Chapter 2

2

I stumbled back into the party, feeling like a ghost in my own home.

My friends noticed I looked pale, so I made the excuse that I was coming down with something and ended the night early.

Once everyone was gone, I took a freezing cold shower and lay in bed.

I scrolled through seven years of photos and messages, crying until I could barely breathe.

It was humiliating to realize our entire history was based on his manipulation.

I couldn't stop my mind from spiraling into dark places.

Finally, I took a double dose of melatonin just to force myself into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, I heard movement in the kitchen.

I walked out to find Caleb wearing an apron, humming while he cooked.

He flashed me a bright smile. "Morning, Summer! You're just in time. I made breakfast."

I looked at the oatmeal he'd prepared and noticed a thermal lunch box on the counter.

A wave of nausea hit me instantly.

Caleb saw where I was looking and quickly moved the box behind him.

"Who's the extra breakfast for?" I asked, my voice flat.

Caleb's expression shifted, his smile faltering. "Work is crazy today. I was just going to pack some to eat at the office."

I forced a small, cold smile. "Busy, huh? Maybe I should come by the office and help out."

Caleb's tone sharpened with sudden irritation. "Summer, you've been out of the loop for a while. It wouldn't make sense for you to just show up."

We had started this company together right after graduation using my family's seed money.

But once he felt my influence was overshadowing his, he convinced me to take a backseat.

I was so blinded by love that I actually agreed to it.

Now I saw that he just wanted to kick me out once he had everything he needed.

"What are you so nervous about, Caleb?" I pressed.

He looked at me with pure annoyance. "Stop being so dramatic, Summer. You're overthinking things."

I stared at him, feeling a strange sense of detachment.

Was it possible that seven years of love meant nothing to him?

Maybe this was just a seven-year itch, and he wanted the thrill of someone he wasn't supposed to have.

Part of me wondered if I should give him a chance if he confessed and ended things with Seraphina.

I looked him in the eye. "You proposed yesterday. When are we going to the courthouse? How about tomorrow?"

I saw a flash of disgust in his eyes before he smoothed it over with a fake smile. "Babe, the company is about to go public. Let's wait until after the IPO, okay?"

I knew the truth now. Once he used my family's connections to go public, he would discard me for good.

I decided to give him one last test. "Caleb, where were you last night?"

If he told the truth, maybe there was a shred of hope left for us.

But he didn't hesitate. "I was at the office all night. Why are you acting like this?"

I looked down, the last bit of hope dying inside me.

Caleb, sensing my mood, brought a bowl of oatmeal over to me. "Come on, let's just eat, okay?"

He sat down and pulled his bowl close, but his phone rang before he could take a bite.

He glanced at the screen, gave me a shifty look, and told me it was his assistant.

He answered with a professional tone, but his face was tense. "I'll be right there," he said.

He hung up, grabbed his jacket, and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "Sorry, babe. Duty calls. Eat your breakfast."

He practically ran out the door.

I grabbed a napkin and rubbed my cheek until the skin was raw, then threw the paper in the trash.

I had heard Seraphina's voice on the other end of that call.

He was still lying to my face.

Not long after he left, I called a mutual friend of mine and Seraphina's.

She was Seraphina's old college roommate and now worked at our company.

She was the one who had told me to go get the wine last night.

I wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or if she did it on purpose, but I had to know.

I asked her point-blank about what was going on.

There was a long silence on the other end. "Summer, if I tell you, you have to promise not to tell Seraphina it came from me."

I gave her my word.

She sent me a link to a private social media handle and told me to look for myself.

When I searched for the account, I realized I had been blocked.

I had to create a burner account to see the content.

It was Seraphina's secret page, labeled as a couple's blog.

My hands shook as I clicked on the pinned video at the top.

"Today is our first official anniversary! Yesterday was graduation, and he finally confessed. Here's to our future together!"

The man in the video never showed his face, but I knew that voice anywhere.

It was Caleb.

I clicked on the second video, dated only yesterday.

