Chapter 4

4: 4

Max's eyes darted around. He dropped onto the couch, held his head in his hands, and sighed.

"The promotion's kind of stalled, so yeah, I've been in a rough mood. I wanted some space. I was afraid I'd take it out on you and hurt your feelings…"

Promotion?

I laughed at him inside and nodded, all understanding.

"Perfect timing. A coworker asked me to go camping for a couple of days."

"I'll leave Thursday, then. You stay home and get your head straight."

Max kissed me on the cheek, thrilled, then turned away with his phone and fired off a message before he could stop himself.

Dora's fan group chat pinged.

Dora announced it, giddy: 【This Thursday I'm going to my best friend's place to sleep with her man. Stay tuned for the details, everyone, I promise it'll be juicy!】

I curled my lip, cold, and picked up my own phone to make a group.

Max's coworkers, my and Dora's high school and college classmates, all our mutual friends. I pulled every one of them in.

【This Thursday is Max's birthday. I want to throw him a surprise party, so please, everybody come.】

【We'll plan it quietly in here, so nobody slip and tell him. He thinks I'm out of town that day.】

【No problem!】

【A thirtieth birthday deserves a big one. Our department's been trying to figure out how to celebrate him. How about I tell the boss and the whole department comes to your place for the party?】

I replied "Of course" and smiled softly.

You all like a thrill, don't you?

Then this time, enjoy a real one.

Thursday. The boss held Max back after work and stuck him with a last-minute task.

His friends, coworkers, and boss, along with my and Dora's mutual friends, arrived at my place early.

Half an hour later, building management texted to tell me Max's car had come back.

I rushed everyone into the bedroom, shut the door, and hid them.

Five minutes later, Max's voice drifted in through the bedroom door.

"Little minx, happy now? Today your man's gonna give you a good time right here on Rosalie's bed!"

Dora's voice carried a trace of nerves. "Why's the place decorated like there's a party? Did Rosalie really leave?"

Max's breathing had gone heavy.

"She did it to butter me up, obviously. Bet she's fantasizing that I'd look at it and miss her while she's gone."

"She loves that self-pitying, make-herself-cry crap. Nauseating. She doesn't get men the way you do."

The people in the bedroom were about to charge out, and that line froze them.

Every one of them stood rooted in place, not daring to breathe.

They looked at me, their eyes full of pity.

My shoulders trembled a little, and my eyes went red.

I stood there looking lost, murmuring under my breath:

"How could this happen… what do I do…"

Kissing sounds, ragged breathing, the thud of bodies against furniture, one after another.

The people in the bedroom traded glances, unsure whether to go out.

Then the bedroom door took a hard bang.

Along with Dora's coy little whimper, the handle slowly turned.

The door pushed open.