Chapter 2
The door creaked open. I shut my eyes, lashes trembling.
"Why aren't you asleep yet?" he asked.
His voice was soft, tinged with tenderness.
Even through my clothes, I could feel the warmth of his body—familiar, once comforting.
I used to crave his embrace. Now, all I wanted was to pull away.
My nose prickled with a sudden ache, and that sour feeling shot straight to my heart, flooding through my whole body.
I dropped my gaze, secretly swiping away the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.
Totally oblivious, he just kept talking. "Mia just won a big industry award. There's a party in five days, but you should stay home. I don't want you getting upset if you run into her."
He added, "I have to attend as an investor, but I'll come back so we can celebrate our anniversary together."
I kept counting in my head. This had to be the hundredth time he'd come up with some excuse to keep me from showing my face in public.
Back then, I figured he was just super possessive. It felt a little controlling, but I didn't mind. I was happy to go along.
I even gave up my career right when I was at the top, just to be by his side whenever he needed me.
But now that the truth was out, I realized it was never about protecting me. It was always about clearing the way for Mia.
"I have a meeting with my mentor tomorrow. He wants me to be the lead designer for his next big fireworks show," I said.
I did my best to sound calm.
"It's alright. You don't have to go. Don't worry, baby. I've got you. Even if you never work another day, I'll take care of you. You'll always have everything you need," he said.
His tone was full of that undeniable doting.
But he seemed to forget. I was never the type to chase after fame or fortune.
I'd shared with him countless times that designing a major fireworks show for my mentor wasn't just a job. It was my dream.
Back then, he'd promised me over and over that he'd do whatever it took to help me make that dream come true.
It was not that he was forgetful. He just wanted that opportunity for Mia now.
So in the end, my dream became nothing more than a stepping stone for her to walk over on her way to the spotlight.
When I stayed quiet for ages, he started trying to cheer me up, like I was a kid.
He coaxed. "Harriet, don't be upset, okay?
"There will be other events. Plenty of them."
His voice was coaxing, almost pleading, and his warm breath brushed softly against my ear.
He said, "Our seventh anniversary is just five days away. I swear, I'll give you a surprise you'll never forget. So let this go, alright?"
I forced a smile and replied softly, "Sure, I've got a big surprise for you, too."
Andrew's eyes sparkled with delight.
His lips pressed against mine, the taste of alcohol lingering between us. That once-familiar touch now sent a chill through my entire body.
His fingers brushed gently over my cheek as he spoke in a soft voice.
"Get some sleep, baby. Staying up late isn't good for you," he said.
That gentle touch that used to make my heart race now felt like icy blades, cutting deep into my skin.
I turned away, whispering, "Okay," my voice barely there.
Could someone really make another person their whole world and just shut everyone else out?
*****
Late that night, Andrew was deep asleep.
Barefoot, I tiptoed into the study and opened the safe he'd always warned me never to open.
He said it held a keepsake from one of his cherished relatives.
I'd always believed him.
But now, I didn't believe a single word he said.
As if on autopilot, I entered Mia's birthday for the code.
The lock clicked open.
There was just a worn, faded diary and a phone.
It was Andrew's diary from when he was 18.
I flipped to the first page. His handwriting was strong and a little messy, each word heavy with the sweet pain of unrequited love.
And the one he longed for? Mia.
I quietly closed the diary and picked up the phone lying beside it.
I entered Mia's birthday, and the screen unlocked.
I opened the private album, and Mia's smile hit me hard, every photo a stab to my heart.
There she was, standing beneath a sky full of fireworks, her smile dazzling under the bursts—so radiant that it almost hurt to see.
Photo after photo, endless devotion, endless pain.
There were also records of auctions—crazy expensive jewelry, all sent to Mia under the company's name.
Those "gifts" I used to be so thrilled to receive were just leftovers from the auction house.
My fingers shook as I scrolled through the records, despair devouring me inch by inch.
It felt like a sledgehammer to my chest, the pain so intense that I could barely breathe.
Tears streamed down my face, dripping onto the phone and smudging the screen with wet stains.
Seven years... What was I to him all this time?
Looks like we couldn't beat the seven-year curse after all.
At that moment, I was more certain than ever that leaving him was the right decision.
And the best gift I could give him was letting him go.
We'd be strangers walking different paths—never crossing again.
I didn't sleep at all that night.