Chapter 4

"All those years of your youth, a guy with that kind of background—you're really walking away just like that? You don't regret it?"

When my coworker Hailey found out I had broken up with him, she couldn't help but sigh.

"I don't regret it. Dragging it out wouldn't change the ending anyway."

I stirred my instant coffee, answering evenly.

"Even without Felicia, we still would've ended up apart. He's always been brutally pragmatic. If there's a better option on the table, why would he choose me? I can't even blame him, honestly." Facing reality head-on, I let my head drop slightly.

"Look at Felicia's Ins right now! She's bragging again."

Hailey's voice spiked with excitement, like she had just stumbled onto the juiciest gossip of the year.

Though I pretended not to care, my fingers acted on their own and clicked open Felicia's latest post.

It was a selfie of Eugene and Felicia pressing their cheeks together, alongside photos of a grand opening for a floral boutique.

The caption read: [Hubby finally agreed to show his face in a photo.]

Down in the comments, friends teased and showered her with congratulations.

[Calling him hubby already? The big day must be right around the corner!]

[So jealous of you! Finding someone who's not only gorgeous, but from the exact same social circle.]

[Your fiancé is spoiling you rotten. He knew you loved flowers, so he literally bought you an entire boutique.]

[Congrats, girl! Save a seat for me at the wedding!]

Heh.

A dry, bitter smirk twitched at the corner of my lips.

How sweet. What a match made in heaven.

So that "startup project" Eugene kept rambling about was just funding Felicia's flower shop.

Thinking back to how I used to pull all-nighters drafting business proposals just to keep his spirits up... it was pathetic.

Turns out his ambitions were never about business. Any grand venture he talked about shrank into nothing next to pleasing his dream girl.

From start to finish, I was merely an oblivious side character.

"Serena? Why did you go quiet?"

"Don't be sad. Come out for drinks with me tonight—drown your sorrows!"

At Hailey's relentless insistence, I let her drag me to a crowded downtown club.

Neon lights pulsed in a dizzying haze, bass thumping through the floorboards.

I hadn't set foot in a venue like this for years. Every cell in my body felt wildly out of place.

"I'm kind of traditional," Eugene had told me once during a late-night heart-to-heart. "I'm really not into girls who hang out at clubs or get covered in tattoos."

Yet right now, clubs happened to be one of the top spots Eugene and Felicia frequented together.

"Come over here, Serena! You're being way too stiff! Dance!" Hailey grabbed my hand and pulled me right into the center of the dance floor.

Watching the sea of bodies swaying under the lights, I let myself move along with the rhythm.

For a brief moment, the suffocating weight lifted off my shoulders.

"Hey beautiful, let me get your number."

I hadn't been dancing long before a guy with bleach-blond hair leaned in close, grabbing my wrist and demanding my contacts.

"Sorry, I'm not interested." I shoved him away firmly.

Despite our loud voices and obvious struggle, nobody on the packed dance floor batted an eye.

The guy refused to back off, stumbling closer again.

Just as a string of curses rose to my lips, he suddenly heaved and threw up all over my shirt.

Just my luck.

Unbelievable.