Hello, welcome. How can I help you?"
"I'd like to book a flight to New York."
Brian was tense as he prepared to head back to New York. The things he had experienced there just days ago still haunted him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. His wife cheating on him and abandoning him was something he still couldn't digest. Even though a deep, growing hatred was festering inside him, the love he felt for Michelle still lingered somewhere deep within. The memories of their past made him furious. He felt like slamming his head into the wall just to shut those thoughts up.
As soon as he landed, he went straight to his old hotel and did something he hadn't done in a long time: he played with his daughter. Since he was the only one taking care of Love now, he barely found the energy or morale to play with her. Sure, he always met her basic needs and loved her deeply, but the games… the laughter… it had all faded. But today, after playing with her for a while, he was filled with regret for not doing it more often. Love's laughter felt like a fresh breath of life to him. He loved his daughter so much, and Michelle's words — "Maybe they'll give me custody" — kept echoing in his head, messing him up. But he didn't see it as a realistic possibility. How could a woman who abandoned both her husband and child be granted custody?
He called Michelle about the divorce papers and let her know he was in New York. Michelle invited him to a café. She came with the papers in hand, just wanting him to sign.
"Hi, how are you?" Michelle asked. Her voice trembled with guilt. It was as if she had been run over by a train just to form that one sentence.
"Good," Brian replied curtly, glancing at the papers while noticing Michelle playing with Love. He stayed quiet at first, but the moment Michelle said:
"Whose little girl is this? Huh? Whose sweet little girl—"
"She's not yours," Brian cut in sharply, his eyes locked on Michelle like he could kill her with a look. Michelle went quiet and turned her face away. As Brian read the documents, something caught his eye.
"Hahaha. You've gotta be fucking kidding me. How dare you ask for her custody, huh?"
Michelle went silent for a moment, then finally said:
"Look, I know I fucked up, but I love her so much and—"
"You love her? Huh? You fucking love her?"
"Don't interrupt me! Let me talk," Michelle snapped.
Brian leaned back, lit a cigarette, and shifted away from Love so the smoke wouldn't reach her. His eyes were fixed on Michelle. He was boiling with rage. The fact that she had the audacity to show up and ask for custody like this made him want to explode.
"I know you won't believe me, but I love both of you — you and Love. I know you'll say, then why did I leave? Just because I left doesn't mean I didn't love you. After everything we've been through, I realized that what I felt for you wasn't love. It was obligation."
Brian felt like his brain had been cracked open. To hear this from the person he had spent seven years with — his best friend, his wife — it destroyed him.
"Did you never love me at all?" he asked.
"I'm not saying I didn't love you. I did. I loved you so much. I still do. But it's not love, Brian. It never was… and I'm sorry for realizing that too late."
Brian's lips started to tremble. His eyes filled with tears. He turned to look at Love. She had her index finger in her mouth, staring at passersby on the street. Then he looked back at Michelle.
"I'm not signing the divorce papers. You're not getting custody of this girl, and you're not getting rid of me that easily. But don't you fucking worry. I won't bother you. I won't hurt you. But from now on, every bad thing that happens in your life — just know it's because of me. My curse."
After that, Brian returned to the hotel. He tossed and turned in bed, consumed with rage from Michelle's words. Even though he knew she felt guilty, he was stunned at how casually she could say these things.
After putting Love to sleep, he stepped out onto the balcony. He lit a cigarette and played music from his phone softly. He sipped his beer, puffed on his smoke, and stared down at the street below. It had been a long time since he felt even a flicker of peace. The breeze on the hotel balcony was nice. Watching the people go by, checking out the women — it reminded him it had been ages since he'd slept with anyone. Suddenly, he flicked his cigarette and went back inside.
He set up the baby monitor next to Love, checked the camera, and left the hotel. He passed by a music shop that had caught his attention before and peeked inside, but it was locked. He pressed his head against the glass. Just a regular music store. Nothing special. Besides, Brian never liked music. His voice sucked anyway. "Fuck music," he muttered and walked off, keeping one eye on the baby cam feed. He had to check it frequently — because he wasn't just out for a stroll. He was going to a bar.
He felt a bit off balance when he got to the bar. He hadn't been to places like this in a long time. He usually drank at home now. And since he couldn't look at any woman other than his ex-wife Michelle, he hadn't shown interest in anyone else for a while.
