Prologue

Scrolling through her ex-boyfriend's recent post with his current girlfriend on I*, Clara put down her phone and smiled when the two supermodels who she was about to meet made their ways into her office.

"Afternoon Ms. Hart," one of them smiled shyly while the one beside her grinned as they stood in front of her office desk.

"Please," Clara chuckled. "Call me Clara. I feel so old when you call me Ms. Hart,"

"Nice to meet you Jenna," Clara shook hands with the one who smiled at her first and then, the one who grinned at her, "and you too Perrie,"

She had realised that Jenna was the shy type and Perrie was more of an outgoing kind. Jenna and Perrie were currently two of the few top supermodels in the country and it took her huge effort to make them agree to model for her products. She thought they fit her brand concept very well - authenticity and naturalness.

Clara owned an e-commerce business, selling cosmetics all around the world. Her business focused on skincare rather than makeup because she always believed that skincare is the first and the most important step in a makeup routine. And she had always wanted women to be comfortable and confident in their own bare skin.

******

Clara waved goodbye to the models as they left and flung herself down in the chair again.

That's all for today. She thought, feeling happy and excited that she was finally launching a new product and getting the models to agree to their payments.

She took a glance at her phone to check the time and noticed a few notifications that she ignored during her meeting.

She sighed and shook her head, feeling amused as she started scrolling through her W******p group messages with her girlfriends.

Zaphire, Jessy and Maya were her best friends since high school. They had all met on the first day of school, being classmates. Schoolmates always called them Maya and the three musketeers because Maya was a popular kid and she was also the most attractive among them.

The W******p group named 'Bitches Are Real'.

(4:37pm) Maya: Did you see Jack's recent post? You guys just broke up 3 months ago and he's already clinging onto another woman? *rolls eyes*

(4:50pm) Jessy: I know right. Honestly, he deserves to rot in hell. *inserting a middle finger emoji*

(5:00pm) Zaphire: We should burn his apartment. Or at least throw some eggs. Make him pay for how he treated you Clara!

(5:05pm) Jessy: You know what! We need to drink! It's Friday night and we don't deserve to rot in our apartments with Netflix. @Clara stop giving excuses that you can't come again. I'll barge into your apartment and pull you out myself if I have to.

(5:30pm) Clara: Chill out girls. You wanna consider moving to Telegram instead? We will be the first to be brought into custody if anything happens to him. I can do tonight. Where to?

She probably needed that drink too. She hadn't been having real fun for exactly four years and three months now. Why? Because her controlling ex stopped her from drinking and partying with her girlfriends.

Jack also made sure she cut all ties with her guy friends.

"If you love me, you will keep your distance. I'm done having cheater as my girlfriend," that was his exact words to Clara when they first started dating.

He made it clear to Clara that he did not want any troubles with men because of his past relationships with his ex-girlfriends, who cheated on him. Three ex-girlfriends, in total if you're wondering.

Could be lies, but she will never know. He loved checking her phone every now and then, scrolling through her messages and demanding her to clarify her relationships with everyone on her contact lists.

Jack was a thoughtless jerk. A definite male chauvinist yet acted like a leech.

On her third year of relationship with Jack, she started doubting his love for her. He never cared about her. He had refused to do anything for Clara. He was so insensitive and full of himself.

It took her almost a year to convince herself to break things off with him because she was reluctant. She was so used to having him around. They lived together and he was always just... there.

When she had broken up with him, she was certain he never loved her because he had accepted it instantly. To see Jack taking in the news like it was nothing to him broke her heart.

He was in it for the security that she could give him, emotionally and financially.

Why financially, you'd ask?

Clara was the one who paid for most of their dates when he had nothing. She was the one who paid for his MBA when he convinced Clara he wanted to help her in her business.

Obviously, they were all lies now. Four years with him, he only learnt to take but not give.

You could say that she was a fool. Indeed, she was. But when you are in love, you see nothing.

******

"So whoever loses this time has to drink three of this" said Jessy, who held the shots up high and threw a ping pong ball across the table. Zaphire stuck out her middle finger at Jessy and told her she was going to win this again.

Earlier that evening, the four girls had decided to go Rimbo's, a local bar just around the corner where Clara lived. It was a very basic bar with relaxed music, somewhere you could hear the person next to you talk. It was a large space but there was no loudness like the other bars across the streets.

Clara and Maya leaned against the beer pong table and watched them in amusement.

"I bet on Zaphire," Maya called dibs.

"Hey, I was going to bet on her too!" Clara pushed Maya's arm in a playful manner.

"Um... Hello? I'm not deaf," Jessy shot them a glare.

