Chapter 06: Grocery Girl.

Elara stood frozen in the pouring rain, her soaked clothes clinging to her skin like a second, icy layer.

Her heart hammered painfully in her chest as confusion and heartbreak swirled inside her like a violent storm.

The cold rain mixed with the hot tears streaming down her face, but she barely felt the difference anymore.

Everything hurt. Orella’s cruel words, and the voice on the other end of the phone that wasn’t Jordan’s.

“Who… who is this?” Elara asked, her voice barely above a whisper, cracking with emotion. “Please, I’m looking for Jordan and would love to speak with him.”

The woman on the line paused, then replied with clear irritation, “Who are you? And why do you have this number?”

The words landed like a punch to Elara’s already shattered heart.

She clutched the phone tighter, her knuckles turning white. Fresh tears blurred her vision as a wave of painful realization crashed over her.

This was the man she had almost lost her job for, tonight....the man she had defended to Orella, the man she had planned to marry at the end of the month. And now another woman was answering his phone.

“Where is Jordan?” Elara demanded, her voice breaking completely. “I want to speak to Jordan right now.”

She heard movement in the background, then the woman’s voice calling out casually, “Baby, someone’s on the line for you. I think it’s the grocery girl.”

Grocery girl.

The words sliced through Elara like a knife. Not even “Elara,” not “babe,” not even “lady.” Just… grocery girl.

Her legs nearly gave out. She stood there shaking in the rain, imagining Jordan saving her contact like some random delivery person he never cared to update.

The humiliation burned deeper than anything Orella had said.

In the background, she heard the woman laughing softly before speaking again in a sweet, mocking tone. “Baby, this young girl is going to be so heartbroken when she realizes you saved her as ‘Grocery Girl’ and never something formal, at least. That’s actually wild.”

Elara’s chest tightened. She could almost picture them together....comfortable, intimate, laughing at her expense.

Then came the sound of a kiss, loud and deliberate through the phone, followed by Jordan’s voice, lazy and dismissive.

“Come on, babe. Let’s not let some young girl with a dim future spoil our night. Just hang up.”

The line went dead.

Elara stared at her phone screen, raindrops splashing across it.

A broken sob tore from her throat as fresh tears poured down her face. The pain was so intense it felt physical, like someone had reached into her chest and crushed her heart.

All the sacrifices, all the excuses she had made for Jordan, all the times she had convinced herself he was changing… it was all a lie.

She had almost thrown away her self-respect for this man, the betrayal cut so deep she could barely breathe.

Shaking violently from both cold and heartbreak, she quickly dialed Jasmine.

“Jasmine… please,” Elara choked out the moment her friend answered. “Can you come pick me up? I’m at Orella’s place. I… I really need you right now, please....“

"Girl, I can’t leave right now. I’m in the middle of making food,” Jasmine replied, sounding concerned but busy. “But I’ll send a taxi to you immediately. Just stay safe, okay? Text me the exact address.”

Elara sent the location with trembling fingers and waited.

Some minutes later, a taxi pulled up. She climbed in without a word, dripping water all over the seat.

During the ride, her mind raced with painful thoughts.

How long has this been going on? How many times has he lied to me? Was I really just the ‘grocery girl’ to him all this time?

The taxi finally stopped in front of Jasmine’s apartment building as Elara paid the driver with a weak smile and dragged herself inside.

The moment she entered, she dropped her bag on the floor and collapsed onto the couch, soaked and exhausted.

Jasmine walked in from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “Elara! Take your wet self off my couch right now!” she exclaimed.

Despite everything, Elara let out a small, tired laugh. She grabbed a pillow and threw it weakly at her friend.

Jasmine dodged it dramatically, and they both laughed, a small moment of lightness in the middle of Elara’s storm.

Jasmine shook her head. “But seriously, why did you get caught in the rain? Why didn’t you just stay at Orella’s place and wait it out?”

Elara quickly hid her pained expression, not wanting Jasmine to judge her or dig deeper right now.

She sighed heavily. “I left way before the rain started. It just caught me on the way.”

Jasmine didn’t push. Instead, she brought over a plate of warm pancakes she had been making and handed some to Elara. “Here, eat something. You look like you need it.”

Elara accepted the plate gratefully as Jasmine continued, “Firstly, my earrings. Secondly, why didn’t you call Jordan? I thought you guys planned a date tonight.”

Elara tensed up immediately. She pretended to be too busy stuffing her mouth with pancakes to answer properly.

After swallowing, she pulled out the earrings and handed them over silently.

Jasmine took them, examining each pair. “I hope you aren’t asking about your own earring because you don’t expect me to keep just one...uh...safely.”

“Nah, that’s fine,” Elara muttered.

Thankfully, Jasmine seemed to forget about the Jordan question. She suddenly brightened up. “So, Elara… can you lend me your red dress?”

“Never!” Elara replied instantly, raising an eyebrow.

Jasmine walked over to the couch, sat beside her, and grabbed her hand dramatically. “Please, Elara....Finally, your girl has finally found the road to love! Isn't that all you have ever wished for?”

Elara widened her eyes in genuine surprise. “Why should I believe you’re not just asking for my dress to go hit a party somewhere?”

Jasmine rolled her eyes playfully. “Listen! I met this guy at our boss’s apartment and he asked me out on a date.”

Elara looked at her, confused. “Just like that? No proper hello or introduction?”

“That’s exactly why I need to go on this date with him,” Jasmine said with a mischievous grin.

Elara reached for a glass of wine nearby, took a long sip, and set it down.

She turned to her friend. “Okay, first of all....congratulations. But what’s his name? What’s his social life like? Do you even know anything real about him?”

Jasmine stared at her like she had seen a ghost.

Elara rubbed her forehead in disappointment. “Jesus, Jasmine! Really?”

“But he gave me his card,” Jasmine said quickly, blinking rapidly. “That should give some details, right?”

Elara sighed heavily. “Okay, go bring it.”

Jasmine jumped up excitedly, ran upstairs, and returned almost immediately with the card. “Here you go!”

Elara took the card and stared at the front.

Her expression slowly changed. “Okay… but who the fuck has no social media accounts these days?”

“Maybe we can check the back?” Jasmine suggested.

“Oh, I didn’t check the back,” Elara muttered, flipping the card over.

The moment her eyes landed on the name, they widened in pure shock. She stared at her friend, speechless, as the reality settled heavily in her chest.