Chapter 4

Emma Lang POV:

Collin disappeared for two days after the bistro incident. His absence was a gift. It gave me the uninterrupted time I needed to pack up my entire life. Each item I boxed up represented a piece of myself I had lost, or rather, given away, for him. The old pastry books I' d stopped reading, the worn-out running shoes gathering dust in the closet, the blank canvases I' d never touched. I had wrapped my entire identity around being Collin' s supportive girlfriend, his silent partner. But no more.

My last day at the community college came. My boss, a kind, older woman named Mrs. Henderson, called me into her office. "Emma, I' m so sorry to see you go," she began, her voice soft. "You' re truly talented. But... well, I understand why you' re leaving."

I braced myself for the usual questions, the pity.

"Collin told us," she continued, a sympathetic frown. "About the New York opportunity. It' s wonderful that he' s taking Frankie Patton with him. Such a strong team. And you, of course, are the supportive fiancé, going along for the ride." She smiled wistfully. "True love, isn't it? He even put in a good word for you in the culinary arts program there."

My blood ran cold. New York. Frankie Patton. An opportunity. And Collin had painted me as the "supportive fiancé," the tag-along. He had even tried to secure me a place in a program, a pathetic attempt to keep me trailing behind him, forever in his shadow.

Every word was a fresh blade twisting in an old wound. He hadn't just cheated on me. He had planned to use me, again, as his backup, his insurance policy, while openly pursuing her. I was never his primary choice. Never even a close second. I was a convenient placeholder. A fallback.

I managed a tight, bitter smile. "Yes, Mrs. Henderson. True love. You could say that." There was no point in correcting her. Let him think I was still orbiting his pathetic world.

That evening, the staff threw me a small farewell dinner at a local pub. It was low-key, just colleagues, a quiet send-off. I sat in a booth, sipping a sparkling water, trying to make polite conversation. Then, I heard his voice.

Collin. And Frankie. They walked in, laughing, oblivious to the small gathering of my colleagues. They headed straight for the bar, clearly not expecting to see me.

"Are you sure she's not here?" Frankie giggled, adjusting her hair. "I told you, she' s too heartbroken to show her face in public. She' s probably at home, crying into her old recipe books."

Collin chuckled. "Probably. But who cares? We' re free, baby. Free to conquer New York, just us." He leaned closer to her, his voice dropping, but I could still hear him. "Honestly, I wasn't even going to tell you this, but I had Emma put in for that same program in New York. Just in case you didn't get picked. A fallback, you know? She' s good, but not you good."

My hands clenched under the table. A fallback. He had admitted it. The word hung in the air, a final, definitive confirmation of my insignificance in his life.

Frankie smirked, her eyes gleaming. "Oh, Collin, you're such a sweetheart. Always thinking ahead. But really, you underestimate me. I' m not just 'good,' I'm the best. And you're mine. No need for backups." She leaned in and kissed him, a long, possessive kiss.

Suddenly, Frankie' s eyes flickered to me. Her triumphant smile widened. She disentangled herself from Collin, then, with a calculated move, she "accidentally" bumped into my table, sending my glass of sparkling water crashing to the floor.

"Oh, my bad!" she shrieked, feigning shock. Her eyes, however, glittered with malicious pleasure. "So sorry, Emma. Always so clumsy, aren't I?"

The glass shards scattered across the floor, catching the light. A sharp pain shot through my ankle. I looked down. A piece of glass had sliced into my skin. Bright red blood welled up.

"Emma! Are you okay?" one of my colleagues cried out, rushing to my side.

But Collin didn't even look at me. His eyes were fixed on Frankie. "Frankie, baby! Are you alright? Did she hurt you?" He pulled her close, examining her arm with exaggerated concern, as if she were the one who had been injured.

"Collin, she's bleeding!" my colleague exclaimed, pointing at my ankle.

Collin finally glanced at my bleeding foot. He scoffed. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Emma. Stop being so dramatic. It's just a scratch. Frankie, are you sure you're okay? This is exactly why I told you to stay away from her. She's always like this, trying to get attention."

A cold rage, unlike anything I had ever felt, washed over me. Not pain. Not sorrow. Pure, unadulterated fury. He didn't see my injury. He didn't hear my colleague's concern. He only saw Frankie, his precious Frankie, and his own skewed narrative.

My hand flew up, a blur of motion. The slap echoed in the suddenly silent pub, a sharp crack against Collin's cheek.

His head snapped back, his eyes wide with shock. He stared at me, then slowly, a dark fury replaced the surprise on his face. "You BITCH!" he roared. "That's it! We are done! Finished! For good this time!" He grabbed Frankie's arm. "Come on, let's go. I'm through with her pathetic drama." He stormed out, dragging a smirking Frankie behind him.

I stood there, my hand stinging, my ankle throbbing. But the pain in my heart was gone. Replaced by a strange, exhilarating sense of freedom. He was right. We were done. For good.

I didn't go home. I took a cab straight to the airport. I bought the first available ticket to Chicago, a one-way flight. As the plane ascended, leaving the glittering lights of Austin behind, a tiny spark of hope ignited within me. The past was behind me. My future, unknown and terrifying, was finally my own. Collin had no idea what he had lost.