The car blasted deafening rock music.

At a red light, Riley started headbanging, shouting, "A scumbag and a bitch, a match made in heaven! Just looking at that two-faced snake makes me want to puke!"

She swore that the next time she saw Bella, she'd make her pay.

Seeing Riley so worked up, I couldn't help but laugh, and some of my frustration melted away.

"Honestly, did you rent this car?" I leaned over, half-joking.

Bella loved to travel. Adrian once rented a BMW to drive to California, spending thousands of dollars in a week. A Porsche was on another level.

"Ahem…" Riley suddenly shied away, pointing toward the back.

Someone was in the back?

Confused, I turned around and froze.

"Good evening, Harper."

A clear voice, full of youthful energy, came from behind me.

I followed the sound. A guy was curled up in the cramped back seat of the sports car, wearing a baseball cap and a black hoodie. He had sharp features, a straight nose, and thin lips. A pair of captivating eyes smiled at me.

"Uh… hi."

I responded awkwardly, turning back around stiffly and gripping my seatbelt.

I'd been in the car this whole time and hadn't even noticed a third person!

Riley was looking at me. The guy in the back was looking at me.

Me: "..."

A strange tension filled the air, my heart pounding.

While we were driving, I shot desperate looks at Riley: What the hell is going on? Who is this guy?

Riley ignored me and kept driving.

It wasn't until we pulled up in front of a high-end restaurant in Manhattan that she took off her sunglasses and told me the truth.

"Harper, I can't pretend anymore. I'm a trust-fund baby. And this is the new boyfriend I found for you, Noah. What do you think? A total catch, right?"

I was completely stunned.

I hadn't even processed my breakup with Adrian, and I already had a new boyfriend?

Most importantly, I didn't even know this guy!

A trust-fund baby? So this Porsche!

As Riley explained, I understood.

Her family had always been secretly wealthy, but they believed in raising their kids without spoiling them. Recently, thanks to some savvy real estate investments, she was finally allowed to access her inheritance.

This Porsche was her coming-of-age gift.

And Noah, her cousin's best friend, was here specifically to… compensate me.

It meant exactly what I thought it meant.

"Harper, why don't you…" Riley raised an eyebrow, a sly smile playing on her lips.

I knew what she was thinking. She wanted to teach that asshole couple a lesson, to get revenge for me.

But I refused.

Bella was digging her own grave by juggling two men. Someone would eventually teach her a lesson; I didn't need to get my hands dirty.

As for Adrian, he was just a stranger I used to know.

I had Riley drop me off at a subway station. I wanted to walk around Central Park for a bit, to clear my head.

As for the so-called new boyfriend, Noah, this burned-out corporate drone couldn't handle it.

I gave Riley a look, got out of the car, waved goodbye to Noah in the back seat, and walked away.

My seven-year relationship with Adrian, full of twists and turns, had finally ended.

It had also consumed all my initial passion and innocence for love.

The Harper of the past was gone. The Harper of the future would only get better.