Chapter 2

2.

I booked a flight for seven days later, right after my birthday.

This relationship deserved a clean, decisive ending.

After booking the ticket, I habitually opened Instagram. Sadie’s latest post hit me immediately:

“Through the storms of this city, one umbrella now shelters two hearts.”

The photo showed two hands holding the handle of an umbrella. The slender, pale hand on top clearly belonged to Parker.

Only then did I realize that a cold drizzle had started outside.

I was soaked to the bone, and the only warm raindrops were the tears rolling down my cheeks.

When I got back to the apartment, my breath felt scorching hot. I was running a high fever.

While rummaging through the first-aid kit for fever reducers, my eyes caught several brightly packaged bedroom enhancers.

I froze.

In the eight years Sadie and I had been together, our intimate life was practically nonexistent, let alone experimenting with things like this.

She had always claimed to be conservative and squeamish about anything adventurous.

Yet here they were, sitting blatantly in our medicine cabinet, mocking me.

A wave of nausea hit me like a physical blow.

Behind my back, had she brought Parker here?

Into our bed?

My vision went black at the edges, whether from the fever or the sheer disgust, I couldn’t tell.