Chapter 4

Chloe didn't let Ethan out of her sight for the rest of the evening.

She guided him through the crowd, her hand firmly on his arm, her laughter a little too loud whenever they passed near Ava.

Ava watched them go, a small, bitter smile on her lips.

He remembered her allergy. Interesting.

But it changed nothing.

She finished her (white) wine and told Maya she was ready to leave.

As they were waiting for a cab, Ava heard it.

Giggles. A familiar, breathy moan.

Coming from the alleyway beside the gallery.

She knew that sound. It was Chloe.

And then Ethan's deeper murmur.

Ava's blood ran cold. Maya grabbed her arm. "Don't."

But Ava couldn't stop herself. She took a step closer, peering into the shadows.

Ethan had Chloe pressed against the brick wall. His hands were under her dress.

They were oblivious, lost in their public display of private lust.

Ava felt sick. Not jealous, just... disgusted. The sheer, brazen disrespect.

She clenched her hands, her nails digging into her palms, then turned away.

"Let's go," she said to Maya, her voice tight.

A car pulled up. Ethan's car.

He was behind the wheel, Chloe in the passenger seat, her dress slightly askew, lipstick smudged.

"Need a ride?" Ethan called out, his voice casual, as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn't just been feeling up his new girlfriend against a dirty wall.

Maya started to say no, but Ava surprised them both.

"Sure," Ava said, pulling open the back door. "Thanks."

Maya shot her a bewildered look. Ava just gave a tiny, almost imperceptible shake of her head.

She needed to see this through. She needed every last drop of disgust to fuel her escape.

The car ride was tense. Chloe prattled on about the art, about some influencer party she was going to next week. Ethan drove, his eyes meeting Ava's in the rearview mirror occasionally. There was a strange glint in them.

"So, Ava," Ethan said, his tone too smooth. "Chloe tells me you're a graphic designer. Freelance, right? Must be tough, finding clients."

"I manage," Ava said.

"Yeah, well, Ethan's startup is killing it," Chloe chimed in. "He's going to be huge."

"We're doing okay," Ethan said, but he was smirking. He loved the praise.

Then, his tone shifted. "You know, Ava, it's funny. I was thinking... before this whole amnesia thing... were we happy? Or were things... strained?"

Ava met his eyes in the mirror. "What do you think, Ethan?"

He chuckled. "That's the problem. I don't remember."

The car suddenly swerved.

Ava lurched forward, bracing herself.

A sickening crunch of metal. The screech of tires.

They'd hit something. Or something hit them.

Ava's head snapped back, then forward, hitting the front seat. Pain exploded behind her eyes.

Darkness. Then blurry lights.

Shouting. Sirens.

Ava's head throbbed. She tasted blood.

She was slumped in the back seat. Ethan was groaning in the front. Chloe was screaming.

"My leg! Oh god, my leg!"

Paramedics were suddenly there, pulling open doors.

"Ma'am, are you okay?" one asked Ava.

"My head," she managed. "And my... my arm." A sharp pain shot through her left arm when she tried to move it.

They were pulling Ethan out. He looked dazed.

Chloe was still wailing about her leg.

A paramedic was assessing Ava. "Possible concussion. We need to immobilize your arm."

Another paramedic was with Ethan. "Sir, can you tell me what happened?"

"I... I don't know," Ethan stammered. "The other car... came out of nowhere."

They had Ethan on a backboard. Chloe was on another one, still crying.

There were only two ambulances.

"We need to prioritize," one paramedic yelled over the chaos.

Ava tried to sit up. "Please," she said, her voice weak. "My arm... I think it's broken. And my head..."

Ethan, from his backboard, looked over at her. His eyes were wide, scared.

Then he looked at Chloe, who was now sobbing hysterically.

"Take Chloe first!" Ethan shouted, his voice surprisingly strong. "Her leg looks really bad! She needs help now!"

The paramedics exchanged a look.

"Sir, we assess based on..."

"No! Take her!" Ethan insisted. "Please! She's... she's really hurt."

Ava watched, a cold knot forming in her stomach.

He was choosing. Publicly.

The paramedic attending to Ava sighed. "Okay. We'll take the female from the front passenger seat and the driver. We'll call for another unit for you, ma'am. It might be a bit of a wait."

Ava stared at Ethan. He wouldn't meet her eyes.

He chose Chloe. Over her. Even now.

The ambulance doors slammed shut. The sirens wailed, fading into the distance.

Leaving Ava alone, in the wreckage, waiting.

The pain in her arm was excruciating. But it was nothing compared to the cold, hard certainty in her heart.

This was it. The absolute end.