I went to look at the papers Alec had hung up, stomach dropping.

I saw several pieces of paper pinned to a notice board there with a copy of our text conversation printed. One line was highlighted. It read “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll make sure nobody doubts we’re head over heels. We’re going to fake the shit out of this.”

Dean had saved himself in my phone as “Sweet Cheeks,” but I kept everyone in my contacts by their full names and had changed it to “Dean Slater” a few days later.

It felt like the world was spinning around me. I dreaded it, but I slid my gaze to Lizzie, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

Dean came up beside me, taking my arm. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You know, we could just claim he faked this. It wouldn’t be hard at all.”

“He ruined everything,” I said. Even if we tried to argue it was fake, the damage was done. There was no point. “I don’t think all these people leaving even care about us. It’s just the way he announced it all. He took her day away, and we gave him the excuse to get up there and do it.”

The room was in an uproar. Curtis and Lane were helping to shove Alec out the front with Maxwell and Jonas. If anything, I felt a slight touch of relief that the most anger in the room was directed at Alec, who had deliberately timed this to spoil Lizzie and Jonas’ wedding.

My mom and dad came up to me, eyes wide. My mom took my hands. “Just tell me, Sweetie. He’s lying, right?”

“I’m sorry, Mom,” I said, voice thick with emotion. I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t keep lying.

My mom looked uncharacteristically speechless. She let go of my hands, nodded slowly, and walked away with a look of disappointment that broke my heart. My dad gave me a pat on the shoulder and followed after her.

Lizzie was by herself at her little table in the center of the room, dabbing at her eyes and trying not to ruin her makeup, probably.

“Why would he do that?” I asked.

“Alec has been worried about my influence on his brother for months,” Dean said. “He thinks I’m advising him to take the company in the wrong direction. This wasn’t about you or your sister. It was about me. He wants Maxwell to end his contract with me and go back to listening to Alec about how to run things. I just didn’t imagine he’d take it this far.”

“You didn’t think to tell me any of this?” I asked. “We were supposed to be a team. I could’ve helped. If I’d known, I could’ve… I don’t know.”

“I’m sorry, Pearl. I’d seen hints of it, but nothing to make me think he’d do this. And I didn’t want you to worry.”

“How the hell did he get that text?” I asked. I had a thousand questions, but only one could spill out at a time. Distantly, I sensed the attention of the room was about to turn on us again and I wasn’t sure what would happen then.