He glanced around, then ordered a glass of whiskey on the rocks from the bartender. Leaning on the counter with his left side, he sipped his drink while scanning the crowd. A redhead caught his attention. About 170 cm tall, blue eyes, wearing blue pants and a white sweater. She had come alone. It was clear she was going through something too. She wasn't particularly dressed up, but her face and body were stunning enough to grab Brian's full attention.
A few drinks later, Brian was already on his fourth glass and ordered two more. He took the two whiskeys and walked over to the redhead without saying a word.
"You looked like you were deep in thought. The whiskey's on me," he said casually.
The girl looked at Brian with a blank expression, then took a sip from the glass.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you," Brian added.
"You're not… but did you win the lottery or something?" the redhead replied.
"Do I look that expensive and hard to reach?" Brian smirked.
"I wasn't talking about the prize, I meant the ticket," she said, and Brian's face fell. He instantly felt like an idiot.
"You caught my eye, and I wanted to get to know you. No need for deeper reasons than that."
"Well, handsome, I should get going. Thanks for the drink," she said, got up, and began walking away, leaving Brian watching her.
Brian stood up and followed her, sitting down on the bar stool she had just left.
"Did I bother you?" he asked hesitantly.
"Yes, you did," the redhead cut in coldly. Then she continued:
"Look at me. Do I look like someone who's out here searching for a new guy? All I want is to drink alone. Just leave me alone."
"I guess you don't have many friends. I just wanted to be one," Brian said. He leaned closer to her ear and whispered:
"My name is Brian Easton. Remember it. That's the name of the man you'll want to marry someday."
He gave her a wink and walked out of the bar. While heading back to the hotel, he laughed to himself, almost mocking the whole situation. Even though he found the redhead incredibly attractive, he wasn't really after a relationship. He just wanted sex. And if he'd insisted, he probably could've gotten it — but it wasn't worth the effort. Brian had decided he wouldn't give women that much power anymore. Unless someone truly worth it came along, he wasn't going to bother. He got back to the hotel and fell asleep. Love was already asleep — he had checked on her throughout the night via the baby monitor, so he was at ease.
The next morning, the first thing he did was rent a car. Then he hit the streets again. Despite the darkness in his heart, Brian knew how to entertain himself and his daughter. They spent the day exploring New York, having fun together. That night, they returned to the hotel. Brian went back to the bar but didn't see the redhead, so he left.
"God, I'm so stupid," he muttered to himself.
"I should've gotten her name. I could've found her on Instagram."
She had unintentionally caught his attention. Beyond her beauty, her lack of showiness — and even though she rejected him — the interest in her eyes was obvious. That alone was enough to leave Brian intrigued. Still, the reason he was in New York wasn't for some redhead. He was here to have a little fun — and maybe play a few mind games with Michelle and Theo.
Michelle was at home watching TV, while Theo was outside sweeping the grass in the yard. Michelle, both bored and thinking Theo might be thirsty, brought him a glass of water.
"Thanks, babe," he said, chugging the whole glass in one go. He really was thirsty.
"So, what are we doing today?" Michelle asked playfully.
"What do you want to do?"
"I don't know, baby. I'm so bored at home. Let's go out, have a drink, eat something, have some fun," she said in a sweet, flirty tone. Michelle knew full well that her charm was something men could rarely resist.
"Fine, fine. Go get ready. Let's go out," Theo replied.
"Hahahaha! I love you so much!" Michelle suddenly jumped on his back. She was now riding him like a piggyback ride, and the two spun around laughing like children. Michelle let out shrieks of joy while Theo broke into a fit of laughter.
"You love him, huh? You love him so much?"
Brian muttered to himself inside a car parked a little ways down the street. He was watching them, waiting for them to leave.
Twenty minutes later, Michelle got dressed, and the two got in Theo's car and drove off. Brian, always cautious, put on his hat and drove a rented car with tinted windows. Only the front windshield was untinted — it would be hard for them to see him through that.
After about thirty minutes of driving, the couple arrived in SoHo and entered a small dessert shop on Prince Street. Even the cheesecakes in the display looked like they were judging them.
Brian got out of the car and sat on a bench directly in front of the shop with his back to it, thinking his hat would be enough not to get recognized. But then he realized it was too risky and changed his position. He got back in the car and parked across the street where he had a full view of the inside.
