My entire body shook, barely able to hold myself up as I leaned against the wall, biting down hard to keep from crying out. Though we never explicitly talked about it, we had shared countless ambiguous moments over the years. I was captivated by him, never rejecting him, and he was always aware of that.

Last night, Zamir, smelling of booze, held me close and murmured sweet nothings as he kissed me. I thought I was wrapped in a wonderful dream, willingly following him to the hotel. Now I understand that everything he did was just to reassure her, to show he had no interest in me.

I was filled with anger and resentment. Just because I love him, does that justify his careless hurt? If he didn't love me, he could have turned me down, kept his distance. I can't understand why he would say such sweet things to me while trying to please someone else—doesn’t he find it repulsive?

"Aren’t you guys being a bit too harsh? Imagine how heartbroken Kya would be if she knew what you were saying about her in private!"

“Just delete the recording,” Adler chimed in, the only one standing up for me. He, Zamir, and I were all neighbors in the same complex; being younger, he always called me his sister.

Zamir gave a sarcastic smile. "Kya’s always been easygoing. What's there to worry about? She's not really going to get mad."

But under Adler's insistent urging, Zamir reluctantly picked up his phone. "Fine, fine, I'll delete it. It was just for Keilani to see. Since everyone has watched it, it's useless now."

"Honestly, what does it matter if she’s upset? In the grand scheme of things, my girlfriend comes first."

With that, he leaned over and kissed Keilani on the cheek. She playfully hit his chest, "Fine, since I’m the priority, I don’t want you staying in touch with her."

"Alright, I promise."

“Is there some group chat you all share?” Keilani asked.

Zamir nodded. "Rodrigo, let's go ahead and remove Kya from the group. For now, we won't invite her to gatherings. I need to give Keilani some peace of mind."

Adler stood up, frustrated. "You're going to kick her out just because she’s a girl?!"

But Rodrigo scolded him. "Zamir’s finally found someone, and we all need to support him. Don’t create conflict!"

As the leader of our group, Rodrigo spoke firmly to Adler. "Regarding Kya, she’ll understand. Once Zamir’s relationship stabilizes, she can come back. As a good friend, she should bear some inconvenience. She’s been trailing Zamir all this time, causing misunderstandings."

He gestured to Zamir. "Carry on, guys."

Everyone started cheering, shouting, "Go for another kiss!" Zamir didn’t hesitate, pinning Keilani to the couch and kissing her deeply.

Adler’s expression darkened as he pulled out his phone and headed for the door. I quickly slipped into the nearby bathroom, my phone on silent, not daring to answer his persistent calls.

A message popped up on my phone:

[Kya, have you arrived? We’ve already split up. Don’t come.]

I knew he didn’t want me to face embarrassment, so I replied,

[Not yet. Got it.]

Tears streaming down my face, I zoned out in the bathroom for a long time, trying to calm my emotions. Eventually, I splashed some water on my face from the faucet, then stumbled out the door.

Stepping out of the hotel, my mind was in turmoil. Zamir and I had been together for years. After high school, fate took us on different paths; I stayed in Austin while he went to New York City. Still, he returned to visit me every month.

When we started job hunting, I heard he turned down an offer from a major corporation just to join the local branch of Cambridge Industries after I signed with them. I thought our efforts were reciprocal, that I was the only girl in his life.

I used to jokingly ask him what kind of girl he liked. He’d laugh and point to a picture online, saying, "Someone like this—fair, petite, a bit quirky." I always assumed he was just humoring me—until Keilani appeared. That's when I realized I had lost.

It seemed that when he truly loved someone, he'd quickly introduce her to his friends, openly claiming her as his girlfriend. His reluctance to make our relationship official was a clear sign of his lack of interest. My heart ached with a dull pain, like a knife slowly cutting through it.

I wandered aimlessly through the streets all day, terrified of running into someone I knew, dreading the whispers and gossip. When I finally returned to the apartment, it was already eleven at night.

Turning on my phone, I saw that Rodrigo had booted me from the group chat. He briefly explained why and then warned me: [Don't contact Zamir for a while. It took him a long time to win over the girl of his dreams—don’t ruin it for him.]

Once again, I felt an indescribable powerlessness and rage. Everyone used to admire him, and I respected him for his fairness and leadership. Now, I wanted to ask, why?! My chest was tight with frustration, words bottled up inside me that I wished to scream at them.

I picked up my phone, typed and deleted long messages repeatedly. In the end, I erased them all. Forget it.

My roommate was already asleep, but I lay in bed, tossing and turning until I finally drifted off at dawn. When I woke up, it was already noon. Everly's excited voice pulled me from sleep.

Her grad school exam results were out, and she had done well. Everly shook my bed with enthusiasm, exclaiming, "Kya, wake up! Thanks to you helping me with English, I scored an 81 on that tough exam! I'm so proud of myself. Let's go shopping later; I'll treat you to some grilled sandwiches!"

Everly led me to a new mall near the university, chatting about a great sandwich place she wanted to try. The restaurant was packed, and there was a line. I took the chance to use the restroom. On my way back, I unexpectedly bumped into Zamir Chavez with Keilani Shaw at his side.

I had no intention of talking to them and was about to turn away when Keilani stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Kya James, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I could ask you the same thing," I replied.

"You have every right to be here, but I'm just wary of certain shameless people who love to play games and fail, then won't back off," she retorted.

Her words made me tremble with anger. "Care to repeat that?" I challenged.

With a taunting smile, she replied, "Am I wrong? Your reputation precedes you now." Her voice dripped with malice. "Do you remember how close you were with my boyfriend?"

People passed by, glancing curiously, each stare feeling like a brand on my skin. My face burned, and my throat tightened as if seized by an invisible hand, leaving me speechless.

I clenched my fists and glared at her. Zamir stepped forward, shielding her. "Kya, we’re just friends. I have my own life now," he said. "I have a girlfriend, and we should keep our distance. Stop clinging to me."

I was stunned, my expression a mix of shame and anger, unable to believe what I was hearing. "What did you just say? Who's clinging to you?"

My voice broke with emotion, and before I could finish my sentence, tears streamed down my face. Keilani smirked victoriously and pressed on, "Can you deny sneaking into my boyfriend's bed two nights ago?"

She continued, "Are you trying to play the victim now? Who are you crying for?" With a dismissive wave, she addressed Zamir. "Come on, baby, let's go."

As Zamir wrapped his arm around her, Keilani shot me a disdainful look and muttered, "Drama queen, so irritating." Then they turned and left, leaving me standing there, boiling with rage and humiliation.