Megan Fox as Susan Marie Joseph
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Susan's P.O.V.
I'm on my way to Liam's apartment to collect Lisa's things. The city building blur past the windshield, my mind too clouded with frustration to focus on anything else. Lisa sits beside me, her phone pressed to her ear, deep in conversation with her boss, Sean. I don't even have to hear his voice to roll my eyes. That man is insufferable. Arrogant. A flirt. The way he hovers over Lisa under the guise of professionalism makes my skin crawl.
Lisa suddenly pulls me back to reality.
"Wait a minute, Susan... how was your anniversary yesterday?"
God, why is she asking me that now? I grip the steering wheel tighter.
"It was great. We had loads of fun, you know." The lie rolls off my tongue with practiced ease. I don't like discussing personal matters, especially when they sting this much.
Lisa isn't convinced. She never is.
"Really? Is that so?" Her voice drips with sarcasm. "Then explain why I found this on your bedside table."
Lisa pulled out a crumpled note from her bagâAdrian's lazy apology scribbled in his usual rushed handwriting. Lisa hands me a note I scan the words, and against my better judgment, my heart softens. I forgive him instantly. I always do. I can never stay mad at him. But forgiveness doesn't erase the damage. It doesn't mean he gets away with it.
Not this time.
My stomach twisted.
"Lisa, why do you have that?"
"Because I found it on your bedside table this morning. Do you want to tell me what really happened?"
I inhaled deeply, my throat tightening. "He forgot, okay?"
Lisa was silent for a moment. "Of course he did," she muttered, shaking her head. "Susan, why do you keep doing this to yourself?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "Doing what?"
"Making excuses for him. Acting like it doesn't hurt when it obviously does."
I kept my eyes on the road. "It's not that simple, Lisa."
I stare at the road ahead, my vision blurring for a split second. "I don't know, Lisa... it's been happening for a while now. It's like I'm invisible to him. Like I don't matter anymore." My voice cracks, and before I can stop them, the tears return, hot and unwelcome. "I just... I just need his time. His love. His attention. You know meâI'll never say these things to his face."
Lisa doesn't push, doesn't tell me I should. Instead, she reaches over and squeezes my hand.
"It is simple if you ask me," she argued. "He either makes you a priority, or he doesn't. And last night? He didn't."
The truth of her words sliced through me. I hated how easily she could see through my carefully constructed walls. How was it that the person who should have known me bestâAdrianâdidn't see what Lisa saw so clearly?
Lisa exhaled and then turned to me, her expression softening. "You need a reset. A real one. Let's go to Aspen."
I frowned, gripping the steering wheel tighter. "Aspen? Lisa, I don't know..."
"Yes, Aspen! Think about it," she insisted, turning in her seat to face me. "A week in the mountains, fresh air, skiing, spas. No men, no heartbreak, just you and me having an amazing time."
I let out a long sigh. "Lisa, running away doesn't solve anything. Adrian and I... we just need time to talk things through."
Lisa scoffed. "Time? Susan, how much more time are you planning to give him? Another week? Another month? Another year? He forgot your anniversary. He was out drinking instead of being with you. Do you really think a heart-to-heart will magically fix things?"
I swallowed hard, staring ahead at the traffic. She wasn't wrong. The hurt still sat heavy in my chest, an ache that refused to go away.
"I just... I don't know if leaving is the answer," I murmured.
Lisa sighed, her voice softening. "Look, I know this isn't easy for you. You love him, and I get that. But you also have to love yourself, Susan. You need space to think without his influence clouding everything. This isn't about revenge or making him jealous. It's about you figuring out what you really want."
I opened my mouth to argue, but the words wouldn't come. Deep down, I knew she was right. I had spent so much time trying to hold everything together that I hadn't stopped to ask myself if I was happy.
"Okay," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper. "Let's do it."
Lisa grinned triumphantly. "That's my girl! Aspen, here we come."
Lisa exhaled deeply, gripping the edge of her seat. "Susan, we need this trip. You need this trip."
