Chapter 2

2.

A lump formed in my throat.

I remembered graduation day, when I timidly asked Julian if I could intern at his family's company. What had he said then?

"We have to avoid nepotism." He hadn't even looked up from his phone. "It wouldn't be good for you if rumors started spreading."

And now? Lily had been back in the country for less than a week, and here she was, holding a coffee, standing boldly in the executive hallway outside his office.

I didn't want to get into it with her, but Lily stepped sideways, blocking my path.

"Don't be in such a hurry to leave." Lily's voice was a warm whisper near my ear, carrying the scent of her coffee. "There are some things I've wanted to talk to you about for a while."

Her tone was soft, but her grip on my wrist was surprisingly strong.

Before I could speak, Lily's eyes darted over my shoulder.

Her voice changed instantly.

"Nora, please don't divorce him because of me. It's all my fault. I should have kept my distance. It's just... I just got back to the States, I don't have any friends here, I don't know anything. Julian is the only person I know, so I naturally relied on him a little more... I never thought it would make you so upset."

I couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.

"Relied on him?" I stared at her. "He brings you dinner when you work late? Until two in the morning? Or three? Does the company not have a night crew, or did you schedule yourself the graveyard shift?"

Her eyes instantly turned red, tears welling up, but she stubbornly held them back, looking like the tragic heroine of a movie.

"No, it's not like that, I just..."

"Just what?" My gaze was sharp. "Just that you bring him hand-poured coffee every day? Just that you play golf with him at the country club on weekends? Just that you happen to have hot soup ready when his stomach hurts? Just that you happen to be passing by the dry cleaner's when his shirts are ready? You know nothing about New York, but you know his tastes, his schedule, and his favorite dry cleaner by heart."

"Julian..." She sniffled, her voice choked with emotion, looking past me. "I really didn't mean it like that. Nora misunderstood, can you please help me explain? You know me, I get tongue-tied when I'm nervous, the more I try to explain, the worse it gets..."

Julian walked over from his office doorway, his gaze sweeping over me, his brow furrowed.

"Why are you saying all this to her?" His voice wasn't harsh, but it was heavy as a stone. "She just got back to the country. I'm the only one she knows at the company. Do you have to be so cruel?"

The hallway was quiet, except for the low hum of the central air.

And Lily's quiet, suppressed sobs, like fingernails scratching silk.

Suddenly, I just felt so tired of it all.

I turned and walked toward the elevator.

Back at our Upper East Side apartment, I slept until ten the next morning.

I opened my phone and the first thing I saw was a trending post.

#WallStreetPowerCoupleSpottedAtHotelLateNight#

The pictures showed Julian looking down at a smiling Lily under the dim lights of a hotel corridor. Another was from a Michelin-starred restaurant, where Lily pushed a dessert she had taken a bite of toward Julian. A third was a paparazzi shot in a parking garage, Lily reaching out to fix Julian's collar, her fingertips brushing his chin. He didn't pull away.

On the wrist that fixed his collar was a delicate silver chain.

It was from the same niche designer brand as the anniversary gift I once gave Julian.

Just then, a text message came through.

From Julian.

"Last night was a business dinner. Lily was there. The photos are just weird angles. Don't overthink it."

Sent at 3:17 AM.

Seven hours later, after he was done escorting another woman, he finally remembered me.