Chapter 2

We used to grab dinner at least once a week.

But after they started dating, when I took her out for dessert, she pushed the plate back with a grimace.

"It’s full of artificial sugar. It’s not healthy. Austin told me I shouldn’t eat this garbage anymore."

I thought she was just joking at first.

After all, we used to sit in our dorm room and mock girls who let their boyfriends control their lives, calling it late-stage Stockholm syndrome.

But Hailey was dead serious.

She stopped eating desserts, stopped eating street food, and her Instagram feed went from fun selfies and life rants to nothing but couples' aesthetic posts.

When I tried to invite her to a new lounge downtown, she looked disgusted.

"Only sketchy people go to places like that. Austin would be furious if I went."

Sketchy people.

We used to go to bars every single weekend in college. Back then, she called it her happy place.

Looking at her, I felt a wave of unfamiliarity, and a deep sense of pity.

We always thought "love-brain" was something that only happened to other people. I guess when it hits you, there's no escaping it.

Whatever. As long as she was happy.

If Austin actually settled down for once, I would have swallowed my pride and congratulated them.

Until I caught him red-handed.

I hesitated for a long time, but in the end, I sent her those pictures.

There was no reply.

I thought she just needed time to process it, time to face the brutal reality.

I even planned to take a personal day off work the next day to keep her company, thinking about how I would comfort her and help her get through the breakup.

I never expected that two hours later, my front door would be violently kicked open.

"Chloe, what the hell is your problem?" Austin roared the second he stepped inside, pointing a finger at my face.

"We were doing perfectly fine! What kind of sick game are you playing, sending those photos?"

"Photos?" I stared at him, making sure I wasn't hallucinating.

"Are you saying the photos are fake? You weren't wrapping your arms around that girl at the hotel?"

"That was his cousin!" Hailey cut in before I could even finish. Her voice was trembling. "Austin already explained it to me. “

“That’s his cousin. Her family is going through some drama, and he was just helping her book a room. Chloe, the angle you took those photos at was just bad. It made it look like they were hugging, but they weren't even touching!"

I almost burst out laughing.

Even if she were his cousin, what kind of cousin clings to a guy like plastic wrap and whispers directly into his ear?

But Hailey bought it. Lock, stock, and barrel.

Before I could recover from the sheer absurdity of it, Austin's screaming started up again. "You just wait, Chloe. You’re going to regret this!"

Seeing me stay silent, Hailey got anxious. She grabbed Austin’s sleeve, then turned to me.

"Chloe, please don't be like this. Let's just talk. You really didn't need to call security."

"If you're angry, I can apologize for Austin, okay? He just has a short temper. He didn't mean to do this."

My electronic door lock was completely shattered, pieces of metal littered all over the hardwood floor.

And she called this "a short temper"? She called this "not meaning to"?

Soon, heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway.

"Did someone call security?"

I hadn't actually called the police; I had called the building's front desk.

I knew the police would just treat this as a minor domestic dispute and try to mediate. But building security was different—they worked for the residents.

Two middle-aged men in dark security uniforms walked in. The leader was Mr. Davis, who had helped me move some furniture before.

He looked at the destroyed lock and frowned. "Miss Miller, what happened here?"

Seeing that it wasn't the police, Austin's face flashed with relief, but he quickly put on his usual arrogant attitude. "It's nothing, guys. Just a little sibling argument. You don't need to worry about it."

Mr. Davis glanced at him, then looked at me.

I leaned back against the wall, my voice entirely flat. "This man kicked my door open without my permission and destroyed my lock. I need you to document this."

"Chloe, that is enough!"