Chapter 2

He'd been my world.

I'd meticulously organized his chef's whites, ensuring they were always crisp and spotless. I learned to navigate the chaotic early morning fish markets, haggling for the freshest catches, just so he'd have the best to work with.

I even developed a gluten-free pasta recipe that mimicked the texture of traditional semolina, a secret that helped his restaurant gain a Michelin star. His name was on the menu, of course.

We'd looked at a little brownstone in Lincoln Park. He'd talked about a garden, a dog. I'd imagined our kids playing there.

Then Sophia Green joined the kitchen.

A sous chef with sharp elbows and an even sharper ambition.

Suddenly, Jake was too busy for our late-night talks. The brownstone viewings were indefinitely postponed.

The first real crack appeared when I saw a charge on our joint credit card. A delicate diamond necklace from Tiffany's. Not my style.

"It's for Sophia," he'd said, barely looking up from his menu planning. "Her mom's sick. Just a little something to cheer her up. A team morale thing, you know?"

I didn't know.

But I wanted to believe him.

He'd pulled out a small, almost comically cheap-looking silver ring from his pocket then, a tiny, cloudy stone at its center.

"This is for you, Em. Just a placeholder. We'll get you something amazing when the restaurant really takes off. A huge wedding, everything you've ever wanted."

He slid it onto my finger. It was too big.

Back in the present, the silence outside the hotel was thick.

Jake was still kneeling, the expensive ring glinting. His face, once so beloved, now just looked... tired.

"Emily," he began, his voice hoarse. "I know I messed up. But I've changed. We can fix this."

His father, Arthur Brown, a man who once told me I was "a distraction Jake couldn't afford," now looked at me with something approaching pleading.

"He really loves you, Emily. He's turned down so many women. He told us, 'It's Emily or no one.'"

I almost laughed.

The irony was a physical weight.

"Mr. Brown," I said, my voice still calm. "As I said, Jake and I are over. And frankly, after everything that happened, I'm surprised you all have the audacity to stage this... performance."

Tom, Jake's brother, stepped forward. "Audacity? Emily, he defended you! He told everyone that blogger was lying about the food poisoning!"

"After I was already fired and blacklisted?" I raised an eyebrow. "Generous."