Chapter 4

The morning of the TechForward Expo, Sarah actually put on her favorite blue dress, the one Ethan used to say made her eyes sparkle.

She even put on a little makeup.

The knot of anxiety in her stomach was familiar, a sickening companion to any event involving Ethan.

An hour before she was supposed to leave, her phone buzzed.

A text from Ethan: "So sorry, babe. Critical investor emergency. Have to cancel keynote. Raincheck, promise! E."

Sarah read it, then read it again.

No sparkle in her eyes now, just a dull ache.

She didn't reply.

She took off the blue dress, hung it back in the closet, and changed into jeans and a t-shirt.

She made herself a cup of tea.

Later that afternoon, Chloe sent her a link with no comment.

It was a live stream from the TechForward Expo.

On stage, beaming under the spotlights, was Olivia Hayes, announcing a major strategic partnership between her VC firm and Ethan's startup.

And right beside her, grinning like he'd won the lottery, was Ethan.

He even leaned in to whisper something in Olivia's ear, making her laugh, a proprietary hand on the small of her back.

Any lingering doubt, any microscopic speck of hope Sarah might have harbored, evaporated.

It wasn't just a cancellation; it was a lie, a deliberate, callous dismissal.

Sarah picked up her phone.

She blocked Ethan's number.

She blocked him on every social media platform.

Then, she called a number she hadn't dialed in over a decade.

"Grandma Eleanor?" she said, her voice a little shaky.

"It's Sarah."

"Sarah Miller... Yes, your granddaughter."

"You once said if I ever needed anything... well, I was wondering if that invitation to visit you on the East Coast was still open."

A warm, slightly crackly voice answered, "Sarah, my dear girl."

"Of course, it is."

"Always."

Weeks turned into a month.

The initial buzz around Ethan's partnership with Olivia's firm began to show signs of strain.

Rumors circulated about unmet milestones and Olivia becoming increasingly demanding, less a partner and more a micromanager.

Olivia, in turn, started being seen at industry events with other, more promising founders.

She became distant with Ethan, her calls less frequent.

Ethan, feeling the ground shift beneath him, started his usual pattern.

Time to reel Sarah back in.

He called her old number.

Disconnected.

He texted.

No reply.

He emailed.

Silence.

Panic, a sensation Ethan rarely associated with Sarah, began to set in.

He drove to Chloe's coffee shop, a place he usually avoided because Chloe made no secret of her disdain for him.

"Where's Sarah?" he demanded, skipping any pleasantries.

Chloe wiped down the counter, her expression cool.

"Moved on, Ethan."

"New life."

"New city."

"Won't be back."

She then casually picked up a postcard from under the counter.

It showed a sprawling, elegant estate, manicured lawns rolling down to a distant glimpse of the ocean.

"She seems happy."

The postmark was from somewhere near Boston, but the exact location was artfully obscured.