I frowned, gripping the steering wheel. "Lisa, I don't knowâ"
"Yes, you do." She turned fully toward me, eyes unwavering. "Aspen isn't about running away. It's about breathing, about giving ourselves space to exist without the weight of everyone else's expectations."
I swallowed hard.
Lisa let out a slow breath, her voice softer now. "I need to be somewhere no one looks at me with pity, where I'm not reminded of what I've lost every time I step outside. And honestly, I think you need that too."
I gripped the wheel tighter. Maybe she was right. Maybe I needed more than just timeâI needed distance. A place where the cold air might clear my thoughts, where the silence could help me hear my own heart again.
"I already told my dad and Josh," I admitted. "One week away from all of this."
Lisa smiled. "Then it's settled."
Lisa deserves a break, and she knows it. That's why she's planning a trip to Aspenâa retreat nestled in the heart of the mountains, where the world quiets down, and the only sounds are the whisper of the wind and the distant echo of snowfall. Aspen isn't about luxury for us; it's about solitude, about escaping the noise, the expectations, the weight of everything we've been carrying.
She wants space to heal, to breathe, to be somewhere no one knows her heartbreak, where she isn't constantly reminded of what she's lost. And maybe, just maybe, I need that too. A place where the cold air can clear my thoughts, where the silence might help me hear my own heart again. And so, I'm going with herânot for the lavish lodges or the exclusive resorts, but for the stillness, for the chance to step away from it all and figure out what comes next.
Yes, I'm going away with her. I've already informed my father and my boss, Josh. One week away from everythingâaway from the routine, the suffocating expectations, and the gnawing loneliness I can't seem to shake. A break from pretending everything is fine when, deep down, I know it isn't.
The weight of my decision settled over me just as we pulled into Liam's apartment building. Lisa stiffened beside me, her breath hitching as she prepared herself for what was coming.
I park the car in front of Liam's building, the familiar structure looming above us like a reminder of the pain Lisa has endured. The moment I put the car in park, Lisa exhales sharply, as if she's bracing herself for what's to come. Without a word, she steps out, and I follow. The cool night air does little to ease the tension between us, but before I can say anything, Lisa turns to me and suddenly wraps her arms around me in a tight, desperate hug.
I freeze for half a second before hugging her back, holding her as firmly as she holds me. She's not just hugging meâshe's grounding herself, pulling strength from me. And I give it willingly.
"Hey, it's okay," she whispers against my shoulder, her voice steady but tinged with something fragile. "I know Adrian. He's nothing like Liam. He would never cheat on you."
Her words are meant to comfort, but the sadness in her voice is unmistakable. She believed the same thing about Liam once. And look how that turned out.
"I know," I whisper back. "But sometimes, it feels like I'm the only one trying. And I'm tired, Lisa. So tired." My voice shakes, and I hate how vulnerable I sound. But it's the truth. And maybe, just maybe, I need to say it out loud.
Lisa pulls back slightly, I placed a reassuring hand on hers. "We get in, grab your stuff, and leave. No drama."
Lisa nodded, though her fingers trembled slightly as she unbuckled her seatbelt. We walked up to the building, the doorman letting us in without question. The moment we stepped inside Liam's apartment, it was clear he'd been expecting Lisaâbut not this.
He stood in the living room, arms crossed over his chest, a smug grin creeping onto his lips. "Wow. Didn't expect to see you here this early, Lisa. I had something special planned for your birthday. Hi Susan, please come in."
Lisa scoffed, unfazed. "Oh, I know, Liam. A breakup, right? You were going to humiliate me in front of everyone and call it a 'rough patch'. Well, surpriseâI'm breaking up with you first."
Liam's grin faltered, confusion flickering across his face. "Wait, what?"
She strode past him into the bedroom, leaving me standing there with him. He turned to me, his eyes narrowing. "Did you put her up to this, Susan?"
I folded my arms. "Lisa doesn't need anyone to tell her what to do. You did that all by yourself."
