Chapter 3Erased

"Can you hurry up?" George called out, his voice laced with impatience. "I'm on a schedule."

There was no way in hell I was getting back in that car.

Seeing me dawdle, he slammed the passenger door shut. "Fine! Get in or don't! I'm not your chauffeur!"

By the time I arrived at the restaurant, the party was in full swing. George gestured for me to take the seat beside him. As I approached, I saw Lila's leg draped casually over his, her hand pulling his own up, guiding it deep beneath the fabric of her skirt.

George froze for a second, his eyes darting towards me. But Lila held his hand fast. He watched my face, and when he saw only a mask of indifference, he relaxed, a faint, flushed heat rising in his cheeks, mirroring the one on hers.

Later, when the party moved on to drinks and games, George couldn't hold it in any longer. "Elara," he whispered, "could you run out and get me some ibuprofen? My stomach is killing me."

It was the perfect excuse to escape. I nodded and left the private room.

Just as the elevator doors were closing, I realized I'd left my phone. As I walked back, I heard the muffled sounds of their friends talking through the door.

"...the balcony? Damn, George and Lila are getting riskier."

"What choice do they have? There's a pharmacy right downstairs. Elara will be back any minute. They have to be quick."

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms to stop my hands from shaking.

So everyone knew. Everyone was in on their little secret, and I was the fool left in the dark.

Then, I heard George's voice, strained and breathless. "Hey... keep it down. If my wife hears you, you'll all answer to me."

A round of mocking laughter followed. They knew I wasn't there. They knew I wouldn't hear.

I couldn't listen anymore. I turned and fled, my retreat a clumsy, humiliating escape.

When I returned with the medicine, they were all composed, sitting on the couches, playing a party game as if nothing had happened.

Someone noticed me. "Hey, Elara was the last one here! You still haven't given Lila a gift. Let's all guess what our five-time champion is going to give the new winner!"

In all my years as a Hayden, the finances were controlled entirely by George and his parents. I had almost no money to my name.

Sensing my predicament, George leaned in and whispered, "Just give her some cash in an envelope. Put it on my tab."

I set the box of ibuprofen on the table. "The grand piano I've used for the last five years," I announced, my voice clear and steady. "If you wouldn't mind taking it."

A collective gasp filled the room.

That piano was a one-of-a-kind instrument, handcrafted by the legendary Maestro Valerius himself. George had spent half a year convincing the Maestro to part with it. It had been his second-anniversary gift to me.

Suddenly, the way everyone looked at me shifted, their gazes filled with a strange, calculating curiosity.

After arranging for the movers, I was about to head to my room to rest when the door was thrown open. George stood there, his face a thundercloud.

"What the hell was that?" he seethed. "Giving away the piano I gave you. What are you trying to say?"