Chapter 12: Showdown at Sunset

When I walked out of the company, a shiny Tesla was parked ostentatiously at the entrance.

I knew that car well.

It was Derek’s.

When he saw me, he flicked a cigarette and leaned against the door, waving me over.

I hesitated, but still walked up.

Only when I got closer did I see Aubrey sitting in the passenger seat.

That seat—

which once belonged only to me.

Countless times before, she had stood where I was now, looking enviously at me in that seat, saying:

"Miss Natalie, your boyfriend treats you so well."

"Miss Natalie, you need to be careful of those girls out there. Don’t let anyone steal your boyfriend. Don’t worry, I’ll help you keep an eye on him."

Once, after work, I saw Derek’s car downstairs. I thought he was there to pick me up, but out of nowhere, Aubrey rushed past me, opened the passenger door, and was about to get in.

I couldn’t help but call her name.

She froze, then quickly closed the door and said,

"Oh, Miss Natalie, I thought you were in the car."

Then she took my arm, saying she wanted to ask me to dinner after work.

Back then, even Derek’s expression was perfectly natural.

That little flicker of doubt and discomfort faded quickly.

Looking back, I wasn’t just naïve—

I was completely oblivious.

As I walked up, Aubrey smiled and nodded, "Miss Natalie."

The car’s leather seats gleamed in the dying sunlight, and for a moment, I could still smell the vanilla air freshener Derek used to buy for me.

The sun was setting behind the office building, painting the sky with streaks of gold and pink. I took a deep breath of the muggy Georgia air, feeling the weight of the moment press down. Derek’s Tesla gleamed, spotless as always, a status symbol he’d once bragged about on our road trips up to Tybee. Seeing Aubrey in the passenger seat—her hands folded primly in her lap, lips curled into a polite smile—drove home the reality of everything I’d lost. She looked at me, her eyes wide and innocent, as if she hadn’t just slipped into every part of my life. For a second, I wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Instead, I met her gaze and nodded back. Whatever came next, I’d face it head-on. I’d lost everything—so what was left to fear?