As the couple laughed, touched, and shared sweets, Brian was losing his mind. He started to feel like this whole idea had been a mistake. His anger was building by the second. He lit a cigarette inside the car and just stared into the dessert shop.
When the couple left the place and drove a bit further, they entered a coffee shop. Brian was planning to do the same thing: park across the street and watch them from a distance. But this time, there was another car parked directly in front. No spots. The only free space was right in front of the coffee shop — but if he parked there, he might get seen. Too risky.
He finally found a spot, parked, and got out. Then, holding Love in the baby carrier strapped to his chest, he walked toward the coffee shop and sat down on the sidewalk between some parked cars. From there, he could see the couple inside, and they couldn't see him — unless they looked really closely.
After a few more minutes of watching them, Love began to cry, clearly bored. And just at that moment, Theo paid the check, and the couple walked out hand in hand. Love's cry was loud enough to be heard from two streets away. Even though Michelle was a shitty mother, she could still recognize the cry of the child she had given birth to. Brian quickly stood up and began moving with Love strapped to him, staying hidden behind cars as he followed them. Michelle thought something had caught her attention, but Brian's quick movements saved him from being caught.
He jumped into the car and tried to calm Love down, but nothing worked. He knew exactly what he had to do. He started the car, turned on Love's favorite song, and began driving through the streets of New York.
He had to forget Michelle and Theo — at least for today. He had spent hours watching their house, following them, tracking them. He had used up his "crazy stalker credit" for the day. Any further and he risked getting caught.
After driving around a bit more, Love finally fell asleep. Brian pulled over and rested his head against the steering wheel.
"It hurts so much to see them together. It fucking kills me," he thought.
He sat like that for about five minutes, letting memory after memory rush through his mind — from their wedding to the day they met. All of it replayed. Beautiful memories, but they made him want to die. Everything had become too heavy.
He realized that the only reason he was still alive, the only thing keeping him grounded, was the little girl asleep in the back seat.
He couldn't die. Suicide wasn't an option. But what was?
The only option was to move on. He remembered how broken he was after Sophie — the woman he once loved more than anything. He had survived that pain. And then, somehow, he had found happiness with Michelle. After all those years, he had fallen in love with his best friend.
If I keep moving forward, no matter how hard it is, someone else will eventually come along, he thought.
He turned the engine back on and drove to the hotel.
Brian had made a decision: he was done with the mind games and stalking. He would move on. Even though the days he had spent in New York so far had been rough, he had fallen in love with the city. It was beautiful. There was so much to do, so many people to meet — so many single moms, even.
He lay in his hotel bed thinking, "Should I stay in New York?"
There wasn't much left for him in Los Angeles. He had been fired from his job. Aside from visiting his family, there was nothing holding him there anymore. With his resume, he could easily find a new job in New York.
Then he thought of Vivian. That recent conversation with her had really affected him. He realized he had never had such a deep talk even with his real mother. And although he didn't see her as a mother figure, she was starting to feel like a big sister — someone he genuinely cared about.
Still tossing and turning in bed, his phone rang. It was Theo.
Brian stared at the screen, his rage simmering again.
"Should I even answer? I don't want to get angry again," he thought. But then he picked up the phone and answered in a calm voice.
"Hey."
"Hey, man. How's it going?" Theo said cheerfully. That fake warmth in his voice was enough to make Brian's blood boil.
"What the fuck do you want now?" Brian snapped.
"Haha, calm down bro. Just wanted to check in," Theo said.
"Theo, if you call me again, I swear I'll shove that phone up your ass."
"Okay, okay, don't get all fired up. Michelle told me you didn't sign the papers. I get it, man. You're hurt. But wouldn't it be better to just end things quickly, cleanly?"
"I'm not dragging anything out," Brian replied calmly, hiding a storm inside. "I didn't sign the papers and I'm not going to. Because that dumbass woman sitting next to you, my ex-wife, thinks she's smart. She wants full custody of my daughter and plans to live off alimony for the rest of her life. And whenever she can't afford something, you'll be the backup. Fuck that."
Theo went silent. Brian knew Michelle was right there beside him, probably making Theo call in the first place.
"So what do you want to do then?" Theo asked.
"What we're going to do is go to court. There's no easy divorce here. We'll face the judge, tell the whole fucking story. Getting alimony and custody won't be that easy, Michelle.
Now get the fuck out of my life, assholes."
He hung up.
