His Lie Count Stayed Zero for Five Years — Till His Assistant Came Chapter 06

When my flight landed in San Francisco, I looked at the zeros above the heads of the people around me and took a deep breath.

Nobody here knew me.

I was on my own again.

But this was a new beginning.

At least this city hadn’t lied to me yet.

Three hours later, Elliot texted again.

[Did you land?]

I didn’t respond. I turned on Do Not Disturb.

Then I opened Renee’s alternate social-media account, which I’d found on Elliot’s tablet.

It was the only account Elliot followed.

Her latest post had gone up three minutes earlier, tagged in Aspen.

[Safe travels.]

In the photo, Renee wore a pink scarf.

Elliot had brought it for her. I’d watched him pack it into his twenty-eight-inch suitcase.

He’d also packed cartoon-print Band-Aids, cold medicine, and stomach medicine.

Everything had a sticky note attached.

[Ren gets cold. Put this on her as soon as we land.]

[Ren has a sensitive stomach. Give her one after she eats.]

I said nothing and pretended I hadn’t seen any of it.

Someone who was leaving shouldn’t concern herself with where his heart had gone.

It didn’t matter anymore.

Elliot was starting to get anxious.

[Jenna, answer me. Where are you?]

[Why does it say you never boarded?]

I still didn’t reply.

Then he called.

“Where are you?”

“San Francisco.”

He sounded irritated.

“Why are you in San Francisco? If you didn’t want to go to Maui, you should’ve told me beforehand.”

I answered evenly.

“I’m not on vacation. I’ve been transferred here.”

He was silent for a long time. When he finally spoke, he sounded stunned.

“Transferred? Jenna, you didn’t tell me.”

“I didn’t need to.”

His voice rose.

“Jenna, we’re getting married! You transferred to another city and didn’t even tell me? How can you say I didn’t need to know?”

“Did you tell me before you let Renee move into our home?”

That stopped him for a moment. But then he tried to justify himself.

“That’s different.”

“How?”

“Ren’s situation won’t affect our future together. Your transfer will.”

“Now that you’ve transferred to San Francisco, how long will it be before you can come back? Have you even thought about that?”

I let his questions hang.

Apparently, turning our future home into another woman’s dream home was his idea of something that wouldn’t affect our future.

It was handing her the promise I’d waited five years for.

It was watching Renee break the thing I treasured most, not even offering an apology, and then calling me petty for being upset.

I had no desire to argue anymore.

“Elliot, we’re breaking up.”

His tone turned serious.

“Jenna, don’t threaten me with a breakup.”

“I’m not threatening you. I’m telling you.”

Another long silence followed. Maybe he was wondering if I was serious.

But some part of him must have known, because in five years together, I’d never once said those words before.

“Why? Because I let Renee stay at the condo? Because I didn’t take you to Aspen? Or because of that camera?”

He sounded baffled, as though he didn’t think any of those things were a big deal.

“Elliot, have you ever lied to me?”

He froze. Even his breathing seemed to slow on the other end of the line.

“…No.”

That was a lie, too.

“Then there’s nothing left to discuss. I’ve taken all my things. I’m telling you we’re done. It’s not up for negotiation.”

I hung up and let out a long breath.

San Francisco’s winters were cool and damp, but snow rarely fell in the city.

But I no longer had to watch the number above Elliot’s head, wondering when it would change.

And I no longer had to offer my whole heart and hope someone else would be equally sincere.