The tension thickens. I drain the last of my hot chocolate, grateful for the warmth of the alcohol flowing through my veins.
"I'm getting a refill," I announce, standing. "Anyone else need one?"
"I'm good," Bash says, brushing his hand against mine as I take his mug.
"I'd love a refill." Sarah hands me her mug.
"Me too!" Emily says with a smile.
"I'll help," Olivia says, surprising everyone as she stands.
"No need—" I begin.
"I insist." Her smile doesn't reach her eyes.
Great. Just what I need.
In the kitchen, I set the mugs down harder than necessary, splash in some schnapps, and top them with hot chocolate from the pot still warming on the stove. Olivia leans against the counter, watching me with calculated casualness.
"You two seem... cozy," she says finally.
"We are." I don't elaborate.
"How long have you been dating again?"
"Four months."
"That's so... quick. After you and Ethan, I mean."
I focus on stirring my drink. "Not that quick apparently."
"Yeah, you're right." Olivia's voice drips with false niceties. "Time flies when you're in love, I suppose."
Something in her tone makes me pause. I look up to find her studying me, a small, satisfied smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
"Ethan and I are so happy," she continues, twisting her enormous engagement ring. "Sometimes the heart just wants what it wants, you know? We didn't mean to fall in love, but when it's right..." She trails off with a delicate shrug.
My stomach clenches. There's something calculated in her words—the practiced innocence, the way she's watching for my reaction.
"When did you two start dating?" I ask, striving for casualness.
"Oh, you know..." She waves her hand vaguely.
"Actually, I don't. Ethan never mentioned you before we broke up. I mean, I'd seen you at his company parties but outside of that…nothing."
Olivia reaches for a marshmallow from the bowl on the counter. "Well, we knew each other through work, as you know. He was so... conflicted. Aboutyour relationship." She pops the marshmallow in her mouth, chewing delicately. "He just wasn't happy, Charlie. Surely you felt that?"
The rage building inside me is so sudden and fierce that for a moment, I can't speak. My hands grip the counter edge.
"When. Olivia." My voice is quiet but steady. "When did you start seeing each other?"
She hesitates, and I see calculation behind her eyes. Then she smiles—a slow, victorious smile. "If you must know... we had been talking for a while. Months, really."
"Before or after he broke things off with me?"
She examines her manicure. "A bit before. But don't take it personally. He just realized I was more... compatible with his goals."
My blood boils so hot I'm surprised steam isn't coming out of my ears. six months ago, I was devastated when Ethan abruptly ended our relationship, claiming he "wasn't ready" and needed to "find himself." Then two weeks ago, there he was on Instagram, proposing to someone else in Paris.
