Chapter 2

As always, Daniel leaned over to buckle Elizabeth's seatbelt for her. Noticing the redness around her eyes, he spoke gently, his voice laced with reassurance. "The video was an accident. I'll take care of it and make sure it's wiped clean. You're not in a good state today. Let me take you home so you can rest." Elizabeth pressed her lips together, but his earlier words echoed in her mind. Before she could stop them, tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks. Daniel paused, clearly caught off guard. He reached up to wipe her tears, then almost as if something had just occurred to him, he opened the car door. "Wait here a second, I need to buy something." As the door shut behind him, Elizabeth noticed he'd left the wrong phone behind. His phone sat in the cup holder between them. Almost without thinking, she picked it up and typed in Cheryl's birthday. The screen unlocked instantly. At the top of his WhatsApp chats was Cheryl's name. In their most recent messages, Cheryl had asked him if he could cut things off with Elizabeth before she came back home. Daniel had replied, "She's just a toy. I was never really with her." Elizabeth's chest tightened painfully. Fighting back the burning in her nose, she scrolled further up. For the past two years, while Cheryl had been abroad, Daniel had called her every single night without fail, always around 8:00 pm—the same time he always told Elizabeth he was in board meetings and couldn't be disturbed. On top of that, he had been sending Cheryl money every month—six-figure transfers, clean and direct, with no note attached. And Cheryl knew how to play it sweet too. Every now and then, she'd send him selfies, asking for compliments, and Daniel would reply with cute animal stickers—ones Elizabeth had never seen before—telling her not to wear so little, to stay warm, to take care of herself. Staring at the chat history, Elizabeth finally understood. She had never truly known Daniel at all. The kindness he'd shown her, the tenderness, the care—it was only a sliver of the love he gave to Cheryl. Daniel returned to the car with a small box of emergency contraceptive pills. He gently stroked Elizabeth's hair, his voice soft, careful, just like always. "Last night was a little rushed. I didn't take the right precautions. Take this, just in case." Elizabeth clutched the box so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her lips were pressed together so hard that they nearly bled. If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, she might still have believed Daniel actually cared about her. But now, she was wide awake. When the car pulled up in front of the villa, Daniel leaned in to kiss her goodbye like he always did. But this time, Elizabeth turned her head away and fumbled with her seatbelt. Daniel's eyes darkened. He pulled her into his arms, holding her tight. "Still upset about the video?" he asked. Elizabeth said nothing. "I didn't film it. The hotel manager's already been fired." He lifted her chin with a finger, his voice low and coaxing. "Elizabeth, I never wanted to hurt you. I never will. Our anniversary's coming up—I'll make it up to you then." Lies dressed as kindness cut deeper than truth ever could. Her nose stung. She pushed him away and muttered, "I'm going in." She practically ran up the steps and into the villa. The moment she stepped through the door, she ran straight into Samson. His face twisted with rage. Before she could even open her mouth, he raised his hand and slapped her hard across the face. "Elizabeth, I underestimated you. You want to date someone, fine. But to film some filthy, disgraceful video? You've humiliated me completely!" he shouted. His voice was sharp, cutting, and merciless as he continued, "No wonder everyone at your school picks on you. It's not because they're cruel; it's because you're disgusting and shameless. You're the rot that draws the flies!" He threw a plane ticket at her feet. "I booked you a flight for seven days from now. Get the hell out, and don't ever come back." Elizabeth bent down to pick it up. Her fingers trembled, as if the thin slip of paper weighed a hundred pounds. It felt less like a boarding pass and more like a final sentence—a declaration that the world itself had abandoned her. Samson thought she was a disgrace and just wanted her gone. That was fine—Elizabeth didn't want to stay, either. "I'll go," she said calmly. "And I'll do as you said. I won't come back. Ever." Samson froze, thinking he must have misheard her. Back when he had arranged for Cheryl to study abroad, he'd tried to convince Elizabeth to go too. But she had refused. After pressing her for a reason, he'd found out she was in love, head over heels, no less. He'd assumed she would put up a fight again this time. He never expected her to agree so readily. His anger cooled, if only just slightly. He spoke again, his voice sharp. "Cheryl's coming back this weekend. I'm throwing a welcome party for her. You'll be there. The video's already out. If you don't show your face, the rumors will only get worse." Elizabeth nodded. "Got it." … She requested three days off from school. In that time, she gathered everything Daniel had ever given her and listed them all online for resale at full price. Three days later, Cheryl returned. Samson hosted a lavish welcome party for her at Kaverton's biggest hotel, inviting every major name in business and high society. And Daniel was among them. Elizabeth hadn't expected to see him there. The moment she caught sight of him, she turned to leave. But Daniel grabbed her wrist and pulled her into a quiet hallway. He pinned her against the wall, hands braced on either side of her, caging her in. His breath was warm against her ear as he spoke. "You've been skipping school and not answering my messages. You didn't even say a word about our anniversary. Elizabeth, do you have any idea how worried I've been?"