Chapter 5

Dahlia dragged her soaked trench coat up the stairs of her apartment building. She shoved the rusty key into the lock and twisted hard.

She pushed the door open. Cindi was sitting on the faded fabric sofa. Her eyes were red and swollen.

Cindi jumped up. She grabbed a towel from the bathroom and started rubbing Dahlia's wet hair.

"Did the Rose family force you to break the engagement?" Cindi's voice shook. "Because of your father's bankruptcy?"

Dahlia's chest physically ached. She forced the corners of her mouth up into a smile.

She grabbed her mother's hands. They were trembling.

"No, Mom," Dahlia lied. "I ended it. It had nothing to do with the money."

Cindi shook her head. "You loved him. I know you did. What happened?"

Out in the narrow hallway, Eveline stood perfectly still. She had maliciously followed her stepmother's car all the way across town, driven by a petty need to see Dahlia's misery up close. The smell of the cheap hallway made her wrinkle her nose in pure disgust. She leaned forward, a cruel smirk playing on her lips, and pressed her ear flat against the thin wood of Dahlia's door.

Dahlia's brain raced. She needed a reason that would stop her mother from digging.

She took a deep breath.

"I met someone else," Dahlia said. The lie tasted like ash in her mouth.

Cindi gasped. Her eyes went wide.

"He is just a normal guy," Dahlia kept digging the hole deeper. "But he makes me feel safe."

On the other side of the door, Eveline clamped a hand over her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud.

Eveline balled her hand into a fist and pounded on the door. The loud bangs made Cindi jump.

Dahlia frowned. She marched to the door and yanked it open.

Eveline pushed past her. She stepped into the tiny living room. Her eyes scanned the cheap furniture with pure disgust.

"Congratulations on losing the billionaire," Eveline mocked. "And who is this mysterious new boyfriend? Does he live in a dumpster?"

Cindi's face turned red. She stepped forward to defend Dahlia.

"Let's meet him," Eveline challenged. She crossed her arms. "Call him right now."

Dahlia's spine snapped straight. She pointed a rigid finger at the open doorway.

"Get out of my apartment," Dahlia ordered. Her voice was dangerously low.

Eveline blinked. The raw anger in Dahlia's eyes made her take a step back. Eveline scoffed, flipped her hair, and walked out. Her heels clicked loudly down the hall.

Dahlia slammed the door shut.

Cindi looked at Dahlia. She pulled a few hundred-dollar bills from her purse and set them on the table.

"Call me if you need anything," Cindi whispered, before quietly leaving.

The lock clicked. Dahlia was alone.

Her knees gave out. She slid down the back of the door until she hit the floor. She buried her face in her hands.

The lie was a ticking bomb. She had no boyfriend. She had nothing.

The walls of the tiny apartment felt like they were closing in on her. Her lungs burned. She couldn't breathe.

She grabbed her keys and ran out the door.

She walked aimlessly through the Seattle streets until she saw the green trees of a public park.

She found a wooden bench by the lake and sat down. She stared at the dark water. Her mind was a complete mess.