him and Adeline, but part of me didn't want to believe it.

After all, we'd been together five years.

I forced myself not to spiral, went to bed early, and went in to the office first thing the next morning.

I'd barely reached my desk when Tom came over holding a coffee.

"Hazel, you worked so hard. The proposal's all finished, right?"

"Have a coffee to wake yourself up."

I took the coffee and handed him the proposal, but my eyes stayed on him.

I thought he'd say something about the dress, but instead he took the proposal and walked straight off, with no intention of explaining at all.

Something twisted in my chest, and I couldn't help a bitter little laugh at myself. Then I looked down at the coffee and froze.

On the rim of the cup was half a lipstick print!

I'll admit it, in that moment I lost my temper.

I got up and walked straight into the supervisor's office.

Tom was there, holding the proposal, talking away with Adeline.

"Hazel? Do you need something? Or is there a problem with the proposal?"

Adeline asked, and Tom turned to look at me too.

Without a word, I threw the coffee straight at Tom.

The suddenness of it stunned them both, and Tom flew into a rage in an instant.

"Hazel, are you insane! What are you doing?"

His eyes were wild, his face flushed red, and he even looked half a beat from raising his hand.

Adeline was quicker to react and got up to put herself between us.

"Hazel, this is work hours. You can't act out like this!"

"Whatever problem you two have, settle it after work."

Dutiful, doing her job as the supervisor. Nothing about it sounded wrong.

But the sight of her, the thought of the lipstick on that coffee, the thought of my dress, only fed the fire.

"You stole my proposal, you stole my dress, and now you hand me coffee someone else has already drunk from?"

"Tom Estes, how did I never see how disgusting you are?"

I fired the questions off one after another. Adeline hurried, alarmed, to the door, and only relaxed once she'd confirmed no one outside had noticed.

Lucky for them the office was well soundproofed.

"You, what are you talking about? Hazel, you're going to make a scene again?"

There wasn't a trace of shame on Tom's face. He even turned it around to interrogate me.

"Everything I've done, everything I've worn myself out for, what was it for? Wasn't it so we could have a good life? Do you want to keep cramped in that rundown place?"

"Can't you show me a little understanding? Hazel, you're so selfish!"