Chapter 3

I have no idea how I made it back to the apartment.

When I pushed the door open, my roommate, Mia, was sitting on the couch doing her makeup.

The second she saw me, she rushed over.

"Oh my god, Chloe, what's wrong?" Mia grabbed my hands, her face full of concern, and guided me to the couch.

I completely broke down, collapsing into her arms and sobbing uncontrollably as I poured out everything that had happened over the last forty-eight hours.

"Mia, what is wrong with me? Sarah blocked me, David fired me, they all act like I'm disgusting... What did I do wrong?"

Mia rubbed my back gently and sighed. "Sweetie, don't overthink it. It's probably just a massive misunderstanding."

She paused, a strange flicker passing through her eyes. Her gaze dropped to my neck for a split second before she spoke, her tone suddenly casual. "By the way... have you been using that perfume I gave you recently?"

"Perfume?" I froze for a second, the image of that delicate little glass bottle with the dark, intricate patterns flashing in my mind.

"Yes... Mia, what exactly does it smell like? Could there be something wrong with it?"

Mia let out a soft laugh and reached out, playfully tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Silly, what could possibly be wrong with it? I picked that out specifically for you. It’s a scent guaranteed to drive men crazy—absolutely intoxicating. Trust me."

She stood up and grabbed her clutch from the side table.

"I have a party to get to tonight, so I need to head out. Just get a good night's sleep and stop driving yourself crazy."

With that, she hurried out of the apartment.

Not long after Mia left, the doorbell rang. It was Liam.

Liam was my boyfriend of three years. We had even started talking about getting engaged.

He was holding a bouquet of vibrant roses. The second I saw him, I lost whatever control I had left. I ran to him barefoot and threw my arms around his neck, holding on for dear life.

"Liam... I'm so scared..."

Liam wrapped his arms protectively around me, his large hand stroking my hair as he offered me the flowers.

I took them, forcing a bitter smile.

Even though my severe seasonal allergies had completely destroyed my sense of smell, I could tell the flowers were beautiful.

"Thank you. They're beautiful."

Liam gently cupped my face. After listening to me choke out the horrors of my day, his eyes were filled with heartache—and a dark, flickering spark of desire.

"Forget about them. You still have me." He leaned in, his voice turning husky and seductive. "Let me help you forget all the bad things tonight..."

The sexual tension in the room rapidly heated up. His hands drifted down to my waist as he leaned in for a deep kiss.

"Give me a second," I whispered, blushing slightly. "Let me take a shower first."

After my shower, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror. My gaze landed on the small bottle of perfume sitting in the corner.

Wanting to completely relax tonight and make sure Liam found me irresistible—and perhaps subconsciously wanting to test Mia's claim about it being an "intoxicating" scent—I picked up the bottle and spritzed a little on my neck and wrists.

Wrapped in a plush robe, I walked back into the bedroom and crawled onto the soft bed.

Taking a deep breath, I slowly untied the sash, letting the cloth slip off my shoulders.

Liam moved in closer.

But in the very next second, he froze.

His entire body went completely rigid, as if he had just been electrocuted. The affection and lust in his eyes vanished, replaced instantly by absolute shock and extreme, visceral disgust.

Gag.

Liam violently shoved me away. He pushed me so hard I crashed into the nightstand.

Stumbling backward against the wall, he snatched a shirt and clamped it tightly over his nose, dry-heaving violently.

"Liam? What's wrong?" Ignoring the sharp pain in my shoulder, I frantically pulled my robe back up and scrambled off the bed to help him.

"Don't touch me!" He shrank back as if I were carrying the plague.

"What is wrong with me?!" I screamed, utterly broken, tears streaming down my face.

Liam glared at me, his eyes bloodshot with pure rage.

"Have you been screwing around with another man behind my back?!"

"What?" I was completely stunned.

"You're reeking of another man, and you have the goddamn nerve to crawl into my bed?!" Liam roared. He grabbed the lamp off the desk and smashed it furiously onto the floor, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. "What kind of fool do you take me for, Chloe?!"

He didn't stay to hear another word. Snatching his jacket, he stormed out of the bedroom and slammed the front door behind him with a deafening crash.