Chapter 2

Justin’s parents gasped in horror, rushing over to help me up.

I raised a hand to stop them, pulled myself up from the floor, and limped out the door.

Later that night, I was sitting on my sofa reading when Chloe’s call suddenly flashed across my screen.

The second I picked up, her voice came through in a shrill, hysterical shriek:

"Evelyn! I’m at your new townhouse!"

"I'm in danger! Help me! Call the police, please, save me!"

My stomach dropped.

Even though it felt off, panic overrode my suspicion, and I rushed over.

On the way, I called the police.

The officers and I arrived almost at the exact same second. When we pushed the front door open, the living room was dead silent.

The older officer pointed down the hall and called out:

"There's noise in the master bedroom!"

BAM!

The bedroom door was kicked wide open!

Immediately, a woman’s bloodcurdling scream shattered the air as she desperately scrambled with the duvet:

"Get out! Everyone get out!"

"Why are there so many men in here?! I'm completely naked! Get the hell out!"

Hearing the chaos, Justin burst out of the en-suite bathroom, totally bare-chested. He threw his arms around the trembling Chloe, glaring at me with raw venom:

"Evelyn, are you completely out of your mind?! Why did you bring cops barging into our bedroom?!"

"Chloe isn't wearing a stitch of clothing! She was just stripped bare in front of a bunch of men! Are you a psycho?!"

I stood there, completely stunned.

Looking at Chloe right now, there wasn't a single shred of danger like she had claimed on the phone.

"Wait, she called me," I said, trying to steady my voice. "She told me she was in danger in this apartment. That’s why I came, and that’s why I called the police."

Chloe buried her face into Justin’s bare chest, her shoulders shaking violently with sobs.

She peeked up at me with tear-drenched, accusing eyes:

"Evelyn, what kind of sick lie is that?!"

"I called to apologize to you! I barely got two words out before you hung up on me. And then you brought a squad of men kicking down the door! I... I've been completely violated! How am I supposed to show my face again?!"

She buried her head back down, wailing.

Justin patted her back, his eyes narrowing into cold slits as he glared at me:

"Chloe called you for help out of nowhere? Do you have a recording of that call? Are you saying she’s crazy enough to invite a bunch of strange men into her room to see her naked?!"

"Evelyn, use your damn brain before you pull cheap lies out of your ass!"

I had no defense.

Looking at his half-naked torso and the messy sheets, I fired back:

"And what about you two?"

"In my master bedroom, half-dressed. If I hadn't walked in on this tonight, how much longer were you planning on sneaking around behind my back?!"

My words only pushed him over the edge.

Justin lunged forward and shoved me hard.

"You have the nerve to ask?!" he roared. "This is all your fault! You threw a hysterical tantrum over food, so Chloe went to a bar to drink her misery away! Someone spilled a drink all over her clothes, and she was too terrified to go home looking like that. I had no choice but to bring her here!"

"And what did you do? You brought a bunch of cops to stare at her naked body!"

Justin stared me down, his disgust palpable:

"Evelyn, I never realized how scheming and vile you actually were."

"You are pure poison."

I opened my mouth to speak, but the officers stepped between us.

The lead officer looked at me with clear disapproval:

"Ma’am, next time you dial emergency dispatch, make sure there’s an actual crime taking place. Our units are stretched thin as it is."

"If there's nothing else, we're clearing out."

Flushed with humiliation, I apologized and walked them out.

When I turned back around, Justin was furiously tearing through my purse.

When he couldn't find what he wanted, he dumped the entire contents onto the floor with a loud clatter.

I lunged forward to stop him, gasping:

"Justin, what the hell are you doing?!"

"The jade bracelet you gave me is in there! You're going to break it!"

It was too late.

The green bracelet slipped out of its half-open velvet box.

*Clink!*

The bracelet hit the hardwood, bounced twice, and rolled across the floor—completely intact.

Natural emerald jade is notoriously fragile. It would have shattered on impact.

There was only one explanation.

The bracelet was a cheap fake.