chapter 4

Anora’s POV

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains as I opened my eyes slowly. I stretched with a lazy yawn and sat up, blinking against the brightness. My gaze instinctively shifted to the other side of the bed.

It was empty. Sebastian was gone.

In his place sat a neat stack of cash.

A bitter laugh slipped past my lips as I shook my head. What the heck did he take me for? Some random hookup he could just pay off after a night together?

Heat burned in my chest, not just anger at him, but at myself. I had let him into my body. I had let him touch me, kiss me, make me forget who I was for one reckless night. And now, here I was, with nothing but wrinkled clothes and a pile of money I didn’t ask for.

Fighting the lump in my throat, I stood and slowly began gathering my things. I just wanted out. This place suddenly felt wrong, like I didn’t belong here, like I had barged into a world that was never meant for me.

I slipped into my clothes without bothering to shower, determined to get home first. My hand was already on the doorknob when something caught my eye.

On the bedside table, right where the sunlight struck, lay a necklace.

It wasn’t just any necklace. The chain gleamed, and the pendant glowed faintly as if daring me to pick it up.

I hesitated, but curiosity got the better of me. My fingers curled around it, and the weight surprised me. Cold, heavy… expensive. Definitely not the kind of thing anyone would just forget.

It had to belong to Sebastian. But why would he leave something like this behind? Maybe he’d just forgotten it. I turned the necklace over in my hand, its weight heavy, almost deliberate. With a sigh, I tucked it into my bag. Fine. I’d return it when we crossed paths again.

I stepped into the hallway, retracing the same path Sebastian and I had walked the night before. At the front desk, I slid the key across without a word, then pushed through the glass doors and out into the daylight.

The sun was already high, sharp and golden. I glanced at my phone. It was mid morning already. My shoulders slumped as I breathed out a long sigh and hailed a taxi.

Back at the bar, my car sat exactly where I’d left it, a small, quiet mercy. I climbed inside, closed the door, and just sat there for a moment. My hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles whitening as I stared at nothing.

Last night shouldn’t have happened. If Bruce hadn’t cheated, I would never have let Sebastian touch me. But that excuse tasted bitter, even to me. I couldn’t lie to myself. I was the one that lured him in afterall.

Pulling into my driveway, I parked and gathered the things I’d bought for Bruce, the little gifts I thought might make him smile. My chest tightened as I carried them straight to the trash and dumped them in without a second thought.

When I turned toward the house, I froze.

Debbie was standing on my porch.

For a second, I thought I was seeing things. But no. She was really there, arms crossed over herself, her face blotchy and swollen from crying.

A sharp, bitter smile tugged at my lips. My heart pounded like a war drum, but my voice came out like ice.

“What the hell are you doing here, Debbie?”

She flinched. “Anora… can we talk?”

I walked closer, close enough that she could feel the heat rolling off me. “We have nothing to talk about. Get the fuck off my porch.”

Her eyes widened. She swallowed hard. “Please, just hear me out—”

“Hear you out?” The words ripped out of me. “After I walked in and saw you fucking my fiancé on his couch?” My voice cracked, the pain clawing through even as I tried to bury it.

Tears pooled in her eyes. “It just… happened. I didn’t mean—”

“Spare me,” I snapped. “You’re a liar. A backstabbing traitor. Don’t even try to play innocent.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, one tear slipping free.

But her tears didn’t move me. Not anymore.

“I trusted you,” I said, voice trembling despite the steel I tried to hold. “You were like a sister to me. And you threw it all away for him.”

She reached for my hand, but I jerked back instantly.

“Don’t. Touch. Me.”

Her face crumpled. She let out a shaky breath, then turned and walked away without another word.

I stood frozen, watching her retreat. My mind screamed, my chest ached, but my eyes stayed dry.

When I finally stepped inside, I closed the door quietly behind me, then leaned against it. My body slid down until I hit the floor, my breaths shallow, my chest tight. The memories replayed in my head. Debbie’s moans, Bruce’s face, their bare bodies on his couch.

Why? Why would they do this to me?

Tears filled my eyes. I wiped them away hard, my jaw clenched. Enough. I was done wasting myself on people who could betray me so easily. Done being the girl they thought they could crush.

It hurt. God, it hurts. But I would survive.

Dragging myself into the bathroom, I peeled off my clothes and stepped under the shower. The hot water scalded my skin, but I scrubbed harder, as though I could wash away every trace of last night, every ounce of pain clinging to me.

By the time the water ran cold, I stepped out, wrapped a towel around myself, and stared into the mirror.

I didn’t even recognize the woman staring back. But somewhere beneath the girl who had gone through a lot, I saw a version of me who would survive without Bruce, without Debbie.

I got dressed, forced down a quick breakfast I barely tasted, and grabbed my bag.

Whatever today threw at me, at least I wasn’t going to sit here drowning in their betrayal.

As I slung my bag over my shoulder, my gaze fell on the necklace resting on the table. I picked it up. It was cold, and heavy. I told myself I’d return it when I saw Sebastian again. But then the thought struck me. Would I ever really see him again?”