Chapter 2

2

The next day, we both acted as if nothing had happened.

But that evening, I received a frantic call from him.

"Elara, get in the car and come to The Noir right now! Hurry!"

He hung up before I could say a word, but I heard a woman sobbing in the background.

I had never heard Hayden sound so panicked and desperate.

At least, he had never been that way for me.

A year ago, my car broke down in the middle of the night on a deserted road.

When I called him, terrified, he just calmly told me to call AAA and hung up.

The more I remembered, the more obvious his lack of love became.

I was curious, though. Was he this upset because of the woman in the photos?

Maybe it was curiosity, or maybe it was just a final bit of lingering hope, but I went.

As I approached the VIP lounge, I heard people gossiping inside.

"I heard Hayden is getting married, and Elena couldn't take it anymore. She came running back."

"I knew he wasn't over her. Look at how worried he is. It's crazy."

I peeked through the cracked door and saw the scene.

My fiancé, the man I was supposed to marry next month, was holding a woman in his arms.

His expression was tender as he whispered soothing words to her.

I pushed the door open, and every head in the room turned toward me.

The woman in his arms was indeed the star of his secret photo gallery.

Everyone's eyes darted between the three of us, waiting for a explosion.

A high-pitched, whiny voice broke the silence.

"Hayden, don't go... please don't leave me again!"

Hayden tightened his grip on her and softened his voice even more.

"I won't leave, Elena. I'm right here. Just stay calm, okay?"

Someone cleared their throat awkwardly, and Hayden finally seemed to acknowledge I was there.

"This is Elena, my childhood friend. she just got back to the city and she's had too much to drink. I can't leave her like this..."

"Okay," I said calmly. "So why did you call me?"

I looked at them without a hint of emotion.

In the past, I would have thrown a jealous fit and demanded answers.

Then Hayden would have gaslit me, saying I was being unreasonable and crazy.

I would have ended up apologizing to him just to keep the peace.

But now, I felt nothing.

The woman in his arms glanced at me, then shrunk back like a scared kitten.

"Hayden... who is she? Is she your girl―"

"The housekeeper," Hayden interrupted quickly, avoiding my gaze. "She's the help."

I felt like I had been plunged into a frozen lake. I could barely stand.

He called me his housekeeper. It was almost funny.

He remained focused on the woman in his arms, speaking to me as if it were a direct order.

"Elara, Elena is drunk. Go home and make some of that honey-ginger tea for her. Make sure it tastes good; she hates anything bitter."

I almost laughed at the sheer absurdity of it.

He called me all the way here just to tell me to go home and play maid for his childhood sweetheart?

The man was truly shameless.

Maybe I had held onto a tiny shred of hope that seven years meant something.

But I realized now that I had lost this battle a long time ago.

"Understood," I said with a tight smile.

I turned and walked out, but the tears started falling the moment I crossed the threshold.

Behind me, their voices continued to drift through the air.

"Hayden, I want to go home."

"Careful, don't fall. I've got you. I'll carry you."

My feet felt like lead as I walked to the parking lot, my heart bleeding.

Hayden was capable of being gentle and protective; he just wasn't that way with me.

His love and devotion were reserved for someone else, and I was never going to get them.

I sat in my car, wiped my tears, and tried to breathe.

Before I could start the engine, someone tapped on my window. It was Elena.

She looked perfectly sober as she smiled at me through the glass.

"Hayden's been drinking, and he gets terrible headaches afterward. Don't forget to have his tea ready."

"I noticed him rubbing his temples earlier. You really should take better care of him."

"He has trouble sleeping after a night out. Make sure you light some sandalwood candles. He's used to that scent."

She knew exactly who I was.

She just didn't care, because she knew she held his heart.

I clenched the steering wheel, my face pale as I tried to stay composed.

But Elena wasn't done marking her territory.

"Also, what do you do all day? Can't you learn a little bit about style?"

"That suit he's wearing today doesn't match at all. And that tie... the colors are hideous. You should really learn how to dress a man properly."

Of course it didn't match. He had changed it himself.

Hayden never shared his thoughts with me and hated when I asked questions.

I wasn't a mind reader. I couldn't know what he wanted if he didn't tell me.

Seven years. I was exhausted. This one-sided performance was over.

"Oh, and make sure you accept my friend request. Hayden might need me to handle things if you keep failing to look after him. Honestly!"

She turned and skipped back toward Hayden's car with a triumphant smirk.

Watching them laugh together, I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I thought seven years of companionship earned me a place in his heart.

I didn't realize the entire proposal was just a trap to lure his White Moonlight back.

You can't change someone who doesn't love you, and you can't wake someone who is pretending to be asleep.

I had been lying to myself for years, but reality had finally slapped me awake.

It was time to let him go.