I decided to sway past that and not act affected in any way. Keeping my chin up, I walked to the far end of the table and sat down. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me crumble.

Amira was all over Skyler, laughing at every word he said, touching his arm, leaning in too closely. To him, it was like I wasn’t even there. He seemed so at ease with her, so free like he never once raised his voice at me. He looked happy and carefree.

“You and Tia looked so good together, I must say,” one of his friends remarked, shooting me a dismissive side glance.

“Exactly. They make a good pair,” another chimed in.

“Hey, Raya,” Amira suddenly called out, her voice laced with hidden mockery, “do you think so?”

Without hesitation, I replied, “If they looked any better together, you’d think they were rehearsing for a show.”

Her eyes widened, clearly taken aback by my response, and for a moment, I savored the shocked silence around the table.

We ate in an uncomfortable quiet, and I watched as Tia made Skyler sip from his glass. In return, he playfully stained her lips with oil, gently rubbing it off with his thumb. Their soft laughter filled the air, as he fed her like her hands were incapable of doing it herself.

“It looks like you both can’t get enough of the time you spent in the Maldives,” Amira mused.

Skyler smiled. “It’s a pleasure to have her back.”

I fixed my gaze on their clasped hands, the knot in my stomach tightening.

Tia acted like I was nothing to Skyler. The entire time, she clung to him as if I didn’t exist, her fingers resting on his arm, her laughter ringing in his ears. I was clearly the unwelcome one at this table. I couldn’t take it anymore. I dropped my fork, the clatter drawing their eyes to me.

Tia, ever so composed, feigned concern. “Oh, I forget to thank you, Raya. My bad.”

“Thank me for what?” I asked, my voice tight with barely concealed irritation.

“For letting me spend such a great time with Skyler yesterday in the Maldives. It was memorable.” She leaned closer to him, resting her head on his arm, her expression smug as her fingers intertwined with his.

“It was no big deal. Don’t mention,” Skyler added casually, patting her cheek with a smile that stung like a blade.

I felt my blood boil, but before I could respond, Amira chimed in, “Is someone missing out on the great moments?” Her eyes settled on me, gleaming with satisfaction as she watched my discomfort surface.

“I think I’ll take my leave now,” I said, pushing my chair back, my voice barely holding steady. No one said a thing; they simply continued eating as if I were invisible.

Just as I turned to leave, Tia’s voice cut through the air. “Oh, you got that scarf? I guess it was impossible to get the real one.” Her head tilted as she fingered the fabric around her neck, and for the first time, I noticed it—the real designer scarf, wrapped elegantly around her throat.

Amira gasped dramatically. “Is that the latest piece by Antonio Rivadeneira? It’s stunning!”

Tia smiled sweetly. “Yes, Skyler got it for me from Paris. It’s even custom-made.” She touched it delicately as if it were a crown.

Amira glanced at my scarf, her smile faltering as she quickly tried to mask her words. “Oh... I didn’t realize they made knockoffs of such a recent design.”

Skyler shamelessly shrugged. “I just picked it up from a thrift shop downtown. Thought it suited Raya.” His words hit me like a punch to the gut.

How could he do this? I instinctively touched the scarf around my neck, feeling the cheap fabric, my eyes drifting to Tia as she beamed at me with satisfaction. It was as clear as day—I meant nothing to him. I’d had enough.

I grabbed my purse and left without another word.

“Oh my, is Raya upset?” I overheard Tia's voice, sounding fake and sweet. “Go talk to her, Skyler.”

“No. Let her be. She never wanted to come here anyway,” he said, dismissing me without a second thought.

As I reached the exit, I cast one last glance over my shoulder at him, his arm still wrapped around Tia. It was like I’d never even been there. After that, I left without sparing another glance.

Things had been going well between Skyler and me—at least, that’s what I believed. Some people around the city saw us as the destined couple, the perfect pair. That was before Tia returned to the city a few weeks ago. I hadn’t realized how close they had gotten until the rumors started. People in his pack whispered about him frequenting her apartment, taking her on dates—dates he rarely took me on anymore. I was a fool, ignoring the signs, convincing myself nothing was going on between them despite his coldness toward me, which worsened after she came back.

