Chapter 3

Liliana said, "Rose, you barely use it anyway. Let me borrow it for a few days, you're not gonna be stingy, right?"

I glanced down at the camera case by my feet.

Inside, the black Hasselblad rested quietly.

Last year, I worked overtime for three months straight and spent my whole year's bonus to buy it.

I hardly ever let myself touch it, always keeping it tucked away.

I was saving it for our third anniversary, so I could capture every memory of our day together.

Now he wanted to use it for another woman's photoshoot.

I stared at their faces on the screen.

"No." I shot back. "Get lost."

The smiles on their faces instantly disappeared from the screen.

Liliana's lips twisted in a pout, and she shrank back behind Brayden, acting all hurt.

Brayden's face visibly darkened right before my eyes. "Rose, what's your problem?

"It's just a camera, just sitting there gathering dust. Why can't Liliana borrow it for a while?

"Didn't I always tell you to be the bigger person? Who are you trying to act all mean and petty for right now?"

Just a camera? Be the bigger person?

I stared at his face, his features contorted with anger.

Suddenly, I couldn't help but find it absurd.

"Brayden," I called out. "Hell, I already gave up my spot next to my husband, so why should I care about a damn camera?"

Brayden was taken aback.

He looked like he never thought I'd talk to him that way. "Still mad about the bus thing yesterday?"

He was totally over it. "I already told you it was a mistake. Do you seriously have to keep harping on something so small?

"Get that camera shipped, or else I'm gonna blow up."

I gave a cold, mocking laugh.

I didn't say another word. I hit the red hang-up button without hesitation.

The screen went black.

I pulled up his number in my contacts. I hit Block.

I blocked him on WhatsApp and unfollowed him on Twitter.

I blocked every way he could contact me, one by one.

Once I finished, I locked up the camera case and stashed it in my biggest suitcase.

I stood up and dusted off my hands.

The sunlight outside was warm and bright.

I took a deep breath, and it finally felt like the heavy stone that had been crushing my chest for three years was gone.

It hadn't even been five minutes since I blocked him. My phone buzzed again.

It was an unknown number from Saltwick City.

I answered, and before I could even say a word, Rowan's voice blasted through my headphones, totally losing it. "Rose, you're seriously over the top.

"Brayden was just trying to throw you a bone, asking you to send the camera so you two could make up, and you blow him off like that.

"Liliana's over here practically in tears, saying she feels awful about all this. Do you really have to ruin the vibe for everyone?"

I held the phone away from my ear. It was getting a little too loud.

"She feels sorry for me?" I said, my voice steady. "If she wants to cry, let her throw her own pity party. Don't bring that funeral act to me."

There was a brief silence on the other end.

Then I heard them fighting over the phone, a mess of shuffling and grabbing.

Brayden's roar came through the receiver, so loud it made my ears ring. "Rose. You're absolutely impossible.

"Not only are you petty, but now you've lost all your manners too, huh?"

He was practically gasping for air. "I'm telling you for the last time. By midnight tonight, I don't care how you do it, you'd better get your ass to Cryoheim and beg for forgiveness.

"Otherwise, don't even think about coming back to this marriage."

I listened to his rant in silence.

"Fine." Not a single ripple in my voice. "I'm done."

Before he could say another word, I hung up.

I grabbed a paperclip, popped out the SIM tray, and pulled out the SIM card I'd had for five years.

With a sharp snap, I broke it clean in half.

I turned and walked over to the coffee table.

I set the signed divorce agreement right in the middle.

Next to it, I set the crystal frame from our wedding photoshoot.

In the photo, Brayden was leaning down to kiss my forehead.

Looking at it now, it felt like something from another lifetime.

I grabbed my two suitcases and headed to the entryway.

I set the front door key and the car key Brayden had given me side by side on the shoe cabinet.

I pushed the door open and stepped out.

I didn't look back.

Three days later, in the lobby of a luxury resort in Cryoheim, Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing the polished marble floor in golden light.

Brayden strutted up to the front desk, rocking a loud floral shirt and sunglasses, looking like he owned the place.

He hadn't tried to call me once in the past three days.

He was convinced that the old me would never last more than three days, giving him the silent treatment.

He figured I'd probably already flown over, ready to beg for forgiveness, tail between my legs.

"Check if there's a guest named Rose Burnett who's checked in," he said, rapping the counter with his knuckles, sounding totally sure of himself.

The receptionist tapped away at her computer.

She looked up, apologetic. "Sorry, sir, there's no record of a guest named Rose Burnett in our system."

Brayden frowned. "No way. Check again, make sure you didn't miss anything."

The receptionist checked again, then shook her head. "No, there really isn't. But..."

She bent down and pulled out a priority delivery envelope from under the counter. "There's a same-city rush delivery for you."

Brayden paused for a second, then let out a cold, mocking laugh. "See? I knew she'd never admit she was wrong. Bet she finally caved and sent the camera over."

He snatched it up right away.

But it was way too thin for a camera.

He ripped it open, eyeing it warily.

Out slid two sheets of A4 paper and a deposit receipt for the house sale.

Brayden glanced down.

On the top sheet, staring back at him in bold, black letters: Divorce Agreement.