[EVE]
The mont we stepped into the mall, I knew I had made a mistake.
The gleaming floors, the endless rows of designer stores, and the intoxicating scent of luxury all seed to cast a spell over Haley and Mom. Their eyes sparkled like kids in a candy store, and before I could even say a word, they were off—dragging along on their extravagant quest.
"Eve! Look at this dress!" Haley gasped, pressing a silk gown against her body. "Oh my god, this would look so good on !"
"It's gorgeous," I admitted, glancing at the price tag. Four fucking thousand dollars.
"Let's get it!" she chirped, not even waiting for my approval before handing it to the sales associate.
I sighed but said nothing.
Then it was shoes. Then jewelry. Then perfu. One thing after another, they flitted from store to store like butterflies, completely unfazed by the sky-high price tags.
Every ti I hesitated, Haley would pout or give those big, pleading eyes, and—like a fool—I gave in.
Mom wasn't any better.
"Oh, Eve, this cream is just perfect for my skin," she gushed, holding up an elegant glass jar of moisturizer. "I heard it's the secret to staying youthful."
I peered at the label. Eight hundred dollars. For a cream.
"Mom, I can get you sothing just as good for a fraction of the price," I reasoned.
She gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "Are you saying I don't deserve the best, Eve?"
I opened my mouth, then closed it.
Mom had mastered this technique—subtle guilt laced with just the right amount of emotional weight. And just like that, the cream joined the mountain of bags I was now carrying.
But the final blow ca when we entered a high-end boutique, its glass cases filled with luxury handbags that cost more than a small car.
Haley's eyes locked onto a sleek black leather bag with gold accents, her entire face lighting up like Christmas morning.
"This one!" she squealed.
I groaned inwardly. "Haley, I literally just bought you a designer bag last week."
"But this one's different!" she argued, clutching the bag to her chest as if it were a lost treasure. "Look at the stitching! The gold hardware! It's a collector's item, Eve!"
I crossed my arms. "No."
Haley pouted. "Please?"
"No."
Her lips quivered. "Pleeease?"
I sighed, shaking my head. "Haley, you—"
And then she did it.
Her eyes widened, shimring with unshed tears. Her voice softened into a delicate whimper. "Eve, don't you love ?"
I froze. Oh, no.
It was a dirty move—calculated, shaless, and utterly effective.
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Haley, this is ridiculous."
"But I love you so much," she cooed, hugging my arm like a child begging for candy. "And you spoil because you love too, right?"
"Go on Eve. Just go and buy your sister that. I'm sure that you can earn that money back."
I wanted to resist. I really did. But the damage had already been done.
With a resigned sigh, I waved to the sales associate. "Just put it on my tab."
Haley shrieked with joy, throwing her arms around . "You're the best, sis!"
Mom, who had been watching the scene unfold, suddenly turned toward another display. "Well, since we're here, I might as well get a new bag, too. It's been so long since I treated myself."
I spun around. "Mom—"
She gave a sweet smile. "You love , don't you?"
I groaned. Not her too.
Twenty minutes later, I walked out of the store, my arms laden with bags, my bank account significantly lighter, and my dignity in shambles.
Haley and Mom, anwhile, strutted beside , giddy with their latest acquisitions.
I wanted to be mad. I wanted to lecture them about financial responsibility, about how money wasn't endless, about how they needed to rein in their spending.
But when I saw their radiant smiles, the way they linked arms with like we were the closest of sisters and mother-daughter duos, sothing in my chest softened.
This was family. ssy, overindulgent, frustrating—but mine.
And despite everything, I couldn't say no to them.
Even if it was going to ruin .
The mall buzzed with life, shoppers weaving in and out of high-end stores, their arms heavy with bags. I stood outside a boutique, waiting for Haley and Mom to finish their latest spree, my thoughts drifting. The weight of their purchases pressed against my arms, but my mind was elsewhere.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, sothing caught my attention—sothing that made my breath hitch and my entire body freeze.
There, just a few feet away, was Cole . . . hand in hand with Elena.
My stomach twisted painfully, a cold wave of nausea washing over . No. This couldn't be real.
