Chapter 3

The second time, Serena demanded he take off his shirt and leave seven hickeys on his abs, to commemorate their seven years apart.

He stood before me, his voice cold, and ordered me to take off the shirt I’d ironed for him that morning.

The third time, Serena leaned limply against him, pulling out a hotel key card, and wanted to go to bed with him.

He tossed me a black card and told me to personally go buy condoms.

I threw the strawberry-flavored condoms from my bag onto the table and walked away.

In the middle of the night, Serena had an allergic reaction to strawberry-flavored condoms, went into anaphylactic shock, and was hospitalized.

To punish me, he brought a critically ill Buddy home.

When I found out, the doctor was telling me the news of my relapse, and Serena called me on FaceTime, laughing.

“Ana Reed, I’m so sorry. I accidentally fed your dog rat poison. It died, foaming at the mouth.”

My fingers gripping the phone turned white, and a sharp, continuous throbbing pain shot through my chest.

Buddy was the dog we’d promised to raise together.

Its warm yellow fur was the first color I saw after countless resuscitations.

It had accompanied me through the most painful ten years, only to be poisoned to death.

Tears streamed down my face.

I didn't wait for Ethan to speak again, hanging up the call immediately.

Numbly, I returned to my bed, curling up, trying to draw warmth from around me.

Just then, my phone started buzzing with texts, one after another.

**[Ana Reed, do you know who orchestrated your affair??]**

**[It was Ethan Vance!]**

**[He knew you hated cheating most, but for Serena’s amusement, he still did it!]**

The anonymous texts. I froze. My eyes were glued to the words: "Ethan orchestrated your affair."

Emotions churned within me, and a metallic taste of blood filled my throat.

I once had a happy family. But because my dad cheated, my mom drove us away.

The car collided with a semi-truck. My mom shielded me, her body crushed into pieces.

That night, my mouth, eyes, and nostrils were all filled with the taste of my mother’s blood.

I had once laid bare my deepest vulnerability.

Ethan had protected it carefully, treasured it.

Now, for Serena's amusement, he'd used infidelity against me.

My whole body spasmed with pain. I didn't take any more painkillers and finally passed out.

The next day when I woke up again, I signed for the euthanasia pills the doctor had sent.

I unwrapped the pills and had just put them into my bag.

When the villa door was suddenly kicked wide open.

“Ana Reed, who told you to send Serena so many strawberry-flavored things!”

“Don’t you know her allergy is so severe she couldn’t even stand the smell of strawberries?!”

Ethan radiated cold fury, his eyes filled with intense disgust. I froze, then saw Serena, behind him, covering her face, smiling a knowing, meaningful smile.

“Ethan, my face is ruined!”

“I have to get my revenge…”

Before she finished speaking, Serena strode forward. She slapped me, hard, across the face, again and again.

“Smack!”

“Smack, smack, smack!”

My face stung and swelled from the slaps.

I leaned against the wall. After collecting myself, I picked up a nearby vase and smashed it over her head.

“Crash!”

The vase shattered on Serena’s head.

I stared intently at Ethan, and asked the question.

“Ethan Vance, was that affair, was that all your doing?!”

“It was my doing.”

“I knew you hated cheating most, I did it on purpose!”

“Ana Reed, do you know what I regret most?”

“Saving you in sophomore year of high school! I should have let your dad and his mistress beat you to death!”