Chapter 3

3.

When the sun finally peeked through the curtains, the apartment looked bright and clean.

I took a hot shower and was about to crash when my phone started blowing up with messages.

The first was a voice note from Lucas.

"Sienna, where the hell are you? I even bought you breakfast on the way home this morning."

He followed it with a photo of a greasy bag of takeout.

There was a container of oatmeal covered in raisins.

We had been together for nearly a decade, and he still didn't know I was allergic to raisins.

It had taken him all night to realize I wasn't even in the house.

Anyone with a brain knew he had spent the whole night at Chloe's place.

I didn't bother replying.

Then came the messages from Chloe.

She sent two photos.

The first was Lucas's car parked outside her apartment complex.

The second was a shot of Lucas sleeping shirtless on her pillow.

I had to hand it to her. She was a professional homewrecker with nerves of steel.

I didn't give her the satisfaction of a response either. I just blocked them both.

I slept until evening.

When I woke up, I saw dozens of missed calls.

Most of them were from my best friend, Serena Thorne.

"Sienna! You finally did it! I'm so glad you left that piece of trash!"

Serena's loud, energetic voice over the phone made me feel so much better.

She was the only person besides my parents who always had my back.

Even though she was a busy mom now, she still looked and felt as vibrant as ever.

"How did you find out?" I asked.

The room was dim, so I turned on the bedside lamp.

"Lucas has been calling me all day. I played along and got him to vent about your fight."

"You've put up with his cheating for way too long. I'm glad you finally snapped."

"Listen, we need to talk in person. I want you to meet someone."

I was too drained to go out, but Serena hung up before I could say no.

I figured getting some fresh air wouldn't hurt.

We met at a quiet cafe and chatted for a while. Venting to her really helped clear my head.

Suddenly, she stood up and waved at someone behind me.

As the man approached, his face looked strangely familiar.

It took me a moment to realize it was Elias Young, an old classmate from high school.

He had been head over heels for me back then.

He even confessed his feelings on graduation day, but I had turned him down because I was already seeing Lucas.

Serena told me he had moved abroad right after high school to start his own business.

Now, he was the CEO of XS Global, a tech giant worth billions.

He was in a league that Lucas couldn't even dream of touching.

"Sienna, long time no see. Do you still remember me?"

Elias reached out his hand gracefully. I was so stunned I just stared at him until Serena nudged me.

"Of course I remember. It's good to see you, Elias."

"Oh, my nanny just called. My son is crying for me again. You two stay and catch up!"

Serena winked at me and hurried out before I could stop her.

I was left alone with Elias, feeling incredibly awkward.