Chapter 2

Ethan was still on the phone, his voice gentle and patient as he discussed the details of the engagement party with Chloe.

Ava stood silently at the door, listening to the voice that had once been her entire world.

She quietly swallowed the words she had been about to say.

What was the point of telling him?

She was just his ward, his responsibility. Which university she went to, where she went... he wouldn't care.

She turned and walked away, her steps light, as if she was afraid of disturbing the sweet scene inside.

Back in her room, she looked around the space she had lived in for ten years.

There were fifteen days left.

In fifteen days, she would leave this place completely.

Her gaze fell on the small lamp on her nightstand. It was shaped like a chinchilla, a gift from Ethan for her tenth birthday. The light it cast was a warm, soft yellow.

He had told her then, "Ava, from now on, I will be like this chinchilla, protecting you always."

He had been her protector.

But that was all in the past.

She reached out and turned off the lamp. The room was plunged into darkness.

It was time to pack.

She pulled a dusty old suitcase from the back of her closet and opened the display cabinet.

Inside were all the gifts Ethan had given her over the years.

A lucky charm he'd stood in line for hours to get from a tiny, renowned artisan shop. A custom-blended perfume he had personally created for her.

One by one, she placed them into the suitcase.

With each item, her heart felt a little emptier, as if a hole was being torn open inside her.

She pressed down the feeling of desolation and opened the bottom drawer of the cabinet.

Inside lay a faded, yellowed notebook.

It was her diary.

The first few pages were filled with childish scrawls, recording her turbulent childhood after her parents' divorce and the bullying she endured from classmates.

Ethan had accidentally seen it once.

He hadn't said anything then, but later that night, he had come to her room and sat by her bed.

He had gently stroked her hair and told her, "Ava, you are the brightest star in my eyes."

She later found out he had gone to her school and warned the bullies. From then on, no one had dared to bother her again.

He had secretly protected her childhood.

As she grew up, her handwriting in the diary became neater, and the entries were all about him.

About the time he won a major award and told her, "You are my medal of honor."

About the time he gave her a rose and said, "I'll wait for you to grow up."

She flipped to the last page. It was a message he had written for her when she was a high school sophomore.

Study hard and get into Wharton. After you graduate, you can come work at my company. I'll keep looking out for you.

A tear fell silently, blurring the ink on the page.

She quickly wiped her eyes, her expression hardening.

She began to tear the diary, page by page.

With each torn page, a piece of her past with him was erased.

When the last page was torn, she threw all the fragments into the suitcase and zipped it shut.

Just then, she heard a noise from downstairs.

She walked out of her room and saw Chloe Vance standing in the living room, pulling a suitcase behind her. Ethan was hugging her from behind.

You're here, Ethan said, his voice soft.

Chloe saw Ava on the stairs and smiled, walking over. "Ava, I brought you a gift."

She opened her suitcase and took out a delicate box. Inside was a beautiful little cake, a mango mousse topped with fresh fruit.

Ava's smile tightened.

She was severely allergic to mangoes.

She remembered one time when a new housekeeper had served a dessert with mango puree, and she'd had a terrifying allergic reaction, ending up in the emergency room.

Ethan had fired the housekeeper on the spot and had made the kitchen a strict no-mango zone ever since.

He used to remember every preference, every vulnerability.

Ava, Ethan's voice came from behind Chloe, a hint of displeasure in his tone. "Chloe picked it out for you. Take it."

Ava looked at Ethan. He had an expression that said it was only natural.

Her heart ached with a dull pain.

He had not only taken back his affection, but he had also forgotten her weaknesses.

She took a deep breath, took the box, forcing a smile.

Thank you, Chloe. It's beautiful.

But she didn't care anymore.

In fact, she should thank them.

Thank them for making her decision to leave even firmer.