When I got home, I felt like I was suffocating. I took a cold shower, hoping it would wash away the ache in my chest. But it didn’t. The water ran over me, but the pain remained, clinging to me like a second skin. As I stepped out of the bathroom, my phone beeped. I grabbed it, still dripping, only to see a message from Skyler.

{Why did you leave like that, Raya?}

I scoffed, tossing the phone onto the bed without replying. The nerve. He didn’t care how I felt. Before I could walk away, the phone buzzed again. More messages. I reluctantly glanced at the screen.

{You’ve disrespected me in the worst way tonight and ruined the moment for everyone.}

{You need to make up for this. Tia is upset, and you made her feel terrible.}

{Apologize to her, or it’s over between us.}

Fury surged through me, white-hot and uncontrollable. I slammed the phone down onto the bed. Tia. It was always about her. He didn’t care that I was hurting, didn’t ask once how I felt, only concerned about her feelings. Screw him.

I sat on my bed, my mind swirling with thoughts of the life I had envisioned with him. How had we ended up here? I thought we were building something real—something permanent. But now, all I could see was the truth I had been too blind to admit. Tia had him wrapped around her finger, and I was nothing more than a placeholder until she returned.

I didn’t want to think about him anymore. I needed a distraction. I picked up my phone and scrolled through my X feed, trying to lose myself in mindless posts. But I froze when I saw her name pop up. Tia. She had just posted a photo of her and Skyler in a fancy, beachside restaurant in the Maldives.

The caption read: *I’ve won the heart of my first love again.*

My chest tightened, but I scrolled further. Another picture. This one was from tonight; her arm looped through him, with a radiant smile that made my stomach turn.

Caption: *My best friend, my soulmate, my lover.*

I laughed softly, more out of provocation than amusement. My face twisted in bitterness. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, and before I could stop myself, I typed, “Wow. A pleasant match from heaven.”

Almost immediately, my phone dinged. She responded.

But I didn’t care to read it. I logged off, tossing the phone aside. The message was clear. I finally understood what Skyler wanted. He had always wanted her. And me? I was just a backup plan, something to hold onto while he waited for Tia to return. But I wasn’t going to let that happen anymore.

It’s over. Completely. I’ll move on, and forget Skyler ever existed in my life.

Period!

The following morning, I arrived at my office door and immediately noticed something odd. A card rested on top of a food box, neatly placed by the door. Hesitantly, I picked it up and peeked into the box. It was breakfast—perfectly arranged, still warm. My fingers opened the card, and the words hit me like a slap in the face:

{Hey, love, enjoy the breakfast I’ve given you, and think of me always. Skyler.}

My face twisted in disgust as the memories from the night before surged back—Skyler’s effortless affection for Tia, treating her like a queen, right in front of me on my birthday. My stomach churned. Without a second thought, I carried the box out of the building, headed straight for the trash bin, and dropped it. The box hit the bottom with a hollow thud. I dusted my hands off, feeling a small surge of satisfaction as I turned to go back inside.

Then, I saw him. Skyler stood there, his face slowly twisting in anger, eyes flicking between me and the trash bin.

“What the heck did you just do?” His voice rose in fury, his fists clenched. “You threw away the meal I got you?”

His words didn’t even make me flinch. Where his anger once intimidated me, now it was just noise. I met his glare with cold indifference. “I don’t want anything from you, Skyler.”

I turned to walk away, but he grabbed my arm roughly, yanking me back. “What’s wrong with you, Raya? Are you still upset?”

I chuckled, mocking him with my eyes. “Upset?” I raised an eyebrow. “You used to treat me like this too, right? Shouldn’t I be used to it by now?”

“So, this is payback?” he spat, his face hardening.

“No. This is reality. I’ve realized that you don’t care about me. Now, I don’t give a damn about you either.”

“Why?” he demanded, confusion creeping into his voice.

“I used to care a lot, didn’t I? But you once said that irritated you.”

