Chapter 1

Rowan and I had been together for seven years. For all those years, I was her assistant, her shadow, and her secret.

After the award ceremony, Rowan stood before a crowd of reporters. She finally addressed the rumors about her and Ian.

"I'm so lucky Ian was with me on set this time," she said with a sweet smile. "Half of this award belongs to him."

Ian wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He told the press they would have some good news to share soon.

Instagram was flooded with photos of the "True Couple." Everyone was talking about how perfect Rowan and Ian looked together.

This time, I didn't blow up her phone with angry questions. I just calmly turned mine off.

I had struggled in this relationship for seven years. Finally, I was just too tired to keep going.

1.

Rowan didn't get back until one in the morning.

She seemed surprised to see me still sitting in the living room.

There was a cake on the table, still in its original packaging.

A week ago, the organizers had told her she was going to win.

Rowan had promised me that she'd use the live broadcast to announce our relationship. She said it was the perfect birthday gift for me.

I recognized the blazer she was taking off. It was the one Ian had been wearing in the interview.

"Why are you still up?" she asked.

"I texted you. The team wanted to celebrate the win, so we went out for a late dinner."

I had been her assistant for seven years. Technically, I was part of the team.

But whenever Ian was around, Rowan rarely invited me to their gatherings.

I didn't care anymore if it was a team dinner or just a date for two.

"What happened there?" I asked, pointing at the red marks on her shoulder.

A flash of panic crossed her face.

"I was waiting for the car and got bitten by mosquitoes. I scratched it too hard, that's all. I'll just put some cream on it."

She looked guilty when she saw I didn't press for more details.

She sat down next to me and pulled a small square box from her bag.

"Open it. See if you like your birthday present."

I remembered that watch. Ian had been wearing it when he had his hand on her shoulder earlier.

I set it on the table without opening it.

"You don't like it?" she asked, her voice dropping.

"I don't want things that other people have already worn."

My cold attitude made her uncomfortable.

She tried to explain, her voice tinged with forced patience.

"Ian just started out in the industry. He couldn't afford something this expensive, so I let him borrow it for the night. It's no big deal."

"If he likes other people's things that much, let him have it," I replied.

Rowan knew I wasn't just talking about the watch. I was talking about her soft-launching her romance with him.

"Ian just joined the agency. Creating a fake couple vibe just helps his career," she said.

"This award wasn't even that prestigious. I'll announce us when I win something bigger next time."

I just gave her a cold "Mhm."

I stood up to go to my room, but she grabbed my hand.

"Devon, look at the trophy. I specifically brought it back to give to you."

In the past, Rowan would give every trophy she won to Ian.

The only reason she brought this one home was because Ian already had an identical one.

I had seen Ian's post on Twitter right before she walked in.

"One for you, one for me. Now we're a matching set," his caption had read.

"Just put it away," I said, not taking it.

Usually, I'd be happy for hours if she gave me anything. My indifference finally made her snap.

"Devon, seriously? You're giving me attitude over such a small thing?"

"You're never like this!"

I didn't give her a reaction. I just walked straight into the guest room.

Rowan was a light sleeper because of her work.

To avoid disturbing her, she took the master suite. The other large rooms had been turned into walk-in closets for her designer clothes.

In this three-thousand-square-foot penthouse, only this tiny guest room felt like mine.

Rowan never cared about my feelings. she just took everything I did for granted.