Just when they were about to watch Zaphire's victory throw, a woman with platinum blonde hair and tight mini skirt sauntered up to Clara and accidentally spilled her drinks on her black pleated skirt and her white sneakers.

"I'm so sorry," the woman drawled. She was clearly a bit tipsy from the way she walked.

"It's fine,"

So glad I did not wear my Gucci sneakers this time.

She sighed in relief as she excused herself to the restroom. Maya had handed her some tissue to wipe off the droplets of alcohol along the way.

"Oops! Be careful there beautiful!" A man swerved to the side leaning against the wall as his hands held out to prevent Clara from bumping onto him in the narrow passageway.

"Sorry!" she gave a yell and rushed to the restroom.

That man she just bumped into was breathtakingly beautiful. His hair was Achilles-gold and coiffed to perfection. She did not have enough time to study his features but his entrancing, wayfarer-blue eyes caught her attention. He looked like a model and he seemed to be moulded from a different cast as he had an androgynous look uncommon to most people

However, Clara was not the kind of woman who would stop dead in her tracks and admire a man's beauty like a hopeless fangirl.

******

"Are you really ok?" Maya asked while she poured the wine for Clara. They settled down at one of the high top tables next to the beer pong area.

"Yeah! It's just a cheap sneakers," Clara shrugged, sipping on her wine.

"I meant Jack," her three girlfriends sat there, watching her warily and waiting for her response.

"Yeah," she answered after being silent for a while, not wanting to continue this topic.

She did not want it to ruin her night but none of them said anything, still waiting for her to spill her guts out.

She sighed deeply when the silence stretched on and continued. "Alright... maybe I'm not,"

"I thought I'm so over it now. I know he never loved me... and he's a jerk. But it still hurts when I saw his I* post this afternoon,"

Jessy made consoling noises.

Clara went on. "I thought breaking up was the final stage in a relationship. Well marriage was the other final stage, of course. But I guess the final stage in this relationship was..." She inhaled deeply. "Seeing him with another woman. Hurting again. And telling myself that I can finally let go now?"

"This will be the last time he will ever hurt you. No more. I promise," Zaphire wrapped an arm around her and gave her a squeeze.

A familiar gnawing ache spread across her chest. Clara drank more wine to ease it, then held out her empty glass to Maya, to which she quietly filled it.

"Nope!" Jessy exclaimed, earning a glare from Zaphire. Jessy always never failed to scare the shit out of them with her sudden reaction.

"This asshole already took up four years of your life! We're not letting him take up any more of your time! I have an announcement to make," Jessy slammed the table and stood up proudly. Zaphire, Maya and Clara stared at her with wide eyes as if she was a monkey in the zoo that had just escaped.

"Isabelle is getting married!" She declared.

That was... unexpected.

Isabelle is Jessy's younger sister who had just came back from London after graduating MBA. She used to hang around with them a lot during high school because they were only two years apart.

"And we're all still single AF," Maya muttered.

"We're gonna be the bridesmaids. Because this bitch obviously has no friend," Jessy rolled her eyes.

"That's mean," Clara retorted. Jessy was about to make her best comeback but decided not to.

"Anyway!" Drumming her manicured nails on the table and giving them a mischievous smile. "I don't care how you're gonna do it but you are all to bring a plus one with you."

"What?" Maya groaned in frustration. "Why?"

"Because..." Jessy paused. "I know you're all career woman and shit but ya'll aren't hardworking enough to find a man!" She pointed at her friends one by one as she condemned.

"You talk as if you're not single," Zaphire rolled her eyes.

"Honestly, I don't mind being single for now though," Clara added, taking another sip on her wine.

It was true. She did not mind being single. She felt like she had been running a long marathon in her relationship with Jack. It was tiring. It seemed never ending. Like she could not see the finishing line at all.

Does it happen to every relationship too? Or just hers?

"Come on, we're only 26. You guys act like you're widows."

Jessy rolled her eyes and added. "But you were right Zaphire. I might not be single in a few days time," she winked.

"Shit! Who's the unlucky dude?" Maya gasped and Clara laughed at that comment.

"I met him on Textin," Jessy said nonchalantly. "He's good looking and surprisingly not a jerk. Thought I'd give it a try,"

"What's Textin?" Clara whispered into Zaphire's ear.

"Girl you really need to get out there," Jessy exclaimed.

"It's an online dating app," Zaphire gave a flatly reply.

"More like a hookup app," Maya joked.

"Not necessarily if you find the right one. The one who makes you feel whole again,"

"The right one doesn't exist Jessy," Clara shook her head.

That, she was very certain.

In her 26 years of life with 4 years invested in a failed relationship, she had learnt one important lesson.

