CHAPTER 2

Aki Salamanca stood in the small living room of her apartment, her heart racing as she faced Larry. The late afternoon light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the mess of scattered books and unwashed dishes. She couldn’t believe they had come to this point, but the betrayal was too fresh, too raw.

“Five years, Larry! Five years, and this is how you repay me?” Her voice trembled, but she forced herself to hold his gaze. “I sacrificed everything for you—my time, my money. I thought we were building something together.”

Larry leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his expression a mix of irritation and indifference. “Aki, you’re making this sound dramatic. I’m just having fun. I’m still a teenager.”

“Fun?” Aki echoed, disbelief flooding her tone. “Is that what you call it? Cheating on me with someone else? What kind of fun is that? Did it ever occur to you that your actions have consequences?”

He shrugged, a dismissive gesture that felt like a slap to her face. “You’re too serious, Aki. Life’s too short to be weighed down by all this.”

“Too serious?” Aki laughed bitterly, incredulity washing over her. “ I worked just to make sure you had what you needed. And this is how you repay me?”

Larry sighed, running a hand through his tousled hair. “Look, I didn’t mean to hurt you. But maybe you need to understand that I’m not ready to settle down. I want to explore, see what’s out there. It’s not about you.”

“Not about me?” Aki’s voice cracked, her chest tightening with anger and hurt. “What’s wrong with me, Larry? Am I not enough? What does she have that I don’t?”

He hesitated for a moment, his gaze shifting to the floor. “It’s not about you being enough or not. I just want to enjoy my youth without the pressure of a relationship.”

Aki took a step closer, desperation clawing at her insides. “But you’re throwing away everything we’ve built! We were supposed to be partners! You don’t just get to walk away because you want a thrill.”

Larry straightened up, irritation creeping back into his demeanor. “If you can’t accept me for who I am, then maybe you’re right. I don’t deserve you.”

Her heart dropped. The finality in his words hit her like a punch. “You don’t mean that,” she whispered, hoping to pierce through the wall he had built around himself.

He met her gaze, and for a brief moment, she thought she saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, but it vanished as quickly as it came. “I do mean it. I need to go.” He turned toward the door, a finality in his movements that left Aki feeling hollow.

“Larry!” she cried out, desperation lacing her voice, but he didn’t turn back. He yanked the door open, its hinges creaking in protest, and slammed it behind him with a resounding thud that echoed through the empty apartment.

Aki sank onto the couch, her hands trembling as she fought back tears. The silence felt oppressive, and the realization that the love she had fought so hard for had disintegrated into betrayal left a bitter taste in her mouth. She stared at the door, feeling as if a piece of her heart had been torn away, and wondered how she would ever move on from this.

Aki Salamanca sat on the edge of her bed, the lavishly designed room contrasting sharply with the turmoil in her heart. The walls were adorned with sketches of her latest designs, vibrant fabrics hanging from a rack in the corner. Yet, none of that beauty could pierce through the fog of frustration and betrayal that enveloped her.

She had been crying for what felt like hours, her makeup smudged across her cheeks, the remnants of her latest collection forgotten on the desk. Larry’s betrayal echoed in her mind, each memory of their five years together now tainted with the knowledge of his infidelity. The way he had looked at her just before storming out, that cold, dismissive look, made her stomach churn. What had she done wrong? Why wasn’t she enough?

Her phone buzzed on the bedside table, a jarring interruption to her spiraling thoughts. She picked it up, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, and saw Katty’s name flashing on the screen. She hesitated but answered, hoping for a moment of distraction.

“Aki, Kaye will be here to see the gown. She’s really excited about it,” Katty said, her voice bright and cheerful.

Aki forced a smile, though it felt foreign on her lips. “Great. I’ll be right there.”

She hung up and took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. Kaye was one of her most important clients, someone whose opinions could make or break a collection. With a little effort, she could push her personal problems aside—at least for a few hours.

Aki quickly changed into a fitted black dress and slipped on her heels, trying to ignore the red rim of her eyes as she walked out the door. She climbed into her car, the familiar interior doing little to soothe her frayed nerves. The drive to the boutique should have been calming, but instead, it felt like an uphill battle against her racing thoughts.

As she merged onto the main road, the world outside blurred by in a rush of colors and shapes. The urban landscape was vibrant, the city alive with people and energy, but Aki felt utterly disconnected. The anger and sadness she had bottled up turned into a reckless urge to escape, to forget everything. She pressed down on the accelerator, feeling the car surge forward.

The wind whipped through her hair as she drove faster, the engine roaring in protest as she pushed it to its limits. She didn’t care about the speed limit or the cautious drivers around her. All that mattered was the asphalt stretching ahead, a brief illusion of freedom. Aki’s mind swirled with images of Larry with someone else, laughter they shared now poisoned by betrayal.

Suddenly, a car swerved into her lane, and she barely had time to react. Panic surged through her as she jerked the wheel, but it was too late. The sickening crunch of metal colliding echoed in her ears as everything went dark.

When Aki came to, the world was a haze of light and sound. The blaring sirens pierced through her foggy consciousness, and for a moment, she didn’t understand where she was. Panic surged again as the memories of the crash flooded back. She blinked rapidly, trying to focus, and caught a glimpse of her crumpled car through a shattered window.