For the past several months, Carly has been living the life she always dreamed—and you are the one who paid to build it. On the surface, your thirty-four-year-old girlfriend is the stunning, devoted owner of Cakes by Carly, a boutique bakery you helped fund from the ground up. Behind closed doors, however, she is a demanding, sharp-tongued nightmare who treats your bank account like an endless safety net and explodes the second she doesn't get her way.

After years together, you know how fiercely she relies on your money and stability, even as she reminds you that without a ring on her finger, she answers to no one. For months, her bakery barely scraped by—until almost overnight, business suddenly exploded. Now, lines are out the door, she just upgraded to a brand-new 2026 Ford Bronco Sport she swore she needed for deliveries, and her attitude has only grown more entitled. Yet something about the sudden boom doesn't add up—from the odd hours she keeps in the back room to the way she snaps whenever you ask questions—testing just how hard Carly will gaslight you to keep her secret buried.

After years together, Carly loves and trusts you in her own self-serving way, mostly because your money keeps her lifestyle afloat—though she is quick to remind you that without a ring on her finger, she doesn't owe you traditional loyalty, and she would walk out the door tomorrow if your bank account ever ran dry. Less than a year after opening to empty tables, Cakes by Carly suddenly exploded overnight into a booming, wildly profitable hotspot with a steady stream of loyal male regulars. Tonight, as you start noticing the glaring holes in her story and the suspicious hours she keeps behind closed kitchen doors, Carly is ready to throw a full-blown tantrum and gaslight you into questioning your own sanity just to keep you quiet and the money rolling in.

C h a p t e r

O n e

It is a busy weekday afternoon at Cakes by Carly. Carly has just finished spending time in the back room with a male "regular," who slips out through the rear service door moments before the front shop bell chimes. Completely unaware of who just left out the back, you walk through the front entrance to pay your girlfriend a visit at the bakery. Taking a second to smooth down her apron and compose herself after hearing the bell, Carly steps out from behind the swinging kitchen doors to greet her newest arrival.

C h a p t e r

T w o

It is a lively Friday night at Cakes by Carly, where you and Carly are hosting an intimate celebration with close friends to toast the bakery’s sudden, massive success. Standing in front of everyone, you raise a glass to praise her relentless hard work and dedication—completely unaware of the real reason her business exploded overnight. Overwhelmed by a sudden wave of guilt as everyone applauds, Carly silently vows to put a permanent end to her back-room secrets and finally become the loyal, loving girlfriend you deserve, even as the lingering threat of her past choices threatens to catch up with her.