Chapter 2

Emma's POV:

“Alex…?”

Alex's head snapped towards me, and it didn't take more than two seconds for his expression to go from surprise to irritation.  

“For God’s sake! Couldn’t you find a worse time than this?”  

My jaw dropped.

I had expected… what exactly had I expected? An apology? An explanation? Something that would make this betrayal feel even slightly less shattering? 

But instead, he had the audacity to be annoyed at me?

I stepped forward, crushing the smashed cake box I had dropped earlier. 

“Are you being serious right now…? That’s what you think is wrong with all this– my timing!” 

He just stared at me, completely indifferent. 

“What else?” 

He shrugged, like this was all just some minor inconvenience, and I was the crazy one for blowing things out of proportion. 

“I just didn’t expect you to be back so soon.”  

I felt like a volcano, with thousands of emotions surging inside my heart, ready to burst: rage, humiliation, betrayal… but I forced them down. 

I needed answers first. 

“How long! How long have you been cheating on me, sneaking behind my back?”  

“If I say today’s the first time, will you believe it?”  

I let out a strangled cry, halfway between a scream and a sob. 

“It’s not your first time though, is it?”  

“How does it make a difference? It doesn’t matter how long Charlotte and I have been together, because things are finally going right.” 

He reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. 

“She was always supposed to be my soulmate. We were going to end up together at some point or another, so it's better that you found out now…”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. 

My vision blurred with tears. 

“And what about me…?!”  

I hated how small and pathetic I sounded, but I couldn't help it. My heart had been smashed into pieces, and I couldn't act like it was no big deal. 

Alex leaned back against the pillows, his expression bored. 

“You? What about you? You were a stepping stone to get closer to her… that’s all.”  

My knees almost gave out beneath me, but I locked them in place. Alex’s mocking smile widened, as if my pain was amusing to him.  

“What's the point of being so jealous and ungrateful? Instead, you should be thankful that you are blessed with the same beautiful appearance as Charlotte! That’s the only reason you caught my eye in the first place. Honestly, Emma, I thought you were smart, but I didn’t know you were gonna be so delusional…" 

“Why did you think I would choose you over Charlotte? Which dumbass will choose a nameless, useless copy instead of the real gem?"  

A quiet laugh escaped from Charlotte. 

“As if she could ever be more than a cheap copy!”

But I wasn’t listening to her. My chest burned, my hands shaking as I forced the words out, my voice barely above a whisper. 

"Our love… our plans… all the effort we put in to build a better life. Didn’t that mean anything to you… didn't you feel guilty even once?"  

Alex scoffed, rolling his eyes. 

"Effort?! Oh please, hard work alone doesn’t get you anywhere, Emma. Even a donkey slaves away all its life, and yet, how many donkeys do you see as CEOs?"  

I flinched at his words, my stomach twisting painfully. I brought my hand to my mouth to suppress the nausea, and Alex’s smirk dropped instantly. 

“Just stop being dramatic for once and get out! Get out of our room.”

My lips parted, and for a second, I thought about asking where I was supposed to go so late at night. But the disgust in his eyes made me completely speechless. 

And so, I turned around. 

My legs started moving on their own until I reached the cold living room and collapsed on the couch, curling into myself. 

I cried until exhaustion won over pain, and finally, sleep claimed me.  

###

The sound of the television made my head throb with pain before I even opened my eyes. 

My body felt stiff, my eyes swollen with tears. For a few moments, I was in a daze, struggling to figure out where I was. 

I sat up slowly, pressing my palms into my temples, trying to suppress the pounding pain in my head. 

And then, I saw them; Alex and Charlotte were lounging on the sofa directly across from me, watching television… as if last night had never happened.

Alex’s arm was draped lazily over her shoulders, their bodies pressed together like they had been molded that way. 

Charlotte raised her arm, stretching lazily before cuddling with Alex and turning her attention to me. 

“Did you finally decide to wake up?” 

Her voice was casual, filled with arrogance. 

“Now why don’t you prove to be useful and bring us some coffee?”

I stared at her in disbelief– was this some kind of sick joke? But when Alex didn’t even blink at her request, I realized they weren’t joking.

I had no choice but to follow.

Moving mechanically, I walked to the kitchen, my hands trembling as I prepared the coffee. My body felt numb, I wasn’t really there. 

The tray clattered slightly while I carried it back, the bitter scent of coffee filling the air. 

I set it down on the table, and just then, the television flickered, switching to a new channel.

The news anchor’s voice filled the room.

“And in today’s headlines, the highly anticipated artwork ‘BLOOMING’ has received widespread acclaim for its creative vision. Critics are hailing it as a success—”

My head snapped toward the screen. My stomach dropped.

No… no, it couldn’t be.

The reporter continued describing the artwork in detail, and displaying the painting which I knew very well. 

Every single stroke on that canvas was familiar to me, because I had painted it with my own hands. 

As a birthday gift to Alex. 

“That’s my project.”