Chapter 4 4

Ethan shifted uncomfortably beside Ava.

"Chloe, this is Ava," he said, his voice a little too loud. "Ava, Chloe Davis."

He tried to steer the conversation, to control the sudden tension that had descended.

Ava met Chloe's gaze, her own expression carefully neutral.

"Hello, Chloe," Ava said, her voice calm. She wouldn't let this woman see her falter.

Chloe's smile widened, a predatory glint in her green eyes.

Ethan seemed to gravitate towards Chloe, his attention fixed on her. He asked about Paris, about her life, his concern for her, his interest, palpable. Ava felt herself fade into the background, a silent observer to their reunion.

Later, some of Ethan's friends, loud and already half-drunk, joined their group.

"Man, Ethan, look at you, still got Chloe on your arm," one of them slurred, clapping Ethan on the back. "Remember how crazy you were about her back in the day? Followed her around like a puppy."

Another chimed in, "Yeah, dude, she had you wrapped around her little finger. Always."

Ethan's face tightened. He shot his friends a furious look.

"Shut up, guys," he muttered, his voice tight with anger. He was clearly trying to silence them, to stop them from revealing too much in front of Ava.

The party devolved into a game of "Never Have I Ever." When it was Chloe's turn, she took a deliberate sip of her champagne, her eyes locking onto Ethan's.

"Never have I ever," she said, her voice clear and carrying, "thought about getting back with an ex I dumped."

She smirked, a slow, knowing smile.

Ethan flinched. The playful mood around them died. He looked stung, his easy confidence vanishing.

Chloe watched him, her expression triumphant.

A few minutes later, Chloe suddenly gasped, clutching her throat.

"Oh my god," she choked out, her eyes wide with panic. "My drink... I think... allergic reaction."

Ethan was at her side in an instant. "What was in it? What did you drink?"

He knew her allergies. He was berating the host, his voice sharp with genuine fear.

"Man, Chloe always had you wrapped around her finger," one of his friends muttered again, quieter this time, but loud enough for Ava to hear.

Ethan ignored him, his focus entirely on Chloe. He angrily grabbed her arm, his face a mask of concern, and escorted her outside, presumably for fresh air.

Ava watched them go, a cold knot forming in her stomach.

She felt Ethan's distress, his raw panic for Chloe. It was a pain he never showed for her.

She excused herself, needing a moment alone, and headed towards the restrooms.

As she passed a slightly ajar door to a side room, she heard Chloe's voice, no longer choked or panicked, but light and amused.

Ava paused, her heart pounding.

"It was perfect," Chloe was saying, clearly on the phone. "He totally bought it. The allergic reaction? Classic. And the 'Never Have I Ever' dig? Oh, he was so jealous. He remembers how intense we were. He'll be mine again, you just watch. His family hated my 'middle-class' background before? They won't stop me this time. I'll have him, and his money."

A pause, then Chloe laughed, a cruel, dismissive sound.

"Oh, her? The little brunette? Just the sad little replacement. He'll forget all about her once I'm done."

Ava stood frozen, the words hitting her with physical force. Replacement. Sad little replacement.

The truth, laid bare, was uglier than she could have imagined.