Chapter 2

Emma Lang POV:

The next morning, for the first time in as long as I could remember, I woke up feeling truly rested. Collin hadn't come home, as expected. The empty space beside me in bed no longer felt like a gaping wound, but a quiet relief. The lingering scent of betrayal was slowly being replaced by the fresh promise of a new day.

A clatter from the kitchen jolted me. My heart gave a familiar lurch, a phantom limb reacting to old pain. Had he come back? Was this another one of his attempts to sweep things under the rug with a half-hearted apology and a grand gesture?

I padded to the kitchen, my bare feet silent on the cool tiles. Collin was there, humming off-key, warming up the leftover anniversary dinner. The raspberry soufflé, now deflated and sad-looking, sat on the counter. He turned, a sheepish smile on his face.

"Morning, sleepyhead," he said, trying for casual. "Couldn't let this amazing dinner go to waste, could we? My bad about last night. Frankie had a real crisis, you know? High-stakes client, big money. You understand, right?"

He walked toward me, holding out a plate of reheated roast chicken. "Come on, let's pretend it's still yesterday. Our anniversary dinner, round two. Just you and me." His eyes scanned me, as if expecting to see the usual soft acquiescence.

I looked at him, truly looked at him, and saw a stranger. His charm, once so captivating, now felt hollow, manipulative. "Collin," I said, my voice steady, "there is no 'us' anymore. It's over."

His smile faltered. "Oh, come on, Emma. Still mad about the catering gig? You know how important my career is. It's not like I was out partying." He tried to pull me into a hug, but I stiffened. "Don't be silly. You always get dramatic when you're tired. Let's just eat, and you'll feel better."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet box. "Look, I even got you something. A little something to make up for my absence." He opened it, revealing a delicate silver necklace with a tiny, sparkling charm. "It's a little chef's hat," he said, beaming. "Just like the one Frankie wears."

My breath caught in my throat. Frankie. The charm was indeed a miniature chef's hat, an exact replica of the one Frankie Patton frequently wore in her social media posts. And the metal... silver. My skin prickled with a familiar itch. I was allergic to silver. He knew that. He knew I only wore gold.

A bitter laugh escaped me. Seven years. Seven years of my life, my talent, my heart poured into this man, and he didn't even know something as fundamental as my allergies. He didn't know me. The necklace wasn't for me. It was for Frankie, another one of his endless attempts to impress her. It was a painful echo of his obsession, a blatant disregard for my existence.

The last flicker of hope, the last shred of sentimentality, evaporated. "Get out, Collin," I said, my voice barely a whisper, but laced with an icy calm.

His face hardened. The mask of charming contrition slipped. "Emma, don't be ridiculous. This isn't funny anymore. You're being dramatic. I'm telling you, it was just business. Frankie and I are colleagues. You're my girlfriend. My fiancée, if you'd just say yes one of these days." He clenched his jaw. "Stop this nonsense."

I just stared at him, saying nothing. My silence unnerved him more than any shouting ever could. His eyes darted around the kitchen, as if searching for an escape route.

"We are done, Collin," I repeated, louder this time. "Done. Over. Finished."

Just then, his phone vibrated loudly on the countertop. It was a distinct, chirpy ringtone I knew well. The one he' d specifically set for Frankie. He glanced at it, then at me. A flash of panic crossed his face.

He snatched up the phone. "Frankie? What's wrong?" His voice softened instantly, laced with a tenderness he hadn't shown me in months. "Are you okay? What happened? Another catering disaster? Don't worry, I'm on my way." He didn' t even bother to look at me as he rushed past, grabbing his keys. "I'll be back later, Emma. We'll talk about this when you've calmed down."

And then he was gone. Again. Off to rescue Frankie.

I stood in the silent kitchen, the smell of burnt soufflé lingering in the air, the silver necklace glinting on the counter. A strange sense of lightness washed over me. No tears came. No pain. Nothing. The emotional cord between us had been cut clean.

The next few days were a blur of practicalities. I used my holiday leave to pack my belongings, carefully separating what was mine from what was his. I filed my official two-weeks' notice at the community college where I taught baking classes, a job I'd taken to earn a steady income while supporting Collin's "dream."

One evening, craving real food, I decided to treat myself. There was a new French bistro downtown I'd been wanting to try, but Collin, with his "refined" palate, had always deemed it "too pedestrian." Tonight, I would go alone. I would order everything I wanted, savor every bite, and enjoy the quiet luxury of my own company.

I walked into "Le Petite Bistro," a quaint little place with soft lighting and the aroma of roasted duck. I ordered a glass of champagne, then the escargot, followed by the steak frites. No more compromising my choices for Collin' s preferences. This was my life now.

I was halfway through my steak, feeling a sense of peace I hadn't known in years, when I saw them.

Collin and Frankie.

They were seated in a cozy booth in the corner, their heads close together. Frankie was laughing, her hand resting on Collin's arm. He was spoon-feeding her a bite of crème brûlée, his eyes soft, almost shy. Shy. He had never been shy with me. Always confident, always in control. But with her, he was different. Gentler. Vulnerable.

Frankie caught my eye. Her smirk was slow, triumphant. She raised her glass, a silent toast to her victory.