Chapter 4

The next day, Felix moved our Christmas Eve dinner up to noon.

It would be the last time I ate with him.

He had chosen one of the most famous three-Michelin-star restaurants in Los Angeles, where a meal cost more than 400 dollars per person.

He had reserved the chef's table with its special Christmas menu.

Almost every dish featured Gracie's favorite food—seafood.

For me, there was only the cheapest garden salad on the menu.

Felix held a piece of crab to Gracie's lips.

At some point, Gracie glanced across the table at me and smiled.

"Eunice, is the salad okay? If you don't like it, say something. I'll have Lix get you something else."

There was just one problem. Everything else on the menu was seafood.

Felix offered Gracie another bite. "Eunice will eat anything. She's not picky."

They flirted right in front of me without the slightest shame.

Anyone looking at us would have thought they were the couple celebrating Christmas together. I looked like some stranger who had invited herself along.

My stomach twisted painfully.

"Could we get a glass of milk?"

Felix shot me an irritated look. "They don't serve milk here. Can you stop embarrassing us?"

Then, after a moment, he sighed.

"Never mind. Just wait until we're done. I'll get you some from a convenience store."

The stomach pain had plagued me ever since the alcohol poisoning.

Back then, Felix had cried, apologized, and promised he would never let anyone put me through that again.

The harsh sunlight made my eyes water.

I swallowed the pain and tried again. "Lixi, you—"

"Lix, I want milk too. Can you ask them to bring us some?"

Gracie cut me off, resting her chin on one hand as she looked sweetly at him.

"Eunice can have whatever I don't finish."

The words drained what little warmth I had left.

"All right." Felix called the server over immediately and handed him a thick stack of cash.

Gracie looked at me with a sweet smile.

"Eunice, Lix doesn't mean it when he's harsh with you. Don't be mad at him."

Then she swatted his arm playfully.

"Didn't I tell you to be nicer to Eunice?"

Gracie took a sip of her milk.

A second later, Felix was gently wiping her lips with a napkin.

"I don't really like convenience store milk. Eunice, how do you drink this stuff?"

Felix's expression softened in a way it never did for me. "Do you want something else? I'll ask the server to get it for you."

Then he turned to me. "Eunice, thank Gracie for the milk. Where are your manners?"

By then, all the color had drained from my face.

My stomach felt like it was being torn apart.

"Go on. Drink it," Felix urged.

"Eunice, what's wrong? Did I say something to upset you? Or are you too disgusted to drink from my glass?"

Gracie stood and carried the glass toward me, looking as if she might burst into tears at any second.

I watched her without a word.

The next second, she spilled almost the entire glass over me.

"Eunice! I'm sorry! I didn't—I swear I didn't mean to!"

Gracie's voice trembled. Whether it was from fear or excitement, I couldn't tell.

Milk soaked through my clothes as another violent cramp tore through me.

Felix immediately pulled Gracie away and checked her hands.

"Did you get hurt?"

Even the server, who had rushed over after hearing the commotion, muttered irritably as he cleaned the mess.

"Seriously, you can't even hold a glass properly? Look at this mess. Some people really don't know when they're intruding on a couple's date."

I frowned and opened my mouth to defend myself, but Felix cut in first.

"Eunice, go clean yourself up."

I went to the restroom.

When I came back, they were all gone.

"Ma'am, your total is 1,086 dollars. How would you like to pay?"

At the same time, my phone buzzed.

"Gracie got bored and wanted to go for a drive, so we left. Get home on your own. Pay the bill before you leave."

I took a slow breath. I didn't even feel like crying anymore.

Only the pain in my stomach remained, coming in sharp waves.

Heat spread through my entire body.

"Felix, let's break up."

Minutes passed without an answer.

Then his reply finally came. "You threaten to break up every time you're upset. Do whatever you want."

A photo from Gracie appeared on my screen.

My breath caught. The instant I saw the photo clearly, she deleted it.

"Oops. Wrong person. You didn't see that, did you, Eunice?"

But I had. Gracie was kissing Felix in the car.

There was no doubt in my mind.

She had sent it on purpose.

I turned off my phone and pressed one hand against my stomach, breathing slowly through the pain.

"Card, please."

I paid the bill with what little I had left in my savings.

Then the server's voice faded away. The restaurant blurred around me. And everything went black.