Love is great and beautiful, but it is not everything. Love is just a part of life, just like there are other parts of life that are also great. No one will save you or make you whole like they do in the movies.

You make yourself whole.

"Don't be such a cynic Clara. Love does exist. You just met the wrong man at the wrong time. That doesn't mean you won't meet the right one in the future," Maya explained.

"That's it! You need Textin!" Jessy snatched Clara's phone that was laying on the table.

"No-" Clara wanted to reach out and grab her phone.

"Shh..." Zaphire seized her wrist and cooed her. "She's right. You need this,"

Jessy started tapping on her phone and finally, after two full minutes, she passed the phone back to Clara.

"There you go! I already downloaded the app for you. All you need to do is just upload your nudes,"

Maya hit her arms, as if warning her not to play with fire.

"I was kidding!" Jessy rolled her eyes again. "You know what to do," she nodded in acknowledgment. Clara just laughed it off and put her phone aside.

Her heart felt weird.

She wasn't sure if she had wanted to meet someone new again. It was too fast. She was not ready to jump onto another boat. It would be like a rebound and it would not be fair for the next guy to come.

The bells hanging on the front door chimed as the four of them stepped out of the bar.

"Remember to bring your plus one! Whoever loses, pay for our trip to Boracay!" Jessy reminded again.

"Another bet again," Maya sighed as she watched Jessy and Zaphire making their ways to their Uber.

Jessy was the kind of friend who would place anything on a bet when she felt like they would not agree to her crazy ideas.

Maya fished out a cigarette from her purse and shook her head lightly.

"Are you dropping by the cafe tomorrow?" Clara asked as she took out her own e-cigarette from her purse too.

Unlike Maya, she preferred e-cigarette more because she loved trying out different flavours. Coffee was her current favourite.

"Nah, I have work tomorrow. Deadline's coming," she pressed the end to her lips and then exhaled. "You?"

"Yeah. I'll drop by tomorrow. Don't worry. I'll interview the newbie myself,"

Maya and Clara had a closer relationship because they shared a cafe business together. The cafe, Le'Fonse was located just below Clara's office in the building.

They said goodbyes after their little conversation outside the bar. Maya rushed to her Uber while Clara walked the opposite direction, back to her apartment.

A cold wind bared her face as she walked across the streets. There were men smoking outside the other bars, some puking by the roadside. She scrunched her nose slightly as she walked passed them. In her quick pace, she huddled her arms and took a puff on her e-cig. The wind was so strong it made it hard to breath as it hit her face.

Ding! Another notification came in and she pulled out her phone from her knitted cardigan.

(12:30am) Jessy: I'm home!

(12:40am) Zaphire: Me too!

It became a habit for them to inform one another when they got home safe and sound. This tome, Clara went on I* again, searching Jack's profile.

Her heart gave a painful little twist when she read the caption - Say hi to my beautiful girlfriend.

He'd never called me beautiful. Clara thought bitterly. Not even when she had put on her prettiest dress for him.

She went on to stalk his current girlfriend. She was indeed beautiful. Clara had to admit. Honey hair and honey skin, that blonde girl looked sweet from sun-kissed lips to soulful gentleness. She seemed so very easy to love.

The exact opposite of Clara.

When did true love become so hard to find?

Why do we have so much fake love parading?

At 20, she was thrilled to find the right one. She had imagined her life with her future partner, getting married and having a small happy family. She had wanted two kids.

She laughed as she thought of how gullible she had been. The thought of finding the right one now seemed so far-fetched.

She recalled how broken and messed up she was after she had broken up with Jack. Getting drunk and throwing up several times in a night, crying herself to sleep asking all the whys questions, bottles of wine scattering around the floor in her apartment, losing focus on her work... as if she had lost direction in life. It was terrifying to her but it was her fault. She gave him the power to destroy her. She was too naive to even believe that he would not.

She had spent four years loving this man dearly, only to find out he never did love her back.

How pathetic was that.

Those sleepless nights, she had repeatedly asked herself what she did wrong in this relationship. Why she was never good enough... Why he never did love her... She hated Jack for making her feel worthless and unlovable after their breakup yet she missed him like crazy. So many times... she had wanted to call Jack and asked him. But her pride would not let her. She wanted to save the last bit of dignity to herself.

Love, in this generation was like a fossil dinosaur to some, just wanting to be extinct. Morals were no longer the same. It was not genuine enough to date someone to see where their mind was at. People could actually be in loveless relationships for the sake of their own benefits.

She learned that the hard way.

But she had also learned that the best revenge was letting go and live a good and happy life.

Author's Note-

Do comment and let me know what do you think :)