Alice's POV
The flowers were wilting in my hand.
I'd bought them with my tip money—bright yellow sunflowers because Derek always said they reminded him of my smile. Three years together, and I still got butterflies thinking about surprising him. I was such an idiot.
I climbed the stairs to our tiny apartment, already imagining his face when I walked through the door early. My boss let me leave two hours before my shift ended because it was our anniversary. Well, almost-anniversary. We met three years ago today at a coffee shop where I spilled latte all over his laptop. He laughed instead of yelling. I thought that meant he was kind.
The apartment door was unlocked. Derek always forgot to lock it.
"Babe?" I called out, pushing it open. "I got off work early! I brought—"
The flowers fell from my hand.
There were clothes everywhere. Derek's shirt. His pants. But also a pink dress I recognized immediately because I'd been with Lily when she bought it last month. My best friend since seventh grade. The girl who knew all my secrets.
Sounds came from the bedroom. Sounds I'd heard before but never like this—never this loud, never this... happy.
My legs moved on their own, carrying me down the hall even though my brain screamed at me to run. The bedroom door was half-open. I should've left. I should've walked away. But I pushed it wider.
Derek was in our bed. Our bed with the sheets I'd washed yesterday. And Lily was with him, her red hair spread across my pillow, her hands on his chest, both of them—
"Oh my God!" Lily screamed, grabbing the blanket.
Derek's head snapped toward me. For one second, just one tiny second, he looked sorry. Then his face changed. Got hard. Got mean.
"Alice," he said, not even trying to cover himself. "You're early."
That was it. Not I'm sorry. Not this isn't what it looks like. Just... you're early. Like I was the problem for coming home to my own apartment.
"What—" My voice cracked. "What is this?"
Lily sat up, holding the blanket to her chest, but she wasn't crying. She wasn't even embarrassed. She looked... annoyed. Like I'd interrupted something important.
"We need to talk," Derek said, getting out of bed and pulling on his pants. So casual. So calm. Like this was normal.
"How long?" The words barely made it out of my throat.
Derek and Lily looked at each other. Actually looked at each other like they were sharing a secret. Like I wasn't even there.
"Over a year," Lily said finally, her voice flat. "Maybe longer. I don't really remember when it started."
Over a year. A whole year of lies. A year of Lily sitting on my couch, eating my food, listening to me talk about Derek while she... while they...
"Why?" It came out as a whisper.
Derek laughed. Actually laughed. "You really want to know?"
"Derek, don't—" Lily started, but he cut her off.
"No, she deserves the truth." He walked closer to me, and I saw something in his eyes I'd never seen before. Something cruel. "You're boring, Alice. You're plain. You're safe and easy and you never ask for anything. Do you know how exhausting that is? Being with someone who's just... there?"
Each word hit me like a punch.
"I only stayed because you were easy," he continued, and I watched his mouth move but couldn't believe these words were coming out. "You paid half the rent. You cooked. You never complained when I went out with friends. You were convenient."
"And boring in bed," Lily added with a little laugh. "Sorry, Alice, but it's true. Derek told me everything."
The room tilted. This couldn't be real. This had to be a nightmare.
"We were going to tell you eventually," Derek said, shrugging like we were discussing what to have for dinner. "But honestly? You would've just cried and forgiven me anyway. You always do. You're too weak to leave."
Something inside me cracked. Not broke—cracked. Like ice on a frozen lake.
"Get out," I whispered.
"What?" Derek smirked.
"GET OUT!" I screamed it this time, my whole body shaking. "This is my apartment! My name is on the lease! Get out right now!"
For the first time, Derek looked surprised. Maybe even a little nervous. "Alice, calm down—"
"You have ten minutes to take your stuff and leave," I said, and my voice didn't sound like mine anymore. It sounded cold. Hard. "Both of you. Or I'm calling the police."
"You can't just—" Lily started.
"Nine minutes," I said, pulling out my phone.
They grabbed their clothes and ran.
I stood there alone in my bedroom—our bedroom—my bedroom, and looked at the mess they'd left behind. The tangled sheets. The scattered clothes. The life I thought I had, destroyed in less than five minutes.
My phone buzzed. A text from Mom: Don't forget Sunday dinner! Bringing Derek?
I slid down the wall until I was sitting on the floor, phone clutched in my hand. Three years. Three years of believing someone loved me. Three years of thinking I had a best friend. All of it was a lie.
Another buzz. This time from Lily: You're overreacting. We can all be adults about this.
Then Derek: I'll come get my stuff tomorrow when you've calmed down. You always get emotional.
I stared at those messages until they blurred. They thought I'd forgive them. They thought I'd calm down and we could "talk about this" and I'd just... what? Let them keep hurting me?
My fingers moved before I could think, typing and deleting, typing and deleting. Finally, I sent one message to both of them: Lose my number.
Then I blocked them. Both of them. Every social media account. Every way they could reach me.
The apartment was so quiet I could hear my own heartbeat.
I pulled my knees to my chest and let myself cry. Big, ugly sobs that shook my whole body. I cried for the three years I wasted. I cried for the friendship I thought was real. I cried for the girl I was this morning who actually believed someone could love her.
When I finally stopped, my face was swollen and my throat hurt and I felt empty. Completely empty.
My phone buzzed again. Unknown number.
Against every instinct, I opened it.
Is this Alice Chen? We need to talk about your mother. It's urgent.
My mother? I hadn't spoken to my mother in five years. Not since she told me I was "a disappointment" for not becoming a doctor like she wanted. Not since she kicked me out for dating Derek instead of the rich lawyer's son she'd picked out for me.
Who is this? I typed back.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Then: Your mother is in the hospital. She's been asking for you. The doctors say... you should come now. Before it's too late.