But I sidestepped him without hesitation.

My eyes narrowed, and a cold smile curved across my lips.

"Do you believe me now?"

"Brian Delgado, let me make something crystal clear." I looked him dead in the eye, enunciating every single word. "I didn't get myself a male best friend to get back at you."

A beat.

"I did it to have a good time."

Within moments, heat rushed to my face, staining my cheeks scarlet. My breathing grew ragged.

I turned to Mervyn. "What are you standing around for? Go wait for me in the room."

Mervyn hesitated for a second, then nodded and did as he was told.

I swung my gaze back to Brian, amusement dripping from every word.

"Why are you still here?"

"Wait much longer and your precious Joan will throw another tantrum."

Before the reconciliation. After the reconciliation. It never mattered.

Joan always had to make herself the center of attention. The moment Brian was anywhere near me, she'd fake an illness, threaten to jump off a building, or dissolve into hysterical sobs. One stunt after another, each one designed to drag him away.

And Brian, fully aware it was all a performance, fully aware every word out of her mouth was a lie, chose to believe her. Every. Single. Time.

He stood frozen in place, his face white as chalk, staring at me with an expression twisted in agony.

"Eleanor, have you actually gone insane?"

"Do you have any idea what the consequences of this will be?"

I let out a cold laugh. "Of course I do. Once you leave, I'm going to be blissfully happy."

"After all, the reason you and Joan keep crawling back to each other is thanks to this little drug, isn't it?"

Brian gaped at me, stumbled back a few steps, and let out a hollow, bitter laugh.

His phone rang again.

Even his ringtone was set to a cutesy girl's voice. Joan's voice, specifically.

"Hubby, hubby, pick up the phone..."

After we'd reconciled, I had asked him more than once to change that ringtone.

He refused every time.

"Joanie and I are done. It's over. We're clean."

"That ringtone is the last thing I have left of her. Why can't you even let me have that?"

Now I smiled, razor-sharp. "Aren't you going to answer? Your precious Joanie must be getting upset."

Brian yanked the phone out without a second thought, rejected the call, and powered it off.

Then he lifted his gaze and fixed me with a frigid stare. "You want me to leave? Not a chance, Eleanor. I won't let you have your way."