Elodie POV:
The cafe at the mall was buzzing with the cheerful chaos of a Saturday afternoon. I'd arrived early and ordered Anona's favorite, a ridiculously sweet caramel latte, placing it opposite my own simple black coffee. It felt like a small, final act of friendship.
A few minutes later, she breezed in, but she wasn't alone. Trailing in her wake was a woman so beautiful it was almost jarring. Tall, slender, with raven hair and a fragile, porcelain quality.
It was Dallas Fernandez.
Anona rushed forward, oblivious. "El! Sorry we're late! I ran into Dallas and insisted she join us. Dallas, this is my best friend, Elodie Pierce. Elodie, this is Dallas."
My brain short-circuited. The world swam in and out of focus. My best friend had just introduced me to my boyfriend's fiancée. The woman whose life I was supposed to be saving, one way or another. The woman who was wearing my future.
"Elodie? Are you okay?" Anona asked, concern clouding her cheerful face. "You've gone completely white."
I forced a smile, a brittle thing that felt like it might crack my face. "Just... surprised. It's an honor to meet you, Ms. Fernandez." Then, turning to Anona, a sharp, cruel question popped out before I could stop it. "Shouldn't you be calling her your sister-in-law soon?"
Dallas offered a delicate, practiced laugh. "Oh, please, call me Dallas. And Anona just likes to jump the gun. We're not married yet."
Anona giggled. "Yet! Barrett is absolutely obsessed. You should have seen him the other day when Dallas had a little dizzy spell. He nearly called in a medevac helicopter."
My eyes were drawn to Dallas's left hand, which was resting elegantly on the table. On her fourth finger was a diamond ring so large it looked like a block of ice. It was a stunning, custom-designed piece.
Anona, ever the enthusiast, followed my gaze. "Isn't it gorgeous? Barrett designed it himself. It's called 'The Elodie'."
The name hit me with the force of a physical impact.
My breath hitched.
"He said it was inspired by a constellation he loves," Anona prattled on, completely unaware that she was narrating the script of my personal horror movie. "He said it represents a rare, brilliant star that guided him."
Dallas smiled softly, a blush gracing her perfect cheeks. She added, her voice like honey, "He actually calls it 'My Elodie'."
My Elodie.
My vision blurred. The world around me dissolved into a watercolor wash of indistinct shapes and colors. I was going to be sick.
I remembered a night, years ago, under a sky full of stars. Barrett had pointed to a faint, distant star. That one's you, he'd said. My Elodie. Brightest one in the sky, even if no one else can see it yet. He told me he'd name a star after me. I thought it was the most romantic thing I'd ever heard.
He hadn't named a star after me. He'd named my replacement's ring after me. The love story he'd fed me, the intimate moments, the whispered secrets-he had recycled them. He had taken our story and given it to her.
I wasn't just a secret. I was a rough draft.
A single, hot tear escaped and slid down my cheek. I couldn't stop it.
"Elodie!" Anona exclaimed. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," I croaked, pushing my chair back abruptly. "I... I think I just need to use the restroom. Too much coffee."
I fled, not looking back. In the sterile, white-tiled bathroom, I leaned against the counter, staring at my reflection. The woman in the mirror was a wreck. Her face was pale, her eyes wide with a pain so profound it was terrifying.
The tears came then, hot and silent. I choked back a sob, pressing my hand to my mouth. How could he? How could he be so cruel? It wasn't just the lies, the cheating, the horrifying plan for my kidney. It was this. This theft of my memories, of my very identity. He had hollowed me out and given the shell to another woman.
The love I had felt for him, the stubborn, stupid love that had persisted even after the revelations at the cigar lounge, finally, finally died. It curdled into something ugly and cold. Hate.
I was trying to pull myself together, splashing cold water on my face, when I heard Dallas's voice from just outside the restroom door. She was on the phone.
"I know, Barrett, I'm fine," she was saying, her voice losing its fragile edge, replaced by a sharp annoyance. "Stop smothering me. Yes, I'm with your sister... and her weird little lab-rat friend. God, you should see her. She looks like she's about to cry into her coffee. So pathetic."
A beat of silence.
"What do you mean, be nice to her?" Dallas's voice rose, sharp and jealous. "Why? Because she's the one brewing you a new kidney for me? Or because she's the backup organ bank? Don't think I don't know what you're planning, Barrett. Just make sure she stays in her lane. After I'm healthy, I don't want to ever see her or hear her ridiculous name again."
Her words were like acid, dissolving the last vestiges of my composure. My hands started to shake uncontrollably. More tears fell, dripping from my chin onto the pristine white counter. Splash. Splash. Splash. Each one was a testament to my monumental stupidity.
I took a deep, shuddering breath, wiped my face, and walked out of the restroom. I pasted a fragile smile onto my face.
Anona looked up, relieved. "There you are! Feeling better?"
"Much," I lied.
The conversation flowed around me. I was a ghost at the table, just nodding and smiling when it seemed appropriate.
"Oh!" Anona said suddenly. "Dallas is having a small birthday get-together at the house next weekend. You should come, El!"
"I can't," I said, a little too quickly. "I have to... calibrate some equipment at the lab. It's a whole weekend thing."
Anona's face fell. "Oh, bummer. Well, I'll bring you back some cake."
"Thanks," I said, my smile feeling stiff. "I'd like that."
I would be on another continent by then. And they could all choke on their cake.
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