Chapter 4

Sophia's shove was surprisingly strong. Ava stumbled backward, her head hitting the sharp corner of her nightstand. A dull, throbbing pain exploded at the back of her skull, and the room tilted. Black spots danced in her vision.

She put a hand to her head, feeling a warm stickiness. Blood. Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear Liam yelling Sophia's name, pulling her away. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was Liam's horrified face, his mouth open in a silent scream.

She woke up in a hospital bed. The smell of antiseptic was sharp and familiar. Liam was sitting in a chair by her side, peeling an apple with a small knife, the peel coming off in one long, continuous spiral. It was something he did when he was nervous. He saw her eyes were open and put the apple down.

"Ava. I'm sorry."

The words were so familiar, so practiced. He had said them after every one of Sophia's transgressions over the years. "I'm sorry she said that." "I'm sorry she did that." "I'm sorry, I'll talk to her." They were empty words, a meaningless ritual.

"Which part are you sorry for, Liam?" Ava asked, her voice raspy. "That she attacked me? Or that I'm not dead?"

He flinched. "Don't say that. It was an accident. She's just... she's been under a lot of stress."

Ava closed her eyes. The same excuses. Always the same excuses. She felt a profound weariness settle deep in her bones. "I want a divorce, Liam."

He was silent for a long moment. "Okay," he finally said, his voice quiet. "If that's what you want."

The doctor came in then, a kind-faced woman who checked the bandage on Ava's head. "A mild concussion," she said. "You'll need to take it easy for a few days. We'll keep you overnight for observation."

After the doctor left, Liam picked up the apple again, but he didn't continue peeling it. He just held it, staring at it. "You've been planning this, haven't you?" he asked, his voice low. "The packing. You were already leaving."

"Yes," Ava said. There was no point in lying anymore.

He looked up at her, and for the first time, she saw something other than weary obligation in his eyes. It looked like regret. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Why would I? Our contract is almost up. We both knew this was coming." She paused, then added, "Besides, you have your own plans. Boston is a long way away."

He looked genuinely shocked. "How did you know about Boston?"

"Your mother mentioned it. A prestigious research position. A new start for you. And for Sophia, I assume."

He didn't deny it. He just looked at her, his expression unreadable. He seemed to be seeing her for the first time, not as a business partner or a roommate, but as a person. A person he had hurt.

A thought suddenly occurred to her, a final, painful twist. "You knew about Sophia's condition, didn't you? The fertility report. You knew she was running out of time."

He looked down at his hands. "Yes."

Ava felt a bitter laugh rise in her throat. Of course he knew. His sense of duty, his need to fix things, to save people. He was trying to give Sophia the one thing she wanted most, a child. And Ava was just an obstacle in the way.

"I hope you'll be very happy together," she said, her voice flat and empty. She turned her head to face the window, a clear dismissal. The countdown in her head had sped up. She needed to get out.

Now. Before this life consumed what was left of her. She thought of Ethan, of his easy smile and the uncomplicated love they had shared. That was what she wanted. Not this tangled mess of duty and obsession and regret.

Liam stood up to leave, but he hesitated at the door. "Ava," he said, his voice strained. "Who's Ethan?"

She didn't turn around. "No one you need to worry about anymore, Liam."

He left, closing the door softly behind him. Ava stared out the window at the city lights, feeling a strange mix of pain and liberation. The last tie was cut. She was finally, truly, on her own.