Chapter 1

After my husband Edward Bennett brought his childhood sweetheart Emily Carter home after her breakup, we started a "30-Day Let Go Challenge."

He said that only by learning to let go of things could someone learn to let go of a person.

But everything we threw away belonged to me.

On day one, it was the cup I had used for seven years.

On day nine, it was our wedding photo.

On day twenty-three, it was the last sweater my late mother had ever knitted for me.

I pulled it out of the trash with tears in my eyes, but Edward only frowned. "It's just an old sweater. Why keep it? Can you stop ruining the mood of the game every time?"

On the thirtieth day, Emily looked around the house and suddenly pointed at me. "The most useless thing in this house might be her."

After hearing that, Edward smiled and told me to spend one night at a hotel. "Let her have this one last time. Tomorrow, the game ends. I'll come get you."

I nodded. And I really left.

The next morning, Edward happily told me that Emily had finally let go of her ex and gone home. "I can't believe this challenge actually worked. Where are you? I'll come pick you up."

Dragging my suitcase out of the hotel, I answered, "Don't bother."

Turned out thirty days really could help someone move on from a relationship.

She did. And so did I.

*****

Edward tossed my neatly folded clothes back onto the bed while I was booking my train ticket.

He tapped the empty suitcase twice.

"Alright, she's gone. Who are you pretending for now?"

Yesterday was the last day of the 30-Day Let Go Challenge.

Emily pointed at me and said I was the most useless one in this house.

Edward told me to spend the night at a hotel, smiling as he promised he'd come get me first thing in the morning.

When he called me that morning, I told him not to bother.

I only came back to get the rest of my things.

He pushed the empty suitcase into the closet, sat down next to me, and casually threw his arm around my shoulder.

"I knew you just couldn't stay away; you couldn't even wait until lunchtime to come back, huh?"

I brushed his arm off and pulled the suitcase out again.

Emily's video call popped up on my phone.

Edward answered and turned the camera toward the bed. "Look, she's packing again."

"Looks like I left too early and missed your big escape ceremony," Emily said, leaning closer to the screen. "So, where are you off to this time? Just the front gate, or maybe the convenience store downstairs?"

Edward pulled the phone away, grinning as he told her to knock it off. "If she gets all worked up, I'll have to calm her down again."

I told them last month I was leaving.

One by one, they threw out the mug, our wedding photos, the old books my mom left me, and that sweater.

The day I dragged those old books back from the recycling center, my pants were covered in mud.

Edward blocked the doorway, wouldn't let me drag my suitcase out, and just squatted down with a towel to wipe my shoes.

"Emily's just being childish. I already talked to her about it. She just got dumped. Don't bother with her."

I tried to walk around Edward, but he just pulled me into his arms, holding me tight around the waist.

Edward said, "What, you're leaving me behind too?"

I didn't end up leaving that time.

Yesterday, Edward opened the door himself, put my suitcase out in the hallway, and kept urging me to hurry up so Emily wouldn't miss filming her challenge success video.

Just then, I grabbed the last two shirts from the closet.

Edward shot me a look. "Packing all those shirts? What, gonna run a laundromat at the hotel or something?"

On the video call, Emily said she'd ordered way too much takeout and figured she might as well bring it over so everyone could eat together.

Edward told her to pick up a couple more coffees, hung up, and went out to get the table ready.

I reopened the train ticket order I hadn't finished paying for.

By the time Emily walked in, I was already packing up the study.

She leaned against the doorframe, popping open a straw, and a drop of coffee landed right on my cardboard box.

Emily grinned, "Still not done packing?"

On the table were two piles: one with my ID and work contracts, the other with the jewelry Edward had given me.

She picked up the pearl necklace and tried it on, checking how it looked against her neck. "You're not taking this either?"

I shoved the papers into the folder without even looking at them. "I don't want them anymore."

Emily raised her voice and called out to Edward, "Hey, did you hear that? She doesn't even want the things you gave her anymore."

"If she doesn't want it, just throw it out," Edward said, sorting through the takeout like it was no big deal.

Emily hauled the trash can over.

The watch went in first, hitting the bottom with a loud clunk.

She pinched the necklace, paused to see if I'd say anything, and when I didn't, she dropped it in.

"Wasn't this the one you waited ages for? Edward even went out of his way to have someone buy it for you."

I crawled under the table to unplug the computer.

She kicked the trash can over, and the rim smacked right into my ankle.

"Seriously, can't you at least react a little?" Emily teased.

Edward walked in with the coffee, took one look, and pulled Emily aside. "Come on, you really think she'd actually let it go? She's just waiting for me to pick it up."

He grabbed the necklace, came up behind me, and clasped it around my neck.

I tried to pull away, but the clasp got tangled in my hair, so I had to stop and untangle it.

Edward let go and slammed the cup down on the table. "That's enough already."

I untangled my hair and put the necklace back in the jewelry box.

"Move aside," I said.

Emily stepped on the cardboard box I was about to seal, flipped open the top book, and pulled out the printed train ticket order. "Whoa, you actually bought it?"

Edward took a look and asked, "You're going to Grace's place?"

My cousin Grace ran a fashion studio in the next city and was always short-staffed.

She'd asked me half a year ago if I wanted to come work for her.

Edward didn't agree. He said, "A real home means the couple living together. You can just work from home; it's the same thing."

After Emily moved in, my workbench got shoved into the storage room.

The fabric I used for work ended up as her video backdrop, and she even took the scissors to a client's shawl I hadn't finished mending yet, chopping off a whole row of tassels.

She waved the scissors with a big grin, saying she was celebrating her new beginning.

Edward paid for the damage and came back to tell me to stop taking orders for now.

"You're always staying up late fixing up these old clothes. Why not just take a break for once?"

He folded the printout and tucked it back into the book.

"Go take a breather for a couple of days, then come back. Don't let Grace get the wrong idea and think we're actually fighting."

Emily picked up my folder and said she'd help make sure I didn't forget anything.

As soon as I reached for it, she slipped behind the dining table and held the folder up over her head.

"Catch it and you get it back," Emily teased.

Edward was on the other side and effortlessly caught the folder Emily tossed his way.

"Edward, give it back. My ID's in there," I said, a bit anxious.

He put his hands behind his back. "Call me 'hubby'."

As I got closer, Emily snatched the folder from behind Edward's back and tossed it up in the air with a mischievous grin.

The folder burst open.

My diploma, bankbook, and a few copies scattered all over the floor—one even slid right under the fridge.

Emily leaned against the table, laughing. "Hurry up and pick them up! You haven't even left yet and your whole life's already scattered all over the floor."

I moved the chair aside and started picking up my things.