Chapter 2

Dylan slammed on the brakes, his voice tense. "Where are you? Send me your location."

He kept talking as he reached over with one hand and unbuckled my seat belt.

"Take a cab home."

We were far outside the city. There were no streetlights, no cell service, and no one around.

How was I supposed to get a cab out here?

I didn't even have time to react before he pushed me out of the car. The door slammed shut, and his taillights soon vanished into the fog.

I walked the dirt road in the dark for a long time. By the time I got home, my ankles were raw and bleeding from my high heels.

Dylan never once checked on me, not even with a text asking if I was okay.

Meanwhile, Jessica posted three new updates in a row. The first showed Dylan in an apron, cooking for Jessica.

Her caption read, "Seven years later, I finally get to eat his cooking again."

The second showed Dylan down on one knee, washing Jessica's feet.

"My personal masseur is on duty."

The third showed them asleep in each other's arms, wearing matching bathrobes.

"I fell asleep counting his heartbeats. I'm so happy."

After seven years of keeping our relationship secret, I still had no idea Dylan could cook or give massages. He'd never held me like that, either.

So it wasn't that he didn't do those things. He just didn't do them for me.

I went through the posts again and again, liking every single one as if I were punishing myself. With every like, my heart sank a little further until I couldn't feel the hurt anymore.

I told myself it didn't matter. It would all be over anyway.

When morning came, I made some soup and went to the hospital to see Mom. The moment I opened the door, I found someone I hadn't expected to see.

Jessica was sitting beside Mom's bed, chatting happily with her.

Mom held Jessica's hand and smiled. "Ashley, look who's here. You used to bring her over all the time in high school. It's sweet of her to still think of me."

Jessica was in a tight mini dress with spaghetti straps. Suggestive red marks trailed from her collarbone across her chest and onto her arms. The marks looked openly provocative, almost like a silent challenge.

The bracelet on her wrist was even harder to ignore. It was from the brand's latest collection.

I'd found it in Dylan's pocket the week before and thought it was a surprise for me. Now I knew it had been meant for someone else.

I froze, my chest tightening.

I didn't want to see Jessica, but I couldn't think of any reason to ask her to leave.

Mom said, "Jessica came back planning to marry her boyfriend, only to find out he'd been seeing another woman behind her back. I've always hated irresponsible men and homewreckers. Jessica, I'm on your side!"

Jessica gave me a taunting smile, even as her eyes reddened.

"Thank you, Mrs. Keller. That's all I needed to hear."

Jessica pulled out her phone and opened her photo gallery. "Mrs. Keller, this is my boyfriend. What do you think? Handsome, right?"

Mom glanced at the screen, and her face went white.

Jessica smiled smugly. "Didn't see that coming, did you? Ashley's the other woman."

Mom shook her head frantically, her lips trembling uncontrollably. Then her eyes shut, and she collapsed.

It all happened so fast that I didn't have time to react. I hit the call button over and over on instinct.

A doctor rushed in. "She was under severe emotional stress. Blood flow to her brain was interrupted. We need to stabilize her immediately!"

We were sent out of the procedure room.

Furious, I raised my hand to slap Jessica, but she caught my wrist before I could. As we struggled, she glanced over my shoulder. She suddenly grabbed my hand and slapped herself across the face with it.

"Jessica!"

A figure rushed over and caught her.

The slap was so hard my palm went numb.

Dylan glared at me. "Ashley Keller, apologize!"

I scoffed. "Apologize? Fine!"

I walked up to Jessica and slapped her again, this time as hard as I could.

Mom was about to have a brain tumor removed. She couldn't take any kind of emotional shock, and Jessica had to know that. She'd done it on purpose.

Caught off guard, Jessica clutched her swollen cheek and stared at me in disbelief. She looked both humiliated and furious.

Dylan lost it and kicked me hard in the stomach. The blow sent me flying into the corner.

Warm blood trickled between my thighs, and a bright red stain spread.

He seemed to regret it almost immediately and started toward me, but Jessica grabbed him.

"Dylan, my face hurts so much," she cried.

He turned back to her. "Don't worry. I'll take you to get checked out."