Chapter 12

The sight of Brett's sleek, silver BMW parked in the brick home's driveway made my stomach flip. Despite Noah's reassuring phone call from Hawaii, I wasn't ready for what I was about to do.

And, of course, Brett was early, which left me with no wiggle room for staging.

Oh well, Brett didn't deserve staging.

I double-checked my reflection in the rearview mirror. My worry was visible in my eyes. I straightened my shoulders, snatched my bag off the passenger seat, and exited the car. The cool breeze rustled through the trees as I descended the driveway. It was tugging at my hair as if trying to keep me out of harm's way.

"Brett!" I greeted him as he stepped out of his car.

"So good to see you, Ken," he said, pulling me into an awkward, forced hug. His familiar scent invaded my nostrils, and my heart skipped a beat.

Not because I missed him but because that familiar smell caused memories to flood my mind. Memories I had locked away when I broke up with him.

"Is this the famous Kenna?" A woman's voice asked from behind me.

I turned around to find a bottle blonde staring down at me.

"I've heard so much about you," the woman said.

"How rude of me," Brett smirked. "Kenna, meet my fiancée, Angelica."

He watched me expectantly, his eyes scanning my face for any sign of emotion. I refused to give him the satisfaction, and instead, a small smile formed on my lips.

"It's nice to meet you, Angelica," I said. "Shall we get started?"

I walked towards the front door, and my clients followed.

"This is so cute," Angelica squealed.

"Not too loud," Brett chastised her. "Remember?"

Ew.

He talked to her the same way he used to speak to me.

"Sorry!" Angelica giggled and smacked her hand over her mouth. "Seen, not heard," she whispered to me.

At long last, Brett had discovered the woman he had always dreamed of—someone who would not challenge him or voice her opinions.

My stomach twisted as I stood face to face with the woman my ex-boyfriend was engaged to. Her bright makeup couldn't hide the unease in her eyes. Despite my pain, I couldn't help but feel pity for her.

She deserved better. We both did.

"I'll take you around for a quick tour," I told them. "Then I'll let you explore alone."

I never let clients ‘explore' a house alone, but Brett wasn't a typical client. I didn't want to spend more time with him than I had to.

"This way," I said.

I launched into a rapid-fire spiel, highlighting the features of the property. We bounced from room to room at lightning speed. In a single day, I had mastered the art of speed-showing, a skill I never thought I would need in real estate.

Angelica clung to Brett's arm as I led them on their tour. Every so often, I saw her eyes bulge. She was weighed down by everything she wanted to say and the excitement she wanted to show.

I knew the burden of that weight all too well.

It was the weight of our personalities bursting at the seams, demanding to be freed.

If someone tries to dim your light, shine brighter.

Don"t let anyone dull your brilliance.

If you let the fiery light within your soul dim, you will spend years wandering in darkness, searching for its return.

When we ended things, I told Brett that he would never find a woman who would mindlessly follow his demands. I was wrong, unfortunately.

Better her than me, I guess. Though, I wouldn't wish that life on anyone.

With a smile, I asked my clients, "What do we think so far?"

Angelica slowly raised her gaze from the tiled floor and looked at Brett. His jaw was clenched, and his eyes narrowed slightly as if to warn her. She clasped her hands together in front of her.

Was Angelica a robot that Brett paid someone to create? It was unreal to watch.

"It's nice," Brett said. "Nothing special, though. I thought you did this for a living. Couldn't you find something more extraordinary for me?"

"I can only work with what the market offers," I shrugged.

If Brett had half a brain, he would run to Zillow and see his options. Instead, he held his head high and talked down to me, expecting me to cater to him.

When I agreed to help him, I knew I'd have to guide him through every step of the process like a helpless toddler, which was precisely why I didn't want to take him on as a client.

"Well, let's hope the next one is more impressive," he said as I locked the front door.

"I'll meet you there!" I told them.

The faux joyous expression I wore during the tour slowly diminished as I climbed into my car. I sighed heavily and sank into my seat, letting the gravity of the situation pull me down.

