Page 207 of My Real Love Affair

“That psycho has no idea what’s coming for her,” Cleo said, her grin sharp and satisfied.

“No, she doesn’t.”

“Alright, let’s post those badass pictures to your account. We need to make sure we’re breaking your single status before that crazy bitch can.”

“Do it,” I said.

Cleo’s fingers flew across the keyboard while I took another drink from the bottle. I watched her upload the pictures and then add a bunch of hashtags that indicated I was single. I knew it could backfire. People might turn on me.

“Alright, here goes nothing,” Cleo said.

Cleo had included a caption about knowing your worth and not settling for less than you deserve. She didn’t mention Austin by name, but the implication was clear. People would see the last few posts on my account. I never actually came right out and said Austin was my boyfriend, but I had shared a couple of the blog posts with pictures of me and Austin out and about.

The comments flooded in almost immediately:

YES QUEEN! You deserve so much better!

I KNEW he wasn’t good enough for you.

Single Melody is ICONIC.

That Bancroft boy fumbled BAD.

You look AMAZING. His loss.

Hundreds of comments were posted in just minutes. The majority were hyping me up. They supported my supposed decision to leave Austin. My follower count started ticking up rapidly as the post gained traction.

It felt surreal and unsettling.

“This is working,” Cleo said, monitoring the engagement. “People are eating this up. Summer’s definitely going to chime in.”

I put my phone in my purse and stood up, brushing off my jeans. “Okay. Let’s get me ready for tonight. I need to look like a woman who’s ready to burn everything down.”

“You already do,” Cleo said. “But we can make you look even better.”

We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing. Cleo helped me choose the perfect outfit for the dinner with Summer—sophisticated but with an edge, like I was dressing for war. She redid my makeup, keeping it natural but dramatic enough to photograph well. With the post, there was no doubt in my mind there would be a few people that recognized me. And once Summer’s story went live and we were seen together, there would definitely be interest.

“Ready?” Cleo asked, handing me my purse.

I took a deep breath and nodded. “Ready.”

Summer Auburn wanted to destroy the Bancrofts.

But she’d made one critical mistake.

She’d underestimated me.

And that was going to be her downfall.

CHAPTER 65

AUSTIN

Ipulled up in front of a modest apartment building in the East Village, the engine idling as Cash and I sat in tense silence. The street was quiet except for the occasional pedestrian hurrying home.

I was nervous. I couldn’t remember the last time I had been nervous. Actually, I could. It was when I was going to Melody’s place for coffee after we’d been apart for a few weeks. In fact, the only time I could really remember being nervous was when it came to Melody. She was the most important person in my life. I got nervous because I couldn’t imagine my life without her.

“You sure she’s coming?” Cash asked, checking his watch for the third time in as many minutes.