At the front desk of a women's health clinic in Seattle, I ran into my college ex, Rowan Fitzgerald, freshly back from his studies at Cambridge.

Rowan's gaze dropped to the abortion appointment form in my hand, his brow furrowing.

"Here alone?"

"Where's the father?"

Before I could explain, he looked away, his voice turning cold. "Never mind. Who you're with these days is none of my business."

I ignored him and turned back to my phone, only to see a new post rapidly trending on my Reddit feed:

[Urgent. Just ran into my ex-girlfriend at a clinic, about to get an abortion by herself.]

[She dumped me five years ago with a single text. How should I get my revenge?]

————————

1

As the elevator crept upward, my gaze fell on Rowan Fitzgerald beside me.

Five years had passed. The boyishness of his student days was gone, replaced by a tailored, dark gray suit. His hair was slicked back, revealing a sharp, chiseled profile and an air of cool detachment.

Rowan had been typing on his phone, head lowered.

As if sensing my stare, he looked up, his frosty eyes sweeping over me for a fraction of a second.

I immediately ducked my head, pretending to be engrossed in my phone.

I had to be overthinking things.

A guy like Rowan... so polished and successful... He had to be dealing with work. No way he'd post something so bizarre online.

The post was gaining traction, quickly accumulating comments:

[Her getting an abortion doesn't affect you. What's there to get revenge for?]

[I get it, OP. It's hard to move on after being dumped like that.]

[Your ex ending up with a deadbeat is karma enough. Let her go! It's been five years; she might even be married by now.]

The OP replied:

[She's not. I checked. She's unmarried.]

That single comment made the thread explode:

[Wait, what? The first thing you do after five years away is check if your ex is married?]

[Bro, stop fronting. You say you want revenge, but you're actually a total softie, aren't you?]

The OP replied to this comment in a second:

[ABSOLUTELY NOT.]

[She pursued me first.]

[We dated for four years and made plans to go to the UK together. But right after I arrived at Cambridge, I got her breakup text.]

[She said she'd just been toying with me and was bored now.]

[She wouldn't answer my calls or reply to my messages. She blocked all my contacts, moved, and then completely vanished.]

The comment section exploded:

[Whoa... Ghosting plus the silent treatment. Your ex is a real piece of work.]

[In this situation, she probably had someone else on the side. Don't even think about it, man. A woman like that isn't worth it.]

[I rarely side with the guy, but this time I fully support some harsh revenge on the bitch!]

I was engrossed in the comments when a clear, low voice cut through the air—

"Claire?"

I jumped, my eyes meeting Rowan's dark, probing gaze.

My fingers fumbled as I frantically tried to lock my phone.

But Rowan quickly averted his eyes, his tone distant.

"This is the sixth floor."

I blinked at the glowing floor number and scrambled out of the elevator.

"Oh—right. Thanks."

Behind me, the elevator doors slid shut.

I pulled out my phone, rereading the post until the sickening truth sank in.

The OP had to be Rowan.

It all started during cherry blossom season at the University of Washington.

He was the campus heartthrob—proud, untouchable, and from a blue-collar family.

Even I couldn't believe my relentless persistence had actually won him over.

We spent the next four years joined at the hip.

After a whirlwind romance, Rowan went to the University of Cambridge for his PhD, and I broke up with him abruptly. We'd had no contact since.

Now, the post was continuing to heat up.

Users offered all sorts of advice, guiding Rowan, the victim, on how to get revenge on the "bitch."

The top-voted reply was this:

[I'm a professional revenge-novel writer. OP, listen to me, and I guarantee it'll be done in three easy steps—]

[Step 1: Go get a glass of water.]

[Step 2: Casually flex your current success and social status. Humiliate her. Hard.]

[Your ex is getting an abortion alone, so she's probably broke and miserable. She must be filled with regret right now.]

[Step 3: Make a contemptuous comment, then turn and walk away with a flourish, leaving her with an unforgettable image of your back!]

Someone asked curiously:

[I get the routine, but what's Step 1 for?]

The person explained:

[The glass of water is a crucial prop.]

[For offense, you can preemptively splash it in her face. For defense, if you forget your killer comeback, you can take a sip to hide your awkwardness...]

Beneath a long string of "Got it" replies, Rowan's response was particularly concise and striking:

[Got it.]

Before I could even react, a "ding" sounded from behind me—the elevator had arrived again.

A chill ran down my spine.

I turned my head just in time to see Rowan striding out of the elevator, a cup of green liquid clutched in his hand as he walked purposefully toward me.

My eyes widened. No way. He can't be serious.

As Rowan raised the cup, alarm bells went off in my head. I instinctively stumbled back, bracing for a face full of ice-cold liquid.

However, Rowan just stopped in front of me.

He extended a long arm, holding the paper cup steady.

My heart still pounding, I blinked and looked at the liquid, then froze—

Wait... is that cold-pressed kale juice? Where did he even get that?