Chapter 5

Emily Collins POV:

The days blurred into weeks, the weeks into months. My life became a monotonous cycle of work, regret, and the gnawing ache of his absence. I tried to drown myself in business, in new ventures, in punishing schedules. But even in the quiet hum of my private jet, or the sterile silence of my penthouse, his ghost lingered.

I followed his success from afar, a silent stalker of his new life. Every glowing review of "L'Âme du Chef," every photo of him smiling with Elodie, was another twist of the knife. He was flourishing, blooming into the man he was always meant to be, unburdened by my toxic love.

And I?

I was withering. A beautiful, powerful CEO slowly dying inside.

I went to therapy, tried meditation, even attempted some ludicrous self-help retreats. Nothing worked. The emptiness persisted, a black hole in my soul. Every conversation felt hollow, every achievement meaningless.

One evening, I found myself standing in front of our old apartment building, the silver key clutched in my hand. The building looked the same, unassuming, filled with memories. Memories of a time when I was loved unconditionally, a love I had squandered.

I let myself in, hesitantly. The apartment was empty, stripped bare. No furniture, no pictures, no scent of his cooking. Just dust motes dancing in the fading light. It was a shell, a tomb of our past.

I walked through the rooms, each step an echo of a forgotten moment. The small kitchen where he had cooked me breakfast, the living room where we had watched movies, the bedroom where he had held me through my nightmares. Each memory was a stab, a fresh wound.

I remembered a specific night, our first wedding anniversary. I had forgotten it, of course. Lost in a whirlwind of work, a new merger. He hadn't said anything, just cooked my favorite meal, lit candles, and waited. I had arrived home late, exhausted, irritable. I barely acknowledged the effort, barely tasted the food. He had simply smiled, a sad, resigned smile, and cleaned up.

The weight of that memory, of all the forgotten anniversaries, neglected kindnesses, crushed me. I sank to the floor, surrounded by the ghosts of our past, and wept. Not the quiet, dignified tears of a powerful CEO, but the raw, guttural sobs of a woman who had lost everything.

A few days later, a package arrived at my office. It was from Cole. My heart leaped, a flicker of hope. Maybe, just maybe, he had sent something. A sign.

But it was only the few remaining personal items I had left in the apartment. My old college textbooks, a forgotten scarf, a small photo album.

I opened the album, my fingers trembling. Pictures of us, of happier times. His adoring gaze, my forced smile. There, on the last page, was a picture of Buddy, a playful puppy, with a small, handwritten note beneath it, in Cole's neat script.

"Buddy misses you."

A fresh wave of tears. Even the dog, the one I had left behind, was a source of his concern. Not me.

I looked at the picture of Buddy, his goofy, loving face. My heart ached with a longing so profound it took my breath away. He was right. Buddy did miss me. But what about Cole? Did he miss me at all?

No. Anissa's words echoed in my mind. He' s happy. Find your own happiness. But how? How could I find happiness when the only man who had ever truly loved me was gone, lost to my own cruelty?

I spent my days trying to build a bridge back to him, a path to forgiveness. I sent him expensive gifts, gourmet ingredients from around the world, rare wines. All of them were returned, unopened. His silence was absolute, his indifference a wall I couldn't breach.

One evening, I received an anonymous email. It contained a link to a live stream. My heart pounded as I clicked it.

It was focused on an interview with Elodie Aguirre. She was radiant, poised, talking about Cole' s new book, a collection of recipes and stories from his Parisian restaurant.

"Cole is truly a revelation," she gushed, her eyes sparkling. "His passion, his dedication... it' s inspiring."

The interviewer then asked, "And your relationship, Elodie? The rumors are rampant."

Elodie smiled, a dazzling, genuine smile. "Cole and I... we share a deep connection. A mutual respect, a shared love for the culinary arts, and a profound understanding of each other's souls."

My stomach clenched. Profound understanding. The words were a bitter poison. That was what I had failed to give him. That was what she had.

"Are wedding bells in the future?" the interviewer pressed.

Elodie's gaze drifted off-screen, a soft, private smile on her lips. "Perhaps. We' re taking it one delicious day at a time."

The screen blurred before my eyes. Wedding bells. He was going to marry her. The woman who understood his soul.

I closed my laptop, the screen reflecting my distorted, tear-streaked face. It was over. Truly over. He had found his happiness, his peace. And I was left with the wreckage of my own making, a life of lonely penance.

I knew then, with a devastating certainty, that my journey was not about rekindling our love. It was about facing the devastating consequences of emotional neglect, the tragedy of "too little, too late." My story would end in tragedy, a cautionary tale.

I sank to the floor, clutching Buddy's photo to my chest, the image of his happy, goofy face a cruel reminder of the love I had carelessly thrown away. A love that would never return.