Chapter 4

When I got home, I locked the contract safely in the deepest drawer of my desk. I opened my phone and saw that Maya had just posted on Instagram.

Her grid showed a lavish Italian dinner.

Wagyu steaks, lobsters, and beautifully plated desserts. Ethan sat opposite her, showing only half of his side profile.

Her caption was pathetic:

"Is this how friendship ends? We just drift apart? So heartbroken."

Underneath, Ethan had already left a comment: "It's okay. I'll always be by your side."

As if that weren't enough, he quickly added another comment: "Chloe was out of line today. I apologize on her behalf."

Their little back-and-forth made me want to gag.

I was about to close the app when the Maine Coon, who was busy devouring premium wet food, suddenly let out a lazy thought:

"Short on cash, are we? What's the rush? Did you forget the designer solid gold jewelry set you lent to Maya?"

I slapped my forehead. How could I have forgotten about that?

Back when we first started working, Maya complained that she was worried her colleagues would look down on her, so she wanted some high-end accessories to boost her confidence.

Ethan had chimed in, urging me to lend her my solid gold bracelet, necklace, and earrings for a while. He promised he would buy me a brand-new set later.

I hadn't thought much of it at the time, so I handed them over.

But Ethan's promises, like all his other lies, were always deferred to "next time."

Meanwhile, Maya wore them everywhere without shame, eventually stopped mentioning them altogether, and even secretly bragged to others that they were a gift from a "rich admirer."

Gold prices had skyrocketed recently. That set weighed over fifty grams. At today's market value, it was worth a fortune.

Since I had lent it to her without a formal agreement, getting it back wouldn't be easy.

But I wasn't the pushover I used to be.

Whatever belongs to me, they're going to spit it back out!

I took an Uber to Maya's rented apartment. The hallway was dead quiet.

Just as I reached the door, I heard their hushed voices coming through the thin wooden panel.

"Ethan, do you think Chloe noticed something? The way she acted today was really off."

"Don't worry. We've been together for two years, and she never suspected a thing. She's incredibly gullible. She's probably at home right now feeding my cat for us."

The two let out a low chuckle. Maya's voice turned sweet and smug. "So, do you think she'll really lend me that $300,000? I'm dying to move into that loft with you."

"Of course she will. She always does what I say."

"Oh, good. I feel so much better now."

"So, how are you going to thank me? Hmm? Just with words?"

Then came the rustling of clothes, followed by muffled, breathless giggles that made my stomach turn.

I sneered and banged on the door with all my might.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The loud noise echoed through the empty hallway, triggering the motion-sensor lights on the entire floor.

"Who the hell is that?" Ethan's voice rasped, clearly annoyed at being interrupted.

"Me! Chloe!" I shouted.

Instantly, a chaotic scramble erupted inside. Chairs knocked over, followed by panicked, hurried footsteps.

A moment later, the door swung open.

Ethan stood there, his shirt buttons completely mismatched.

And there were fresh hickeys on his neck.