Chapter 5

That night, I drove straight to a local lounge.

My best friend, Marcus, had set up a table to celebrate my "last night of freedom" before marriage. When I told him we broke up, he was stunned.

He slung an arm around my shoulder and waved his hand dismissively.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea, man! Why cry over one dead flower? Don't worry, I'll introduce you to some gorgeous girls tonight."

I waved him off. I wasn't in the mindset to start anything new.

But Marcus didn't listen. He dragged two beautiful girls over to our table anyway.

Everyone was getting a bit tipsy, and the atmosphere was heating up, but I kept my distance.

As I watched the crowd swaying on the dance floor, my eyes locked onto a familiar figure.

It was Chloe.

And Julian was standing right behind her, his hands wrapped tightly around her waist as they ground against each other.

His wrists were perfectly fine. There wasn't a single scratch on him.

It was such a pathetic, obvious lie, yet Chloe had thrown away our five-year relationship just to run to him.

I calmly looked away and poured myself another drink.

Just then, a slender, pale hand rested on top of mine.

"Drinking alone is boring. Let me join you."

I looked up. The dim, flashing lights of the lounge blurred her features, but she looked incredibly familiar.

Seeing my confusion, she tilted her head, clinked her glass against mine, and smirked.

"Don't tell me you forgot who I am?"

I blinked, staring at her face.

The woman sat down right next to me, her eyes drifting toward Chloe on the dance floor. It finally clicked.

Since college, Chloe had an arch-nemesis. They competed over everything—looks, family background, grades, jobs.

The woman sitting next to me was her rival, Stella Winters.

My first instinct was to pull away, but then I remembered Chloe and I were over.

Stella was just an acquaintance I ran into at a bar. There was no reason to be dramatic.

We ended up chatting, and before I knew it, we had finished a bottle of whiskey between us.

Marcus walked back from the dance floor, giving us a knowing look.

"That's what I'm talking about! Who cares about an ex when there are better options right here? Enjoy your night, bro!"

Fearing he would say something even more embarrassing, I kicked him in the shin.

Marcus laughed and ran back to the dance floor with his girlfriend.

Feeling the alcohol hitting my brain, I shook my head and stood up, ready to call an Uber.

But before I could take two steps, Stella caught up and supported my arm.

"I was just about to leave too. Want to share a ride?"

It would have been rude to say no, so we walked out of the lounge together.

Once we got into the back of the car, Stella accidentally tripped on her dress and fell right into my lap.

I reflexively caught her. The warmth of her breath tickled my neck, and I suddenly realized how incredibly intimate our position was.

I went to push her up gently, but she grabbed my hand.

Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were wild and mesmerizing.

She didn't say a word, but her gaze spoke volumes.

In the dark backseat, she slowly leaned in and pressed her cool lips against mine.

She kissed me gently, whispering against my lips, "Chloe doesn't deserve you. Stop wasting your love on her."

I didn't pull away. I cupped the back of her head, and just as I was about to deepen the kiss, someone tapped loudly on the car window.

I looked over and saw Chloe standing outside, looking utterly confused.

"Is this Ethan's car? Ethan, are you in there?"

She leaned in, trying to peer through the tinted glass.

I froze for a second, but Stella just smirked. She reached over and rolled down the window.