After that, Liam followed Lisa into the bedroom. I could hear them arguing, his voice rising with frustration, but I didn't interfere. I stayed alert just outside the door, listening as Lisa threw things into her suitcase. The sound of zippers being yanked shut, drawers being slammed, and sharp exchanges of words filled the air.
Minutes later, they emerged. Lisa was dragging her suitcases, her expression set in stone. She met Liam's gaze and smirked. "I really thought I finally found the one. Thank God I was suspicious."
Liam clenched his jaw, his voice low and mocking. "You really think running away to Aspen is going to fix anything? You'll be back in a week, Lisa. You always come back." His smirk wavered, knowing she had mentioned the trip earlier in their fight.
Lisa's smirk hardened into something colder. "Not this time."
Liam let out a dry laugh, shaking his head. "So you both are running away to some exotic vacation and forgetting about the miserable lives you have?" His tone was dripping with resentment. Of course, he knew the patternâafter all, he was the product of Lisa's famous Vegas vacation from last year.
I watched Lisa's grip tighten on the handle of her suitcase, but she didn't dignify him with a response. Neither did I. We simply turned and walked away, leaving him standing there with nothing but his empty words.
Once we were back in the car, Lisa exhaled deeply. "God, that was exhausting."
"Yeah, funny he thinks we're running from miserable lives when he's the one dreaming of this very lifestyle." I murmured, staring out the window. "At least we can afford it."
Lisa let out a short laugh, but there was no humor in it. "Exactly. And unlike him, we're not pretending to be something we're not."
Lisa turned to me, her expression softening. "Susan, what are you really doing? Is this about getting space, or is this about making Adrian see what he's losing?"
I hesitated, then sighed. "Maybe both."
Lisa smirked, tapping her fingers on the dashboard. "Either way, you're about to remind him what he had."
We drove in silence for a while, then I dropped Lisa off at our shared apartment in one of New York's most luxurious buildings. This was the place our parents had bought for us when we first moved here. Despite having such a grand space, we rarely stayed hereâLisa only occupied it occasionally depending on the situation, and I practically lived with Adrian. It was strange to be back, as if the apartment itself was untouched by the chaos of our personal lives, standing still while everything around us crumbled.
I parked the car and helped Lisa carry her bags inside. The polished marble floors and the towering glass windows overlooking the city shimmered under the morning sunlight, but neither of us paid any attention to the view. Lisa sighed as she dropped onto the plush white couch, rubbing her temples.
"Feels weird to be back, doesn't it?" she murmured, gazing at the city below.
I nodded, placing her suitcase near the hallway. "Yeah. It's like nothing has changed here, but everything has changed for us."
Lisa stretched out her legs, her voice tired. "Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe we need a place that still feels normal."
I pulled out my phone and called Josh, my boss. As soon as he picked up, I sighed. "Hey, Josh. I just wanted to let you know I'm running late. Something came up this morning."
Josh, always understanding, simply said, "No worries, Susan. Just get here when you can."
I thanked him and hung up, glancing back at Lisa. She was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Are you okay?" I asked, sitting beside her.
She let out a soft laugh. "I will be. I think I just need a second to breathe. And maybe some coffee."
I smiled, standing up. "I'll make some. We have a long day ahead of us."
The weight of my decision settling over me. Maybe this trip would be the wake-up call Adrian needed. Or maybe it would be the wake-up call I needed to finally see things for what they were.
Maybe this trip will help clear my mind, help me make sense of the ache that settles in my chest whenever I think about Adrian. It's not just about him forgetting our anniversaryâit's the slow erosion of something that once felt unshakable. The way his absence lingers more than his presence. The way I feel like I'm standing on the outside of my own relationship, watching it slip further and further from my grasp.
I don't know if Aspen holds the answers, but I need the space to breathe, to thinkâto figure out if I'm still holding on to something real or just the memory of what we used to be.
Either way, things were about to change.
And for the first time in a long time, I was ready for it.
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