Chapter 2

If I had swallowed that drink, Todd would have just labeled me a buzzkill with a weak constitution.

Now he stayed silent, and Lula kept her head down. The suffocating tension in the room was thick enough to choke on.

Thankfully, my phone vibrated, giving me an excuse to step out.

The second the door closed behind me, the room burst back to life. I heard them shouting, "Poker time! Lula, draw a card. Let's split into teams."

"Todd, have you drawn yet?" Lula sniffled.

Todd nodded. "Yeah, hurry up."

I leaned against the wall, swallowing the bitter taste in my throat.

On the line, the HR director was trying to change my mind. "Are you sure you want to resign, Harper? You're scheduled for a promotion to department supervisor next month."

Through the thin wood of the door, I heard Todd and Lula cheering and high-fiving.

"Yeah, I'm sure," I whispered, shutting my eyes.

The HR director sounded disappointed but walked me through the handover process. When I finally headed back, the private room was empty.

A cleaning lady, clearing the table, looked at me in surprise. "Oh, were you with that group? Mr. Rossi said they were heading to the beach for a barbecue. They already paid the bill and left."

My clenched fist slowly relaxed. I let out a quiet sigh, realizing Todd had forgotten me again.

Already too late, I stood on the curb for a long time before finally getting a cab home. The moment I stepped through the door, Todd's call blasted through my speaker.

"Why didn't you come along?" he demanded, his voice furious and accusatory. "Are you seriously throwing a tantrum over a drink? Do you have any idea how long I've been looking for you?"

I quietly changed into my slippers. "When you all left, I was in the restroom taking a call."

He paused, his voice tightening. "What could be so important that it took that long?"

He still believed it was my fault. "Whatever. We're staying out here by the coast until dawn. Just grab a cab back yourself."

The line went dead. He didn't even know I was already home.

I stared blankly at my lock screen; it was our college graduation photo.

Back then, Todd never made me settle. He memorized my favorite foods, bought clothes that suited me, and planned my birthday months in advance.

He was the campus golden boy, legendary for his flawless memory. If I mentioned a craving, it appeared at my door the next morning.

If I casually mentioned wanting jasmine tea, he would sprint to the store and present it to me, wiping his brow. "Room temperature. I made sure it wasn't cold."

When I said our rented graduation gowns were pretty, he bought them outright, saying we could wear them in our future wedding photoshoot.

But last month, he complained they were taking up space and threw them out. In their place sat a giant crate of luxury jewelry.

He had spent the last few weeks meticulously collecting pieces for Lula's birthday six months away. His memory wasn't failing at all. Every item in that crate was something Lula loved.

In his mind, she was a permanent fixture, while I was just a temporary tenant who had outstayed her welcome.

Time was up, and I was supposed to leave quietly.

...

The next day at noon, the front door clicked open. Todd and Lula walked in, laughing and chatting.

"Remember the sophomore year when we snuck out over the wall for barbecue, and you ripped your pants on the fence?" Lula giggled. "You told the teacher a stray cat clawed you!"

"Come on," Todd laughed, nudging her shoulder. "If you hadn't whined for ribs, would I have climbed a barbed fence?"

Lula stuck out her tongue and made a face, then cracked up. When she spotted me, her smile grew even wider. "Oh, Harper! You missed out. The beach barbecue was incredible."

I shrugged, looking directly at Todd. "Todd, we need to talk."

"Later," he dismissed, thrusting a cup into my hands. "Lula mixed some drinks. This one is for you."

He was holding another cup—a mango passionfruit drink, already half gone.

"I made it just for you, Harper!" Lula chirped, stepping closer. "I added an extra scoop of peach syrup. Try it!"