Cole was supposed to be out of the country. He told he had business to take care of. So why was he here? And why—of all people—was he with her?
My heart pounded violently against my ribs as I watched them, his fingers laced effortlessly with hers, their steps in perfect sync. Too perfect. The kind of closeness that ca with familiarity, with comfort, with sothing far more than just a casual outing.
I wanted to believe there was an explanation. I wanted to believe that I wasn't witnessing what I thought I was.
But then he turned his head slightly, and for the first ti in my life, I saw Cole smile at soone else the way he used to smile at .
The world around blurred. The noise of the mall faded into a distant hum. This wasn't happening.
My feet moved on their own, carrying forward before I could stop myself.
"Cole."
His na ca out sharper than I intended, slicing through the air like a blade.
He stopped abruptly, his shoulders stiffening as he turned. Elena followed suit, her smirk appearing before her eyes even t mine.
I could barely breathe.
His gaze landed on , expression unreadable. Sothing about him felt . . . wrong. He looked like Cole, but sothing was missing—the warmth, the familiarity, the person I thought I knew.
"Elena?" My voice cracked, barely above a whisper. Then I turned to him. "Cole, what the hell is going on? I thought you're out of the country!"
He didn't answer right away. His grip on Elena's hand didn't loosen. He didn't even flinch.
I swallowed hard, forcing my voice to stay steady. "You told you were out of town. You lied to ."
Cole exhaled slowly, as if this was all so inconvenient formality he had to get through. When he finally spoke, his voice was eerily calm.
"I don't love you anymore, Eve," he said, voice chanical.
The words hit like a physical blow.
I blinked, my brain scrambling to process what he had just said. "What?"
"I love Elena." His voice was flat, devoid of emotion. "I should have told you sooner, but—"
"Stop," I cut him off, my voice sharp. This wasn't real. This couldn't be real. "You—" I sucked in a breath. "You don't just wake up one day and decide you don't love soone anymore."
He didn't react.
There was no guilt, no hesitation, no remorse. Just cold indifference.
I took a step back, my heart hamring against my ribs. "What the hell happened to you?"
Sothing was wrong.
And then, for the first ti, I saw it.
There was no white in his eyes.
A shiver ran down my spine. No. That wasn't normal. It wasn't a person. It wasn't Cole.
A low, satisfied chuckle ca from beside him. Elena.
She tilted her head, amusent dancing in her eyes. "Cole finally realized who he really loves. Let's face it, he loves even way back, so it's not really a shocker."
I tore my gaze from Cole and focused on her. She was enjoying this. She wanted to break.
Elena took a step closer, her lips curling into a sad smile. "He didn't want to hurt you, Eve. That's why he didn't tell you imdiately. But this was the perfect ti to co clean."
Sothing in my chest twisted violently.
She was lying.
Cole was acting strange, detached—as if sothing had taken hold of him and erased who he was.
My fingers curled into fists. "What did you do to him?"
Elena let out a soft laugh, the sound dripping with condescension. "Nothing he didn't already want."
I turned back to Cole, searching his face for sothing—anything—that still resembled the man I knew.
But there was nothing.
Just an empty shell wearing his skin.
"Cole," I whispered, desperation clawing at my throat. "Look at ."
His dark, soulless gaze t mine. And for a brief mont, I thought I saw sothing—a flicker of hesitation, a second of struggle—but it was gone as fast as it appeared.
He didn't fight it. He didn't choose .
"You need to go," he said simply.
Go?
Just like that? After everything?
The pain in my chest burned like wildfire. I had so many things I wanted to say, so many questions I needed answered, but my voice refused to co out.
And maybe that's what hurt the most—not just the betrayal, but the realization that whatever I said wouldn't matter.
Because Cole didn't want anymore.
Elena slid her hand up his arm possessively, a victorious glint in her eyes as she turned them both away from .
Just like that, they walked off—hand in hand, disappearing into the crowd like I had never existed.
I stood there, frozen, my entire world crumbling around .
I didn't cry. I didn't scream.
I just . . . stood there.
Too numb to feel.
Too shattered to move.
Because for the first ti in my life, I realized—this wasn't just heartbreak. I had died the second ti around.
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