Chapter 2

Chelsea Hardy POV:

The words I didn't say hung in the air, heavy and unspoken, like a shroud covering the ghost of our relationship. I walked past the living room again, a phantom ache in my chest. Holden was still glued to Kamryn's live stream, oblivious. His laughter, light and carefree, drifted after me, a cruel counterpoint to the turmoil churning inside.

He wouldn't even notice I was gone. Not really. Not until my absence left a gap too wide for him to ignore, and even then, I doubted he'd connect it to anything beyond inconvenience. I was a fixture, a shadow in the periphery of his life. Never the main event. Never the lead.

The thought solidified in me, cold and hard: He wouldn't know when I left. He wouldn't know where I went. And he wouldn't know why.

My flight was in three days. Three days to dismantle a lifetime.

I retreated to my room, the sanctuary that had also been my prison. The walls were covered in sketches, fabric swatches, mood boards-all relics of a dream that had once intertwined with him. I started with the clothes. Each item I packed was a deliberate choice, shedding the skin of the old Chelsea. The dresses he' d complimented, the sweaters that smelled faintly of his cologne from an accidental hug-those went into a donation pile. Only the pieces that felt like me, or the new me, made it into the suitcase.

Then came the harder part. The keepsakes. The concert ticket stub from the first show he took me to. The dried rose from my high school graduation, which he' d tucked behind my ear with a rare, gentle touch. The faded photo of us at the beach, both laughing, young, and utterly unaware of the heartbreak that lay ahead.

Each item was a tiny shard, pricking at the scab of my barely healing heart. I held the photo, my thumb tracing his smiling face. A tear, hot and unwelcome, escaped and blurred his image. For a moment, the hollowness inside me felt cavernous, an echoing void where once his presence had filled every corner.

Then, at the bottom of a dusty old box, I found it. My childhood diary. A small, worn book with a flimsy lock that had broken years ago. I hadn't looked at it since I was fifteen.

Flipping through the yellowed pages, my breath hitched. Every entry, every childish scrawl, every fervent wish, was about Holden.

"Holden taught me how to play guitar today. His fingers are so strong. I wish he would hold my hand like that."

"He told me my drawings were amazing. He said I could be a famous designer. He believes in me. He' s my hero."

"Kamryn is so pretty. Holden spent all day talking to her. My heart feels like it' s breaking into a million pieces."

The words were a brutal, unfiltered echo of my naive devotion. A testament to a love so consuming, so one-sided, it was almost embarrassing to read. I remembered how he' d protected me from bullies, how he' d patiently tutored me in math, how he' d been the only constant, kind presence in a household fractured by my mother' s new marriage. He was my anchor.

Tears streamed down my face, hot and stinging. Not just for the lost love, but for the lost girl who had poured her entire being into him. The girl who hadn' t known she deserved more.

Enough, a voice inside me whispered, sharp and clear.

My hands trembled, but my resolve was firm. I ripped out the pages, tearing them into smaller and smaller pieces. The concert ticket, the dried rose, the photo-all met the same fate. Each tear was a physical release, a severing of a tie. The sound of ripping paper was deafening in the quiet room. When I was done, the pile of shredded memories looked like fallen snow, covering the floor.

I swept it all into a large trash bag, tied it off, and pushed it deep into the back of my closet. Out of sight, out of mind. A clean slate.

A car door slammed downstairs. Then another. Footsteps on the gravel.

My heart hammered against my ribs. Holden. And Kamryn.

I heard Kamryn' s bright, airy voice float up through the open window. "H., darling, did you tell your little sister about our gorgeous centerpieces? She has such taste in flowers, I hear."

I winced. Little sister. The words landed like tiny, poisoned darts.

Then, Kamryn' s voice, closer this time, just outside my door. A light tap. "Chelsea? Are you home? H. and I just got back from the florist. We picked out the most exquisite orchids for the engagement party. Holden said you love orchids, so I thought I'd get your expert opinion!"

She sounded sweet, but there was an undercurrent of something else. A subtle triumph. A knowing smirk in her voice.

I opened the door, a neutral expression plastered on my face. Kamryn stood there, a small, elegantly wrapped box in her hand. Her perfect smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Holden was just behind her, scrolling on his phone, barely looking at me.

"Kamryn," I said, my voice flat. "What is it?"

"Oh, just a little something for my future sister-in-law!" she chirped, extending the box. "A little thank you for being so supportive of our engagement."

I took the box. It was light. Inside, nestled on a bed of tissue paper, was a delicate silver bracelet. A tiny, intricate charm dangled from it-a perfectly sculpted orchid.

My breath hitched. Orchids. My favorite flower. The one Holden had given me every Mother's Day, saying they reminded him of my strength. The one he knew I loved.

A wave of nausea hit me. The metallic taste in my mouth intensified. I felt a cold sweat break out on my forehead.

Holden looked up from his phone, a frown creasing his brow. "Chels, what's wrong? You look pale."

Kamryn' s smile tightened. "Oh, is she allergic to silver, H.? I thought it was so pretty."

My stomach churned. It wasn't the silver. It was the orchid. The constant reminder of his supposed affection, now weaponized by his fiancée. The casual disregard he had for my true feelings, sharing something so personal with Kamryn.

"I'm fine," I choked out, a dizzying sensation washing over me. "Just a little... overwhelmed."

Holden rolled his eyes. "Honestly, Chels. You're always so dramatic. Just say thank you."

Kamryn patted his arm. "It's alright, H. She's just sensitive. Some people aren't used to such thoughtful gifts." Her gaze flickered to me, a glint of malice in her brown eyes. "Is it perhaps because you don't receive many presents, dear?"

My head spun. The world tilted. Holden didn't even notice. He was already back on his phone, scrolling.

"Kamryn, that's enough," he mumbled, but his tone lacked conviction. He didn't even look up to meet my eyes.

The disgust was a bile rising in my throat. He was defending her. Again. He always defended her. Even when she was openly cruel.

I clutched the orchid bracelet, its delicate beauty feeling like a venomous snake in my hand. This wasn't a gift. It was a declaration of war. A final, undeniable sign that there was no place for me in his life, not even as a "little sister."

The emptiness had been painful. But this. This utter, dismissive cruelty. This was rage. Cold, clear, and utterly liberating.

My decision to leave wasn't just right. It was a matter of survival.