Page 46 of Perfectly Wrong

Over the weekend, John brought some documents to Dorchester. My house sold faster than expected, and I was officially homeless in Toronto. My belongings would be on their way to New York in a few days, and the reality of it all started to hit me.

“There’s a great apartment in my building,” John said as we sat around the table, enjoying the pudding my mom had made for dessert. “Two bedrooms, lots of space, great layout. I think you could get a good price on it. I know the owner and can put in a word if you’re interested.”

“That would be wonderful, dear,” my dad chimed in, his mouth full. My mom shot him a disapproving look, and we all laughed. “It would be good to have John nearby; he knows the area and the building. You should think about it.”

And I did. John gave me the owner’s number, and we chatted for a bit. The guy sent me pictures of the place and even offered a discount since the original price was a bit over my budget. Just like that, I signed the deal. I know buying an apartment without seeing it first is risky, but I trusted John. If he said it was a good place, that was enough for me.

Sadly, my vacation ended way too soon, and once again, I left my tearful parents behind. Growing up is tough in ways no one ever tells you. Everyone warns you about bills and responsibilities, but no one mentions how painful it is to watch your parents grow smaller in the rearview mirror.

When I saw the CN Tower appear from the bus window, my heart raced. We were so close to Sam’s building that I closed the curtain, as if he could see me. Not that he would, but I wasn’t taking any chances. John accompanied me to Icon Records, and when I got there, I couldn’t believe my eyes. My team was throwing me a farewell party, and I couldn’t hold back the tears. To quash any rumours, Jeremy told everyone I was invited to work at the New York office on one of the most important projects of 2019. He made sure everyone knew the board was thrilled to see one of their own being recognized, and I became the centre of attention—for a good reason, for once. When Jeremy handed me the papers to sign, Morgana and Katie started to cry. Minutes later, we were all hugging, sniffling, and already missing our time together.

“God, this is hard,” I said in the elevator. John and Jeremy stood beside me, just like in the old days when I was an intern, and we were a tight-knit trio.

“Just promise you’ll give it your all, Elena,” Jeremy said, trying to hold back his emotions.

“I promise. And thank you, for everything, Jer. You saved me, and I’ll never forget that.”

We shared a quick hug in the lobby before I walked out, fighting back more tears. John draped his arm over my shoulders, pulling me close. He kissed the top of my head, and I wrapped my arm around his waist. “I can’t believe I finally got you to come with me, shorty,” he said, his joy palpable.

“Me neither,” I replied, looking up at him. We shared a smile and headed to the hotel.

The only thing that soured the day, aside from leaving, was knowing I had to see Sam that night. Of all the things I’d dealt with these past few weeks, that was going to be the hardest. Jeremy was right: after all the sacrifices I’d made for this project, vanishing would raise suspicion, and I couldn’t afford that. But, God, it was going to be brutal. Seeing that stage, facing the giant rose Matt and I had spent hours perfecting—it all brought back too many memories. I was just praying to get through the concert without falling apart.

John and I arrived just in time, minutes before the show started. I didn’t want to have any chance of running into Sam backstage, of smelling his cologne or hearing him say my name. My heart had already taken enough hits.

As we made our way to the seats with the Icon team, something caught me off guard. Katherine, Miguel, and Amelia were there, sitting in the front row, waiting for their pride and joy to take the stage. When our eyes met, Sam’s mom stood up, and I held my breath. She walked over to me, wearing an understanding smile, and pulled me into a tight hug. I closed my eyes and hugged her back, knowing this would be the only goodbye I’d get to say to him. She kissed my cheek gently and returned to her seat beside Miguel, who nodded at me with a polite smile before turning back to face the stage.

“Who are they?” John asked as I sat beside him.

“His mom, dad, and sister,” I said, grateful he was the only one who seemed to notice what had just happened.

The lights dimmed, and the first notes of “You in Japan” played. The crowd went wild, screaming at the top of their lungs. I was struggling not to faint, but hearing the words he’d once used against me stung like hell.

At some point, our eyes met, and Sam’s smile faltered when he saw John beside me.

“Bastard,” John muttered, and I squeezed his hand.

All I felt was rage. I was starting to get used to the idea of moving to New York, but things could’ve been so different if Sam had just listened to me. But no, his ego couldn’t handle that.

“Thank you, everyone,” Sam said into the mic. “Before the next song, I want to give a shoutout to everyone who worked so hard to make this album and concert happen. Especially the team at Icon Records who worked tirelessly with me to bring you the best songs and experience possible. Toronto, let’s give it up for this incredible team up there!”

He pointed at us, and the crowd erupted. My heart pounded so hard I thought it would burst. My hands were shaking as I forced a smile for my team and took a deep breath. He set his guitar aside and moved to the piano, playing a melody I didn’t recognize. Maybe I would’ve, if I hadn’t been avoiding his new album like the plague.

“I didn’t believe it, so I needed proof / Just one touch of your lips, and I knew it was true.” His voice was calm, his fingers gliding over the keys. “It was poison / And I drank the best of it all.”

I felt eyes burning into me, but I kept looking at him, determined not to break as he continued.

“You sealed our fate / then set it ablaze.” Our eyes locked, and my heart raced in my chest. John exhaled sharply beside me, shifting in his seat. “But it was written in the stars / life was the death that tore us apart.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Katherine turn to me, but I couldn’t look at her. She knew the song was about me, just like the rest of the album. In any other situation, I might’ve felt flattered to be Sam’s muse, but not now.

“We made a mess / But I can’t stand to see you go.” He found my eyes again. “You’re my whole world / So perfectly wrong for me.”

“That’s enough,” I muttered, standing up. John followed immediately. Sam wasn’t going to use me as his personal therapy session anymore; he wasn’t going to put my second chance in jeopardy.

Without looking back, I walked out, swearing to myself that Sam Martin would never crush my heart again, even if I had to tear it out of my chest myself. And I’d do it with my bare hands.

My plan had been perfect and straightforward. If I told Jeremy that Elena had seduced me, he would fire her, and I’d still have my contract. I was making good money and could support us both comfortably for as long as needed. In the meantime, Elena could start her own marketing company, if she wanted, and keep doing her brilliant work. I’d even encourage her to bring her team along, so she’d have her people around for support and confidence. But first, I wanted her to take some time off, just to be with me, so we could enjoy ourselves without stress. God, I couldn’t wait to tell her my idea.

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