He hissed in frustration, but I kept going, the memories flooding out like poison. “I remember when you were sick, Skyler. I watched over you. That’s something you’ve never done for me. Do you remember? You had a fever the other night, and I went out to get you medicine. It was late, and I was nearly harassed by some perverts, and I managed to call you for help but you kept ending my calls. Then I made it back and found out you left. And what did you say? ‘I can’t come, Raya. Tia just returned, and I’m with her.’ You didn’t even hesitate.”

His eyes stayed fixed on mine, but there was no remorse. “Come on, Raya. I had a fever—”

“But you went to Tia’s place that same night, didn’t you? Spent the night there, didn't you?” My voice was cold, cutting through his excuses.

He faltered, waving his hand dismissively. “For goodness' sake, she wasn’t feeling well. I had to stay overnight to watch over her.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, I get it. Just like you said when I was sick. ‘I can't come, Skyler. Tia just returned, and I’m with her.’ Sound familiar?”

“Raya…”

“You two are perfect for each other,” I said, jerking my arm free from his grip. Without sparing him another glance, I walked away, my chest burning with anger but also a strange sense of freedom.

I returned to my office and threw myself into work, ignoring the buzzing phone and Skyler’s increasingly desperate messages. Flowers arrived later in the day—lavish bouquets, gifts—but I didn’t bat an eye as I instructed my assistant to reject them all.

By noon, I was numb, his desperate attempts nothing but background noise to the clattering keyboard and shuffling papers.

In the days that followed, I felt alive again. When my friends invited me to go shopping and watch a movie, I didn’t hesitate. I did whatever I wanted, finally feeling free. For so long, I had spent less time with them or myself, always glued to Skyler, doing what he said. Now, I felt joy in doing what made me happy. Without Skyler and Tia, most of my troubles evaporated, leaving only the sweet solitude of being alone.

But then Simon, one of Skyler's friends who treated me slightly better than the rest, called. "Raya, why are you keeping us waiting? We're all here, just missing you."

I blinked in confusion. "Waiting for me? Why?"

"Aren't it you and Skyler treating us to dinner? Hurry up and come over. We're waiting for you." He hung up before I could protest.

I stood stunned as my phone beeped again. Simon had texted me the address of the restaurant and the private room number.

For a moment, I hesitated. Should I just ignore this and finally make a clean break? But then, maybe this was the time to confront them, to clarify things. After wrapping up my work, I headed to the address.

It was the five-star lounge I had mentioned to Skyler so many times before, begging him to take me so we could make memories together. I had seen rave reviews about it, and everyone online was crazy about the place. But, as always, Skyler had come up with an excuse. Too busy. Too much on his plate.

I exhaled, pushed the memory aside, and walked inside the building. The hostess gave me directions to the private room. As I reached for the door, I froze, overhearing Simon’s voice from inside. “Raya thinks so highly of herself. I can't believe we had to call her countless times before she agreed to come.”

My eyes narrowed. My heart pounded in my chest as I pressed my ear closer to the door.

"I don't know why Skyler humbles himself for someone like her," Simon continued, lacing his words with spite. "She's unappreciative."

Tia’s soft laugh followed. “She’s just a middle-class girl. Of course, she gives off an attitude. People like her are insecure. But I know she’ll come crawling back to Skyler. She’s nothing without him.”

They all laughed, mocking me, and I felt the world tilt beneath me. Simon’s next words pierced through the haze. “Raya is unworthy of him. Everyone can see that Skyler and you, Tia, are the perfect match. You're better in every way. If you hadn’t left to build your modeling career, you’d still be by his side."

I stumbled back, barely catching myself. My mind reeled. Tia left for her career? Skyler had told me she left because he rejected her. My stomach twisted. He had been lying to me all along. His tolerance, his tenderness toward her—it wasn’t just friendship. It was love. She was the one he cherished, not me.

“Why are you standing here?” Skyler’s voice startled me from behind. I turned, clutching my bag tightly. He was there, standing so casually like nothing was wrong.

I met his gaze, anger bubbling up inside me. “What do you want me to go in for? To hear you announce your new true lover?”