Chapter 2

She paused.

"We'll need you to come in and sign for this."

I took a cab to the bridal shop, but before I even reached the door, I caught sight of a familiar figure in the glass front of the mall not far off.

Melvin was sitting next to a girl, the two of them side by side, a few middle-aged people across from them.

They were laughing, talking, leaning close.

I'd seen that girl before, in the photo albums on his page. His ex.

The unease that had knotted in me all night finally settled. So it was all true.

I opened our chat and typed line after line with shaking hands, and none of it said what I felt.

So I took a photo and sent that instead.

Melvin glanced at his phone, and in the same instant his head came up and his eyes locked onto mine.

I don't know what he said to them. He got up in a hurry and came running over, his face all urgency and panic.

"Don't get the wrong idea. Her family's been pushing her hard about marriage, I was just doing her a favor, you—"

He never finished. A middle-aged woman came out of nowhere and seized a fistful of my hair.

"So you're the one seducing my daughter's boyfriend? I knew there was something off about you!"

I twisted against the pain.

"I'm not! I'm his girlfriend!"

I looked at Melvin. He was frowning, trying to pull us apart.

The next second Madeline Sullivan ran over, eyes red, and clutched his sleeve for dear life.

"I know you're his ex. Sure, you two only broke up a few days ago, but that still makes you the ex, and coming here to wreck what we have makes you the homewrecker!"

One sentence from her, and every gaze around me turned to contempt.

I looked at Melvin, my eyes stinging, my voice shaking.

"Melvin. Did we break up?"

He stared at me, thrown.

Before he could speak, Scarlett Sullivan slapped me across the face.

"Shameless thing! Throwing yourself at him right in front of us. I'll beat you to death!"

My cheek burned, and not one person stepped in, every attempt to explain cut off by another slap.

Melvin finally couldn't watch anymore.

"Ma'am, please, stop. Madeline's the only one in my heart, you know that. Don't get worked up over someone who doesn't matter. Come on, let's go eat."

For a second my heart stopped dead.

Scarlett was pulled away. On her way out she shot me a vicious glare and spat at me.

"Shameless thing! Let me catch you going after Melvin one more time and I'll hit you again!"

I lay on the ground and watched their backs recede.

Then I met Melvin's eyes as he glanced back.

He sighed, and something like pity flickered through his gaze and was gone.

No one came to help me. I braced against the wall and got to my feet.

At the door, a message from Melvin popped up on my phone.

【Go to the hospital and get that patched up first. I'll explain when I'm home. Madeline has depression, she can't handle being provoked, and her mom just gets protective of her daughter. Don't hold it against them.】

The man who once couldn't bear to see me hurt at all, the man who used to either call the police or hit back when anyone bullied me, was telling me to let it go.

In that moment I finally understood exactly how much his ex weighed against me.

My lips trembled.

【We're done.】

After I sent it, I went to the hospital. The doctor said mild concussion.

I came back with the diagnosis in hand and found a heap of my things dumped outside the door.

The fingerprint lock wouldn't take my print, and the code had been changed.

I was about to knock when the door opened.

Melvin looked at me, frowning, keeping his voice low.

"Her parents insisted on seeing where we live, so I had to bring them over. Just make do somewhere else for a few days."

"I've already packed your stuff. I transferred money to your card."

As he said it, a middle-aged woman's shrill voice carried out from inside.

"Who is it? This late?"

Melvin quickly pushed me back out, his face perfectly calm.

"Nobody. Just the recycling guy asking for bottles."

Then he slammed the door shut.

The crash rattled the box teetering on top of the luggage, and the framed photo lying face-down slid loose.

A crisp snap, and the picture of us that Melvin had once kept like a treasure on the very top of the bookshelf shattered to pieces.

A shard cut across that cheek of mine.

Sliced right through the smile.

I crouched to gather the pieces, and the door opened.

Before I could turn, a bag of plastic bottles was tossed out.

Madeline's voice was gentle.

"Don't come around asking anymore. Stop bothering other people's homes."