"Caleb took me to pick out rings today! He said he's designing a one-of-a-kind piece just for me. He spoils me so much, I can't live without him."

The video showed them at a high-end jeweler, discussing custom designs.

Seraphina was beautiful, and the posts made Caleb look like a wealthy, doting prince.

The comments were filled with people envious of their perfect love.

If Caleb was buying her a custom masterpiece, then the ring he gave me was just some off-the-shelf junk.

The difference between love and utility was blindingly clear.

Tears blurred my vision, splashing onto my phone screen.

But I couldn't stop myself from scrolling further into the past.

"Finally on our dream trip to Bora Bora! He's so busy but he made time for me. He even bought me a villa here so I can relax whenever I want."

That video was from two weeks ago.

Seraphina had told me she was going back to her hometown because her mother was sick.

I had even wired her money to help with the medical bills.

Caleb had told me he was on a business trip at the same time.

I had never put the two things together.

They were vacationing on my dime while I was worrying about them.

Caleb knew Bora Bora was my dream destination, yet he took her instead.

"I was feeling sick today, and Caleb drove all night just to be by my side. I love him!"

The date of that post was the same night I had a dangerously high fever.

There was a bad flu going around, and I'd caught it after a day out with Seraphina.

I had called Caleb that night, begging him to come home because I was scared.

He told me his work was too important and refused.

But at that very moment, he was playing nurse to Seraphina.

It was a sick joke.

I wasn't worth his time, but she was.

"I've had no appetite lately, so Caleb cooked my favorite meal. He's the best chef!"

The video showed Caleb making BBQ ribs, Seraphina's favorite.

Caleb had always told me he didn't know how to cook.

He'd recently started making me oatmeal, claiming he was learning just for me.

I had been so touched by such a small gesture.

Now I realized I was just getting his leftovers.

I slammed my phone shut and buried my face in the blankets.

The betrayal had been going on for five years.

Five years of being played for a fool by the two people I trusted most.

I took another cold shower to numb my mind, then dressed and headed to the office.

As soon as I walked in, the receptionist looked like she'd seen a ghost. "Miss Sterling! What are you doing here?"

She had been with us since the beginning and was one of the few veterans left.

Her panicked reaction told me everything I needed to know.

I held up a folder. "Caleb left some papers at home. I'm just dropping them off."

She reached for the phone. "Let me just check if he's available..."

I didn't wait for her to finish. I slipped into the elevator and headed straight for the top floor.

The executive level was eerily quiet.

As I approached Caleb's office, my heart hammered against my ribs.

Then I heard the giggling.

My entire body tensed up.

It was Seraphina and Caleb.

"Oh Caleb, you're so bad..."

The sounds of their shameless flirting made my skin crawl.

They were doing it right here, in the office I helped build, in broad daylight.

The receptionist wasn't being polite; she was being a lookout.

Everyone knew except for me.

The double betrayal was a crushing weight.

My knees gave out, and I sank to the floor against the wall, tears stinging my eyes.

Suddenly, the noise inside stopped.

The receptionist must have buzzed him.

I didn't want to see the filth with my own eyes. I turned around and walked out.

I was barely out of the building when Caleb called.

I answered, hearing the forced calm in his voice. "Hey Summer, the front desk said you were here? I didn't see you come in."

"I grabbed the wrong folder," I lied. "I'm already on my way back."

There was a pause. "Oh, okay. By the way, I've got to work late tonight, so I can't make it to dinner with your parents. Tell them I'm sorry."

I hung up without a word.

He was too distracted to notice my tone.

I pulled my car over a block away and watched as Caleb's car exited the parking garage.

I could see a woman in the passenger seat. Even from a distance, I knew it was Seraphina.

I followed them.

They didn't go to a restaurant or a hotel; they went to the hospital.

They walked straight into the OB-GYN wing.

My heart turned to ice.

The sight of those letters made my breath hitch.

I leaned against a pillar, gasping for air as memories flooded back.

Two years ago, I had been pregnant with Caleb's child.

But because of Seraphina, that baby was gone...