Five Years, A Million Lies

stepped out, looking like she' d just walked off a fashion magazine cover. She wore sung

pen. My apartment was one small room, and she fill

hole," she said, her eyes scanning

at her, my m

eyes were as hard and shiny as marbles. "So, let's get down to b

Ashley?" I asked.

said, examining her perfectly manicured nails. "He seems to think you're good for it. I agree

ll nursing home a few towns over, whose mind was slowly f

ey," I said, my voi

thin, cruel line.

, my phone ran

can be a little intense. Don't worry about the money, okay? We'll figure it out. You an

mise. The same lie

iam," I

pressed the record button on my phone's voice memo

ve-million-dollar demand was now formalized, with clauses about interest and penalties that

t a word. The lawy

to the sidewalk. I jumped back, but not fast enough. The side mirror clipped m

ar sp

he world swimming around me. Then another car

, are you okay?" He helped me up, his hands gentle. For a second,

over the cut on my forehead and the scrapes

es full of what looked like genuine rem

He glanced at the s

ed a few feet away. "Yeah, babe? No, I'm just dealing with something. An emergency

Chloe, I have to go. It's an important business dinner. You'll b

waiting room, my head throbbing, my arm bleeding through my jacket. I

and took a cab back to my empty apartment. I logg

her and Liam at a fancy restaurant. He was smiling, his arm around her, a champagne f

he wall. It was 8:15 PM. He hadn't just lef

my life, the million dollars, my abandoned education, a

e single box of things Liam kept at my place. A few old t-

ag. I didn't cry. I didn't feel anything at all. It was just

door. It was Sarah, my friend who had loaned me the plane t

n my hand and her face tightened. She pushed past me, put

he girls at the club are talking. Abo

on. Too good for this world. This place, these people... they eat girls like you a

for the first time in days, I felt a flicker

e truth. I couldn't tell her about the five-million-dollar necklace, or the staged car

ng. "You're strong, Chloe.

then at Sarah's worried face. She was right. I ha