Chapter 1

Austin went on nagging for a long time before he finally noticed I was standing by the door, completely silent.

Assuming I had realized my mistake, his tone softened. "Elena, I’m not trying to be hard on you. But you went too far this time. Don't do it again!"

"Because of your screaming, the next-door neighbor came over and yelled at Chloe and me. She’s still crying in her room!"

"We were just a little late opening the door. Was it really worth making such a scene?"

"Chloe and I realize we could have been quicker, too. Just go over and apologize to the neighbor in a bit, and we’ll call it even!"

I looked up at him, my voice cracking but firm. "It wasn't a little late, Austin. It was three hours."

Austin awkwardly glanced down at his watch. "Oh. Really? I guess Chloe and I got so into the game that I totally lost track of time."

"Anyway, Chloe and I left some dinner for you. Eat up, and then go apologize to the neighbor."

I looked at the kitchen island. There was a greasy, half-eaten burger box, a chicken wing with congealed grease, and a half-empty cup of soda.

It was obvious they had ordered takeout and left me their scraps. They hadn't "saved" me anything.

"I’m not going to apologize. I didn't do anything wrong."

Austin had looked a bit guilty when my eyes fell on the leftover food.

But hearing that I refused to apologize, his tiny shred of guilt vanished instantly. "If you don't apologize, who will? Me? Or Chloe?"

"Anyone but me."

With that, I turned to walk into my bedroom.

Austin wasn't about to let me walk away. He grabbed my arm roughly.

"Elena! What is wrong with you lately? You make a mistake, and instead of fixing it, you just run away?"

I yanked my arm out of his grip, ignoring the shock on his face. "Austin, let's get one thing straight. You said Chloe was living here alone and felt unsafe, unlike us who have each other. You said she needed a spare key. So I gave her my key."

"You promised me you would be home to let me in. Did you?"

"Elena, seriously? You’re still bitter about the key thing?"

"I told you, Chloe has severe anxiety. She feels uncomfortable knowing someone else has a key that accesses her living space. You’re both women, can’t you show some empathy?"

Looking at his self-righteous face, I let out a dry, bitter laugh. "Oh, I see. So she only feels safe when she's alone with *you*?"

"Elena, can you stop with the sarcasm and talk like a normal person?"

Just as we were about to scream at each other again, Chloe’s door creaked open. She stood there, eyes red and trembling. "Austin, Elena... please don't fight. It's my fault. I was too focused on the game. I’ll go apologize to the neighbor right now."

She balled her tiny fists as if trying to brave through it, but her shoulders shook violently. She looked terrified.

Austin immediately blocked her path. "Chloe, stop trying to be a hero. With your tiny frame, that lady next door would snap you in half!"

"But... what about Elena?"

Austin smiled, patting Chloe’s head affectionately. "Oh, don't worry about her. Elena is tough. Honestly, I bet that neighbor couldn't even take her in a fight."

"Really? Elena is that strong?"

"Of course she is. Right, Elena?"

I didn't answer. I had been starving for too long; not only was my stomach cramping, but my heart was also aching with a dull, throbbing pain.

My mind drifted back to our high school days. Back then, to pay for my college tuition and ease the burden on my hardworking mother, I had made a reckless choice. When Austin, the wealthy heir of Vance Enterprises, was cornered and beaten by a gang of thugs in a sketchy alley, I didn't hesitate.

I charged in with a baseball bat, caught them off guard, knocked a couple of them down, and dragged Austin to safety.

After that, Austin looked at me like I was his savior. He called me his "badass hero" and chased after me relentlessly until I agreed to be his girlfriend.

But now, the mocking expression on his face as he told Chloe how "tough" I was felt completely disconnected from the boy who used to look at me with adoring eyes. It was like looking at a stranger.

I didn't want to look at either of them anymore. But as I took a step forward, Austin blocked me again.

"Elena, please. Just go apologize. Have you forgotten? I gave up everything and ended up in this crappy apartment just for you."

"Can't you do this one little thing for me?"