Chapter 3

By the time I got to the office, workmen were patching the bullet holes in the hallway.

Everyone was still rattled.

"Thank God we got out early. I heard several people died."

One of my coworkers saw me and said hello. "Chiara, your boyfriend picked you up yesterday, right?"

I smiled a little. "No. He was busy driving a coworker home."

The office went quiet. Someone asked carefully, "So you got a cab home by yourself?"

"I spent the night in the break room."

Nobody breathed for a second.

A few minutes later, one of them patted my shoulder. "It's over now."

Near the end of the day, Leo texted me. "I'm downstairs."

He hadn't picked me up from work in almost a year.

He'd promised to plenty of times, only to cancel because something had come up with Lena.

I went downstairs and saw his car.

I walked straight over. Just as I reached for the passenger door, the window rolled down, and there was Lena.

"Hi, Chiara."

Leo spoke up. "Lena says there's a great new seafood place by your office. I booked us a table. Come with us?"

I kept my face blank. "Leo, I'm allergic to seafood."

Leo blinked, and he had the grace to look embarrassed. "Sorry. I forgot."

"It doesn't matter anymore."

I didn't look at either of them again. I turned and left.

Leo and I didn't speak for three days.

Then, just as I was about to tell him it was over, he said there was something important happening on Saturday. He told me to be there on time.

That threw me.

Saturday was our fifth anniversary.

So he did remember.

He used to plan all kinds of surprises for our anniversary in advance.

He once rented out an entire harbor just to set off fireworks for me.

He spent three months making me a pink diamond necklace himself.

But starting three years ago, every anniversary got cut short.

Three years ago, Lena was sick. He said we'd have plenty of other anniversaries, and he felt sorry for her lying in the hospital all alone.

Two years ago, she said someone was following her, and he left the cake half-cut and rushed over to her.

A year ago, she got drunk at a bar. He said he was only driving her home. He didn't come back all night.

This time, I wasn't expecting anything. I just wanted to get through one entire meal and end things properly that day.

Leo told me to be there at ten. There was a little traffic, and I didn't arrive until half past ten.

I pushed open the door to the private room and heard a pop. Streamers shot into the air and fell onto my face.

The room was full of people I didn't know. They all froze when they saw me.

"Oh. It's not Lena."

"You're the one who said the footsteps sounded like her!"

"Reset everything, quick! The next one through that door has to be her."

I stood there, confused, until Leo pulled me aside and pressed a party popper into my hand. "I told you to come early. Here, hold this. When Lena walks in, twist this part."

I laughed out loud and looked at him. "What is all this?"