Chapter 2

I grabbed my phone and tapped the notification.

It was a new post from Brayden.

[Someone's freaking out over the altitude and doesn't want to go to Nexus City, so we all decided to change plans and head west to Cryoheim instead.]

The photo showed the five of them posing together at a rest stop.

Liliana was right in the middle, flashing a peace sign, with Brayden standing behind her, shielding her from the sun.

My gaze lingered on "Nexus City" for ages.

I set my phone down and pulled open the bottom drawer of my nightstand.

Inside, I found a brown paper envelope.

I tipped it out, and a hand-drawn map fell onto the bed.

Three years ago, Brayden had sprawled out on the living room carpet, sketching it out with colored pencils, stroke by stroke.

[Nexus City Snowy Mountain Couple's Trip.]

That was our honeymoon plan, set in stone when we got married.

But then his company was just getting off the ground, and he was working nonstop for half a year, so the trip got put on hold.

Back then, he held me close, his eyes rimmed red.

"Rose, once the company's stable, I promise I'll take you to the mountains to see the golden sunrise over the snow," he said.

For that promise, I spent half a month planning every little thing.

I even tracked down which inn had the perfect window for the snowy view.

And now, after three years of prepping, that whole route got wiped out in a blink because Liliana was worried about getting altitude sickness.

Back then, he'd brave a downpour and wait in line for five hours to get us cable car tickets, all so we could watch the snow together.

But now, he didn't even ask me.

I opened up the post again.

In the comments, Liliana had left a message: [Brayden, why isn't Rose here yet? Did I do something to upset her?

[I told you I could deal with the altitude, so why change the whole plan for me?]

A minute later, Brayden replied: [Don't worry about her. She's being petty. Let her skip a couple of meals, and she'll slink back with her tail between her legs.]

Let her skip a couple of meals? Slink back with her tail between her legs?

So in his eyes, all my compromises and backing down made me look like some pitiful, tail-wagging dog begging for scraps.

I didn't even want to argue anymore.

It felt like someone had poured a bucket of ice water right over my heart.

I opened up WhatsApp and found Brayden's profile.

I held down on it and tapped Clear Chat History.

Three years.

A thousand mornings and nights of saying "good morning" and "good night."

Tens of thousands of messages, little jokes, and memories we shared.

All of it vanished into a spinning red circle on my screen.

And then, just emptiness. Nothing left but a blank screen.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed.

I walked over to my desk and opened my laptop. I opened a blank document.

I typed out the words: [Divorce Agreement.]

I didn't hesitate, didn't pause for a second.

Marital assets: the house would be sold, and we'd split the proceeds equally.

The car would go to him.

Our savings would be divided fifty-fifty.

I wouldn't take any shares from the company. I wanted a clean break.

The printer hummed to life. Two warm A4 sheets came out of the printer.

I picked up a pen and signed my name in the bottom right corner: Rose Burnett.

My hand was steady, not a single tremor.

I set the agreement on the coffee table, holding down one corner with the remote.

Then I turned and went to the kitchen and just boiled some noodles for myself.

I ate slowly, even polished off the soup, not leaving a single drop behind.

After washing the dishes, I went back to my bedroom to sort through my clothes.

Anything I didn't want, I dumped straight into the black trash bag.

For the stuff I couldn't take with me, I posted it for sale on a secondhand app.

I was slowly emptying out my life, piece by piece.

Just like I was cutting Brayden out of my world, one little bit at a time.

I was crouched on the floor, packing my reference books into a cardboard box.

My phone suddenly rang.

It was a video call from Brayden.

I didn't pick up. I just let it ring out until it stopped.

Not even ten seconds later, he rang again.

I brushed the dust from my hands and tapped accept.

The image on the screen jolted.

I could hear the wind roaring in the background.

Brayden's face filled the screen.

He was wearing sunglasses, with a slight frown on his face.

He didn't start by asking why I hadn't gone to Cryoheim.

He didn't ask how I was doing at home, all by myself.

"Rose, head to the study and grab the Hasselblad camera from the cabinet," he said.

His tone was downright bossy, like he was giving orders. "Send it to the Indigo Hotel in Cryoheim with a rush courier. Make it a priority delivery."

I stared at the screen, not moving a muscle.

"What do you need the camera for?" I asked, my voice flat.

Before Brayden could answer, a face suddenly popped into view.

It was Liliana. She flashed a sweet smile. "Rose. The night sky in Cryoheim is absolutely unreal.

"Brayden says your camera takes the best night shots, and he insists on using it to shoot some portraits for me."

She leaned against Brayden's shoulder and winked at the camera.