Chapter 2

Ethan, true to my initial assessment of his character, initially brushed off Chloe's attempts.

He showed me the friend requests from multiple fake profiles, all with Chloe's signature overly filtered selfies.

"Persistent, isn't she?" he'd said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

I played the concerned girlfriend.

"I told you, Ethan, she's relentless, just keep blocking her."

He agreed, but I saw a flicker of something else in his eyes, intrigue perhaps, or the thrill of a new game.

I didn't push him for any deeper commitment, didn't ask him to meet my family formally.

Our relationship was still relatively new, and I used that as an excuse to keep him somewhat isolated, under my control.

He thought he was playing along to appease me, but he was a puppet, and I held the strings.

Chloe, however, was not one to be easily deterred.

Frustrated by Ethan's online silence, she found another way in, through my mother, of course.

"Sarah, darling, Chloe's going to be in your neighborhood on Tuesday, she wanted to drop by your new apartment, see how you're settling in," Susan chirped over the phone.

My "new apartment" that Ethan had helped me find and furnish.

"Oh, and she said she might bring a little housewarming gift."

I knew Chloe didn't care about my apartment, she cared about Ethan.

"Mom, I might be busy," I tried, feigning annoyance.

"Nonsense, dear, it's family."

So, Chloe arrived, uninvited but expected, right when Ethan was over helping me hang some shelves.

I watched them from the kitchen, pretending to make coffee.

Chloe was all charm and fake sweetness, complimenting my decor, asking about my job, all while her eyes kept flicking to Ethan.

Ethan was polite, reserved, but I saw him sizing her up.

The air was thick with unspoken challenges.

Chloe didn't waste time.

"Ethan, right? Sarah's told me so little about you," she purred, extending a perfectly manicured hand.

"She said you're in tech?"

Ethan shook her hand, a brief, firm grip.

"Something like that," he replied, noncommittal.

"Well, I have a lot of connections in that world, you know, from my ex-husband, David. He was big in venture capital."

Ethan's ears perked up at the mention of David's name, a name I knew carried weight.

Chloe saw it too.

"Maybe I could help you out sometime," she added, her smile widening.

Ethan initially demurred, "Thanks, but I think I've got it covered."

He even glanced at me, a small, reassuring smile.

Chloe just laughed, a light, tinkling sound that grated on my nerves.

"Oh, I'm sure you do, but a few extra doors opened never hurt anyone, right?"

Her persistence was a weapon, and she wielded it expertly.

I "accidentally" dropped a coffee mug, shattering it on the floor.

"Oh, clumsy me," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

Ethan rushed over, "Are you okay, Sarah?"

Chloe watched, a smug look on her face.

"Let me help you clean that up," I told Ethan, my eyes downcast.

Later that evening, after Chloe finally left, Ethan brought it up.

"She's... a character," he said, shaking his head.

"I told you," I replied, trying to sound weary.

"Look, she messaged me again, on that app, Signal," he showed me his phone. "Maybe if I just add her, respond a little, she'll get bored and leave us alone?"

"I don't know, Ethan..." I hesitated, playing reluctant.

"It's fine, Sarah, I'll handle it, just to get her off our backs."

He added her, and I knew the hook was set.

My internal satisfaction was immense, masked by a carefully constructed facade of concern.