Chapter 2

The sterile smell of the campus infirmary clung to me as I disorientedly wandered out. The nurse' s well-meaning words echoed in my ears, each phrase a fresh cut, slicing through the thin veil of my denial.

"Eric was so worried about her when she fell ill last year." The memory of Eric's weak voice, his supposed concern for his dog, his illness, now twisted into a grotesque lie. He hadn't been sick; Janessa had. And he hadn't been worried about his dog; it was their dog. The dog he' d gotten a year ago, the one he' d claimed was a stray he' d rescued, the one I' d sent money for its vet bills and food.

"They've been inseparable," the nurse had added, "always together in class, in the library, even lived together for the last two years, didn't they?" The details, casually dropped, painted a horrifying picture of a life I knew nothing about. My throat tightened, a dry sob catching in my chest. He had been living with her for two years. Two years.

Every word from the nurse was a fresh stab. It brought back a chilling memory: a year ago, Eric had called me in a panic, claiming he had food poisoning and needed me to transfer money for his medical bills. He'd sounded so miserable, so weak. I' d sent the money without hesitation, my heart aching for him. Now, I understood. That wasn't his illness; it was hers. He'd used my money to care for her, all while maintaining the farce with me.

The image of Eric' s phone in my mind, where he claimed to talk to me every night, where he reassured me of his love, now felt like a sickening illusion. He' d never been alone. He' d been with her. Every tender word, every whispered promise, had been a performance.

Just as the emptiness threatened to consume me, my phone buzzed. A message. From Eric. My heart lurched, a mix of dread and a desperate, foolish hope.

His voice message played, thick with sleep and a hint of slurred words. "Hey, Claire-bear," he murmured, "So sorry I didn't answer your calls last night. I had a bit too much to drink at the graduation party. You know, celebrating. I missed you like crazy, baby. Can't wait to see your beautiful face soon."

He continued, his voice growing more tender, more manipulative. "I've already booked your flight for next month. You deserve a break. We'll go to that little cottage you love upstate. Just you and me. I'll make it up to you, I promise. You're the only one for me, always."

A cold, bitter laugh escaped my lips. He had already arranged my next flight. He was already planning our next fake getaway, just like he always did, weaving a web of lies to keep me in the dark, to keep my money flowing.

Before I could even process his message, another one popped up. From Janessa. "Hey, sweetie! So worried about you. Eric just told me you fainted. Hope you're okay. He's so upset he couldn't get to you. He was so drunk last night, bless his heart. He loves you so much, Claire. Don't ever doubt that. He's already talking about your trip next month."

My phone nearly slipped from my grasp. The timing was too perfect. Eric' s message, then Janessa' s, carefully crafted to explain away his absence, to reinforce the illusion of his devotion. They were a team, a well-oiled machine of deceit. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have believed them. I would have believed every single lie.

A wave of nausea washed over me, worse than any motion sickness. The world spun. I dropped to my knees, clutching my stomach, tears finally breaking free in a torrent of agony. The betrayal was so deep, so absolute, it felt like my very soul was being torn apart.

"How could they?" I sobbed, the words choked and raw. "How could they do this to me?"

Then, a flicker of movement. A faint sound. A low murmur of voices, followed by a soft, playful bark. I wiped my eyes, my vision blurry, and looked up.

Across the manicured lawn, near a small, secluded pond, stood Eric and Janessa.

They were laughing, their hands intertwined, a picture of perfect domestic bliss. Eric held a small, fluffy white dog, the same breed he' d claimed was "his" last year. Janessa was cooing at the animal, stroking its head.

"My little rascal," Janessa said, her voice carrying on the gentle breeze. "You're getting so big. It feels like just yesterday we brought you home."

Eric leaned in, kissing her temple. "He just needed a loving home, like we gave him. And now, he'll have a mommy and a daddy who love him."

He gazed at her, his eyes full of an adoration that twisted my gut. "I can't believe we almost had to give him away if you'd gone to that other university. Thank god you stayed."

Janessa sighed dramatically, leaning into him. "It was hard, honey. Thinking about leaving you, leaving our little family. But it was all for you, for our future. I know your mom wants you to marry Claire, and I know she's got the money to help you through law school. But... we both know who your heart belongs to."

"Always you, my love," Eric whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "Always you. No matter what I have to do outside these walls, you're my one and only."

My breath hitched. My "ATM machine" joke - it wasn' t a joke. It was a brutal, dehumanizing truth. His mother, pushing him to marry me for my money. And Janessa, the woman he truly loved, the woman he was willing to deceive me for.

"I just hope Claire doesn't cause too much trouble," Janessa said, her voice laced with a fake concern that made my skin crawl. "I know she's your benefactor, but... once we're married, you won't need her anymore, right?"

Eric pulled her closer, his hand caressing her cheek. "Don't fret, my love. Everything will work out. I proposed to you today, didn' t I? That means something."

Janessa' s smile was triumphant. "It means everything, Eric. It means you' re mine."

They kissed then, a long, passionate embrace, completely oblivious to my presence, to the woman whose life they were systematically dismantling. My nails dug into my palms, drawing crescent-shaped marks on my skin. The lollipop, still clutched in my hand, was now a sticky, crushed mess.

My face burned with shame and a simmering rage. Tears rolled down my cheeks, but they weren't tears of sadness anymore. They were tears of pure, unadulterated fury. The saccharine sweetness of the crushed candy in my hand suddenly felt repulsive. I hurled it to the ground, watching it splat against the pristine pathway.

I wouldn't stay here another second. I turned away from their sickening display, my steps decisive, my heart hardening with every beat. I would go back to New York. Not broken, not defeated, but with a new fire in my eyes. I had come full of hope and a foolish dream of forever. I was leaving with a resolve to burn their world down, just as they had burned mine.