Right now, Brian hated Michelle more than ever. He had known her flaws even back when they were friends, but he never thought she could do this to the people she claimed to love. Wasn't this the same woman who said she loved me?
No. She only cared about herself — money, freedom, control. That's all.
⸻
The next morning, Brian knew he had to make a decision. He couldn't keep paying $210 a night for a hotel. If he was going to stay in New York, he needed to find a place. Or… go back to L.A., where his house was still waiting. He had breakfast and started thinking. Should I stay or should I go?
Yeah, he might run into Michelle and Theo in New York — but in a city with 8.5 million people, it was still unlikely. In Los Angeles, though, he would be stuck in a house full of memories.
While packing his suitcase, he found Michelle's old phone and tossed it aside. But after a few more minutes of packing, he couldn't resist. He picked it up and checked the location.
He drove to the place and realized it was a movie theater. He was a bit surprised. Apparently, Michelle and Theo were going out all the time now, constantly enjoying themselves.
When we were married, we never did any of this. Is that why she left me?
His mind flooded with thoughts and doubts. But the moment he saw Michelle and Theo walking out of the cinema, he threw on his hat and stayed in the car, watching.
This time, though, something inside him was whispering horrible things. His anger was rising fast. His breathing changed. His hands started to shake.
Then he got out of the car and walked toward them. As he crossed the street, cars slammed their brakes. Horns blared. Someone even shouted at him. One driver honked loudly and aggressively. Brian turned and gave him a glare that could kill, then kept walking.
Michelle and Theo had turned toward the noise — and they saw him. Brian was walking directly at Theo with a death stare, completely ignoring Michelle. Two more steps and Michelle stood up to block him, but Brian was faster. He landed a solid punch right into Theo's face.
Michelle tried to stop him, grabbing his arms. Brian, without thinking, shoved her aside. She fell to the ground.
"Stop, please, Brian!" she screamed from the ground.
But Brian didn't stop. He crouched down beside Theo, who was now lying on the sidewalk.
"Are you fucking happy now?" he growled.
"What did I even do? I just got together with my ex," Theo replied, trying to sound innocent.
"The person you're calling your ex is my fucking wife. Fuck you and your 'ex.' Was that ethical? Huh? Back in high school, how many times did I save your ass? How many times did I protect you, huh?"
Brian started yelling. People on the street were watching. Some were filming. Some looked concerned.
"If you didn't want to help me, you shouldn't have!" Theo started to say — but Brian punched him again. Then again. Four or five punches, straight to the face.
He leaned down and whispered into Theo's ear:
"We're just getting started, man."
Then he got up, looked at Michelle, and walked back to the car.
He drove off. Since it was just a street fight, he doubted the police would care much.
⸻
Brian stopped at a gas station to wash his face and hands. He tried to clean the blood from his T-shirt, but it wouldn't come out. Fuck it, he thought.
Just as he walked out of the bathroom, he saw her. The redhead. Scarlett. She was working as a cashier, scanning someone's groceries, but her eyes were on Brian. She was surprised to see him. Brian, just as surprised, grabbed a few things and joined the line.
As he got closer, he saw her more clearly. She was beautiful. And she had that kind of smile that made life feel worth living.
When it was finally his turn, she smirked and said,
"Well hello there, future husband."
Then she burst into laughter. Brian smiled at first but started to feel a little embarrassed as her giggles went on and on.
"If I knew it'd be this funny, I would've used that line on every girl I met," Brian said.
"Haha, what? You don't say that to every girl? I don't believe it," she replied.
"Believe it or not, not everyone affects me like you do," he said, giving her a look.
"Hahahahaha!" she laughed again, loudly.
Brian was starting to feel a little awkward now.
"I'm Scarlett Sable. My friends usually call me Scar," she said, reaching out her hand.
Brian shook it, then joked,
"I don't see any scars… why do they call you that?"
"Because the visible ones aren't where the pain is," she said with a grin.
That smile alone was enough to cleanse Brian of all the rage, hatred, and pain he had felt earlier. It gave him something new to think about — something that would keep him up all night.
When he returned to the hotel, he couldn't stop thinking about Scarlett, even though Michelle and Theo were the real reason he was in New York. His phone was filled with messages from Michelle. Some were insults, some were begging, others told him to leave them alone.
Brian played a voice message from her, then hit record and spoke:
"Like I've already told your boyfriend…
We're just getting started, honey."