Part 2Escaping Their Dangerous Obsessive Love Games

[This guy is such a sucker for any woman who gives him the time of day. Does he really think a high-flying CEO like Isabel would actually fall for a loser side-character like him?]

[I don’t know where he gets the confidence. This is a Male-Oriented trope world; every woman is eventually going to gravitate toward the 'Male Lead.' Parker, just accept you’re a placeholder!]

The heart that had just begun to beat again felt like it was flatlining. Was everyone in my life just playing a game?

I didn't notice Isabel’s eyes locked on my face. Within a second, my expression had curdled.

She squeezed my hand, her voice suddenly laced with an odd, sharp anxiety. "What is it? Is it the house? Do you hate the decor?"

I didn't understand what act she was playing now. I quietly pulled my hand away. "I’m fine. Just tired. I’m going to go lie down."

The next morning, I walked downstairs to find Isabel fumbling around the kitchen. She was trying to wash vegetables, but she’d somehow managed to spray water everywhere. Her silk blouse was damp, clinging to her skin.

Her hair was matted in wet strands against her forehead. I watched a single bead of water trace a path down her neck, past the subtle rhythm of her throat, disappearing into the shadows of her collar. Beneath the translucent wet fabric, the sharp lines of her physique were unmistakable.

Before I could look away, she spoke. "I... I might not be as good a cook as Piper," she said, her voice uncharacteristically small. "But I’m a fast learner."

[Classic female competition!] the text scrolled by. [The Alpha Female can't stand losing to the younger girl in any category. She’s using the side-character as a lab rat for her cooking.]

[Parker is only getting this treatment because the 'Male Lead' isn't available yet. Otherwise, why would a woman like Isabel ever step into a kitchen for a nobody like him?]

I looked away, my voice colder than I intended. "You don't need to cook for me."

Isabel looked stricken. She opened her mouth to argue, but my phone rang. It was my assistant, sounding frantic.

"Boss, the corporate seal is missing. We just landed that massive tech contract and we need it for the filing immediately!"

Panic flared, overriding my personal drama. I tore through my luggage, but it wasn't there. It had to be at the house. At Piper’s.

I checked the time. She should have been at work by now. I figured I’d let myself in, grab it, and be out in five minutes.

I walked into the home office with practiced ease and yanked open the drawer. Empty. I frowned, wondering if I’d misremembered, when a low, raspy voice came from behind me.

"Don't bother. I hid it."

I spun around. Piper was standing in the doorway, her eyes bloodshot, looking like she hadn't slept in forty-eight hours. The harsh words I had prepared died in my throat.

I forced myself to look at her palm instead of her face. "Give it back, Piper."

She lunged forward, grabbing my wrists and pinning them behind my back before I could react. She hauled me into her chest, her grip like iron.

"Move back in," she whispered into the crook of my neck. "Move back in, and I’ll give it to you right now."

Her skin was unnaturally hot. She pressed her face against mine, her nose brushing mine in a desperate, fleeting mimicry of affection. She leaned in to kiss me, but I jerked my head away.

I felt a sharp sting on my neck—she’d bitten me. She began to sob, the hot tears soaking into my collarbone.

"I’m sorry," she choked out. "I should have listened. I shouldn't have tried to play games with Isabel. I didn't think she'd actually take you."

"Can't we just go back? I’ll be whatever you want. I’ll be the quiet little girlfriend. Just don't leave me."

[Is he actually moved by this? Can't he hear the subtext? She’s basically calling him a 'cheater' who likes playing both sides.]

[Seriously, a guy this messy deserves the 'tragic ending.' It’s not an accident; it’s karma.]

[Wait until he finds out the 'Male Lead' just got hired as Piper’s new personal assistant. The office romance is about to start!]

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

Almost fell for it again. These two "sisters" were both Oscar-caliber actresses.

I gritted my teeth and brought my heel down hard on her foot. She gasped, her grip loosening for a split second, and I bolted for the door.

She stumbled, then scrambled after me, literally sliding across the hardwood to block my path.

"Parker, you can't go!" she cried, clutching my knees as she knelt on the floor.

I rubbed my temples, my patience finally snapping. "We are broken up, Piper. Give me one good reason why I should stay."

She looked frantic, sweat beading on her forehead. Then, a strange glint appeared in her eyes. She looked up at me, her expression suddenly, terrifyingly firm.

"I’m pregnant," she said. "You can't abandon the mother of your child."

Me: What?

The screen: [???]