Chapter 1

Late at night, in the middle of working overtime, my best friend sent me a Snapchat photo of my boyfriend cheating.

It was taken in a hotel hallway. He had his arms wrapped tight around a strange woman, kissing her like no one else existed.

"Avery, babe, take my advice. Dump this loser as soon as possible."

I didn’t hesitate. I blocked Carter’s number and all his social media on the spot.

By the time I finished my work and got home, the living room lights were blinding the second I pushed the door open.

My best friend and my boyfriend were sitting close, practically snuggled up on my sofa.

She stood up and tried to grab my hand. "I was just playing a prank on you, Avery! I wanted to test his loyalty. You’re not actually mad, are you?"

I looked at Carter, but his voice was dead cold. "If you don't even have this basic level of trust in me, Avery, there’s no point in us staying together."

Watching the two of them perform their little sob story, I actually laughed out of sheer anger. I slapped Chloe's hand away.

"Fine. Both of you, pack your shit and get the hell out of my apartment right now."

Chloe stared at her hand, the one I had just slapped away. Instantly, her eyes welled up with tears, looking as if she had just suffered some massive injustice.

"Carter, I swear I was just looking out for her. There are so many toxic guys out there these days, I was just terrified she'd get hurt."

She even squeezed out a couple of tears and wiped them from her eyes. Honestly, it was an Oscar-worthy performance.

Carter, on the other hand, didn't look guilty at all. He leaned back against the sofa, crossed his legs, and shot me a cold, dismissive glare.

"Avery, are you quite finished making a scene?

Chloe was just joking around to test us. But look at you—blocking me without even asking for an explanation."

Making a scene?

Me?

Standing there, watching these two absolute clowns put on a show, I suddenly found the whole thing hilarious.

I was the one who paid the down payment on this condo. I was the one who oversaw the entire renovation. Even that blinding crystal chandelier in the living room was something I picked out myself after visiting five different lighting stores.

Carter had been living here for over a year, and he hadn't contributed a single cent to the mortgage or utilities.

And now, here he was, bringing my so-called best friend into my home, sitting on my sofa, lecturing me about "making a scene."

"I’m giving you both thirty minutes," I said, grabbing my purse from the entryway table. "Disappear from my sight."

Chloe suddenly lunged forward, grabbing my arm, her voice cracking with fake tears.

"Avery, please don't be like this! Carter and I have absolutely nothing going on. We were just sitting a little close. Think about it—if he was actually cheating on you, why would I be the one to take the photo and send it to you?"

I looked down at her hands on my arm and pried her fingers off, one by one.

"Chloe, during our four years in college, I paid your share of the rent three times, and I lent you ten thousand dollars to help with your student loans."

"Is this how you repay me?"

Her face drained of color. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't find her voice.

Carter stood up, loosening his tie with an annoyed tug.

"Avery, can you stop being so incredibly superficial? Chloe has always treated you as her best friend, and yet you constantly bring up money. Doesn't that make you sick?"

I smiled.

"Fine. Let's not talk about money. Let's talk about loyalty."

"Kissing a random woman in a hotel hallway is what you call 'nothing'?"

Carter’s eyes flickered with guilt for a split second, but he quickly recovered his arrogant stance.

"That was just a bad camera angle! I didn't actually kiss her. A female coworker tripped on her heels, and I was just catching her so she wouldn't fall."

Chloe nodded frantically beside him.

"Yes! Exactly! Her heels got caught on the carpet and she almost took a nasty fall. Carter was just being a gentleman and catching her. I saw the whole thing! How could you misunderstand it like this?"

I took a deep breath, feeling my intelligence being utterly insulted by these two.

These two people—one was the boyfriend I had loved for three years, and the other was a friend I had known for six.

And they were standing here, teaming up to treat me like an absolute idiot.

"Right. A misunderstanding." I nodded, pulled out my phone, and dialed a number.

Carter frowned. "Who are you calling?"

I ignored him. As soon as the call connected, I spoke clearly.

"Hi, is this building security? This is Avery from Unit 2201. I have two intruders in my apartment who refuse to leave. Please send guards up immediately."

"Avery!" Carter’s face turned an ugly shade of red. "Are you out of your mind?"

Chloe’s tears finally spilled over, and she looked at him with puppy-dog eyes.

"Carter, this is all my fault. I shouldn't have sent that photo. Avery hates me now. I think I should just leave."

She made a show of walking toward the door. As she passed me, she deliberately rammed her shoulder into mine.

I didn't flinch. I let her hit me, but as she did, I reached out and snagged the strap of her designer handbag.

"Wait."

She turned around, her eyes misty with tears.

I unzipped the side pocket of her bag and pulled out a shiny set of keys.

The moment Carter saw those keys, his expression completely shattered.

"These are the keys to my apartment," I said, dangling them in front of her. "When exactly did you get a copy made?"

Chloe stammered, unable to form a sentence.

Carter took a step forward to grab them, but I dodged him easily, throwing the keys straight into the fish tank in the corner of the living room.

"Get the fuck out."