If only I had been prepared.

On my drive to the showing, Noah's pep talk only covered Brett. We hadn't even considered the possibility of Brett bringing a woman with him.

I made a conscious effort to avoid Brett on social media. I assumed he had moved on and started dating again, but there was no way for me to know he was engaged. He should have done the decent thing and given me a heads-up before bringing her along.

The mere idea of Brett doing the decent thing was laughable. He was incapable of being a good or kind person. At the very least, I thought he had an ounce of respect for me.

The other house was only a short drive away, and I managed to pull up before Brett's BMW. The happy couple appeared only moments after me, squashing my hopes of them getting lost forever.

"I think you'll love this one," I told Brett as we approached the front door.

"If I don't, it looks like it'll be back to the drawing board for you," he laughed.

Angelica's face flushed with embarrassment as her eyes met mine. Her eyes flitted away before she released a soft, stifled laugh supporting Brett.

I ignored his comment and entered the home.

"Wow," Angelica said softly.

"What do you think, baby?" Brett pulled his fiancée into his body, and she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him.

Judging by her reaction, you would think he designed and built the house himself.

Girl, he didn't even pick it out himself.

"It's all I could want and more," she told him. "You spoil me."

"You're my princess," he said as he kissed her head. "You make it easy to spoil you."

I cleared my throat, and the heat of their closeness dissipated. However, Brett kept his hands on Angelica, his face smug. I averted my eyes, not wanting to be part of their overly intimate moment.

"Well, it seems like you two love birds have already decided. We can circle back next week to fill out the paperwork," I told Brett.

I desperately needed Noah to return to the office to help coordinate the paperwork. Yes, I told him I could do it alone, but after the day I had, I wasn't so sure I'd pull through.

"Would you mind if we sit on the patio alone for a moment?" Brett asked. His eyes bounced between Angelica and me, making it difficult to tell who he was addressing.

I thought it was safe to assume he meant his fiancée and him. "Go ahead," I told them. "I need to wrap it up here soon, though. Is ten minutes enough?"

"That should do," Brett confirmed.

"I'll be here," I said.

They stepped onto the patio, and I moved to the kitchen island. I ran my hand along the granite countertop before I settled onto one of the custom stools that came with the house.

It was strange to imagine Brett and his soon-to-be wife in the kitchen. Brett wasn't the kind of guy you made pancakes with on a Saturday morning.

On Saturday mornings, Brett enjoyed absolute silence while drinking black coffee.

So, he was basically a psychopath.

I didn't glance in their direction on the patio. I wanted to make it crystal clear to them that I had moved on. Judging by Angelica's reaction to me, it was safe to say she had no idea Brett and I were exes.

I could sense their return but resisted the urge to look at them until Brett's voice cut through the air.

"It would be great if we could start moving forward this week," he told me. "I will be out of town next week and the following week."

I wracked my brain for a convincing lie. My mind was like a desert, barren and empty. No matter how hard I tried to conjure an excuse, nothing came. That was a first for me.

"We can start the paperwork tomorrow," I finally said. "Do you remember where my office is?"

"You have an office?" he asked.

"Yes, Brett," I sighed. "I have an office."

"Of course, she has an office," Angelica chimed in. "How else would she work?"

The prominent vein in Brett's temple pulsed as he turned to his fiancée.

"I didn't ask you, princess," he said through clenched teeth.

The color drained from Angelica's face as she took a step back. She pursed her lips together to show she was done speaking.

It was like Brett was somehow even worse than when I dated him.

If that was even possible.

"That's what I thought," Brett said.

"Sorry—" Angelica began, but Brett interrupted her.

"Tomorrow will work. Text me the address," he demanded before he ushered Angelica out of the house.

I fought the urge to grab Angelica's arm and pull her away, to protect her from Brett and their toxic relationship.

I understood the importance of her learning the lesson for herself, just as I had in the past. It was something that couldn't be taught, but rather experienced.

Sometimes, self-respect comes with painful lessons.