Chapter 3

So what were those five years worth?

What about the night I stayed up with him, holding his hair back while he got his stomach pumped?

What about the month I handed over my entire paycheck when his business tanked?

What about the thirty-six hours I spent at his mom's bedside, when he swore I'd be the only woman he'd ever marry?

Chloe wandered over to the bedroom door, leaning against the frame, still clutching her box of fried chicken. "Are you two done yet? I'm getting sleepy."

I stared at her.

There wasn't a hint of guilt in her eyes, the entitled boldness of someone who's always been spoiled.

"Chloe," I said, "did you know our wedding is in seven days?"

She paused mid-chew.

Ethan immediately cut in, "Liv."

Chloe turned to Ethan. "I thought you said it was your family pressuring you?"

Ethan rubbed his temples. "Can you give us a minute?"

"I'm not leaving," Chloe said, dropping the box on the dresser, letting grease smear all over the wedding invitations I'd set out. "Answer me, is she your fiancée or not?"

Ethan stayed silent.

His silence said more than any answer ever could.

Chloe's eyes filled with tears, and she snatched up the marriage certificates from the coffee table, slamming them into Ethan's chest. "You lied to me."

Ethan caught her hand, his voice gentle as he tried to calm her. "I didn't lie. We never made it official, and the wedding hasn't happened yet. You're the only one who's legally my wife."

Legally.

Those words hit the floor like a bomb, blowing up the whole room in a mess of hurt and betrayal.

I packed up my ID, bank cards, and a few clothes, then pulled out the jewelry box from the nightstand.

Inside was a diamond ring.

Ethan had bought it for me when he proposed. It wasn't anything fancy, but I'd cried in his arms, telling him I'd love anything he gave me.

Now, the ring lay in the velvet box, its shine so cold it almost hurt to look at.

When Ethan saw me pick up the ring, his voice went tense. "You should keep it."

I slipped the ring out and placed it in his hand. "Go ahead, sell it and buy her all the sparkling water she wants."

Chloe's crying stopped, and Ethan's face darkened, shade by shade.

I grabbed my duffel bag and headed for the door.

As I passed through the living room, I left my keys on the shoe rack by the door.

Ethan came after me. "Olivia, if you walk out that door, don't expect me to ever come begging you again."

I gripped the doorknob and turned to look at him.

He stood under the hallway light, his eyes still full of that unshakable confidence.

He was so sure I loved him, so sure I couldn't live without him, so sure I'd cry my eyes out and come crawling back the moment he snapped his fingers.

"Ethan," I said.

His Adam's apple bobbed.

I continued, "Make sure you remember this night."

"What?" He confused.

I opened the door, and the cold air from the hallway swept in. "That's the last time you'll ever have the right to say my name."

The door shut behind me.

The elevator descended, the numbers ticking down one by one.

I leaned against the wall, the pregnancy test printout in my purse pressing against my stomach, a cold, heavy weight.

When I turned on my phone, Ethan's messages flooded the screen.

Ethan: [Where are you going?]

Ethan: [Olivia, don't use a breakup to threaten me.]

Ethan: [You're not well, and it's freezing outside. Come back.]

The last message came in three minutes ago.

Ethan: [I'll give you some time to process this, but don't disappoint me.]

I blocked his number.

The elevator dinged as it reached the first floor.

It was raining outside.

I didn't have an umbrella, and the strap of my duffel bag bit into my palm. Rain drenched my hair, running down my neck and seeping into my clothes.

Standing at the entrance of the apartment complex, I called Maya Elwood, my college roommate.

When she picked up, it was noisy on her end, sounded like she was cooking, the spatula clanging against the pan. "Liv, what's up?"

I opened my mouth, rainwater trickling down to my lips, tasting bitter and salty. "Maya, can I crash at your place for a few days?"

She paused for a second. "Send me your address. I'll come get you."

"No, I'll grab a cab."

"Liv," Maya said, her voice suddenly sharp. "Are you crying?"

I wiped my face, my hand coming away wet with rain. "No."

She cursed, "Bullshit."

That was when I finally sank down on the curb, clutching my duffel bag, burying my face in my arms with my knees pulled up.

A car sped by, splashing water all over my shoes.

I bit down on the back of my hand, so I wouldn't let a single sound escape.

Maya opened the door, a kitchen knife still in her hand.

When she saw me drenched, she lowered the knife, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Is Ethan dead?"

I shook my head.

"Good, he's still alive. Let me be the one to teach him a lesson." She said.

She yanked me inside and threw a bath towel over my head. The smell of laundry detergent hit me, and my shoulders, tense all the way here, finally loosened up.

Maya started making me some hot cider, the pot bubbling away on the stove.

I sat at the dining table, holding a cup of hot water, my palms tingling from the heat.

After she saw the marriage certificate screenshot, she kicked the chair. "Has he lost his mind? Getting married to someone else seven days before your wedding?"

I pulled out the pregnancy test printout and slid it across the table to her.

The curse Maya was about to spit out got stuck in her throat.

She read it twice, her sharp gaze softening as she pressed her fingers to the edge of the paper. "Liv, what are you going to do?"

I looked down at the water in my cup, the surface rippling and shattering the light. "I don't know."