Chapter 2

The next morning, I felt both exhausted and lighter than I had in years. I woke up not to the familiar anxiety of checking Liam' s social media, but to the quiet hum of my coffee maker.

Chloe called just as I was pouring my first cup.

"You will not BELIEVE what Liam did," she said, without even a hello.

My stomach tightened. "What?"

"He's been blowing up my phone all morning, asking all these weird questions about you. Like if you've been seeing anyone. Can you believe the nerve?"

I took a slow sip of coffee. "What did you tell him?"

"I told him to mind his own business, of course! And to stop treating you like one of his disposable girlfriends. He got all quiet after that. Ugh, I swear, sometimes I don't even know who he is."

The irony was a bitter pill to swallow. She had no idea.

"Chloe," I started, my voice soft. "There's something I need to tell you."

I explained everything. The five years, the secrecy, the constant heartache. I left out the most humiliating details, but she got the picture.

There was a long, stunned silence on the other end of the line.

"He... did what?" she finally whispered, her voice filled with disbelief and horror. "For five years? And you never told me?"

"I'm so sorry, Chloe. He made me promise. He said it would destroy your friendship with me."

"He's the one who destroyed it!" she exploded, her voice thick with anger. "That manipulative, selfish bastard! I'm going to kill him! And you, Sarah, why would you put up with that? You deserve so much better!"

"I know," I said quietly. "I finally know that now."

"What happened? What finally changed?"

"I'm getting married," I said, the words feeling more real each time I said them.

"You're... what? To who? Is this because of Liam? Sarah, you can't just jump into a marriage as revenge!"

"It's not revenge," I assured her. "It's to David Chen."

Another silence.

"David? Your childhood friend David?" she asked, her tone shifting from anger to confusion. "I thought you guys were just friends."

"We were. But he's always been there for me. He's kind, and he respects me. He wants a future with me."

"But do you love him?"

The question hung in the air. Did I love David? I wasn't sure. But I loved the peace he offered. I loved the way he looked at me, like I was the only person in the room. After years of feeling invisible, that was more than enough.

"I'm learning to," I said honestly. "And I know he'll never hurt me the way Liam did."

Chloe sighed, a long, weary sound. "Okay. Okay, I'm still processing all this. But if he makes you happy, Sarah, then I'm happy for you. And I am so, so sorry about my brother. I had no idea."

"It's not your fault, Chloe."

"I want to be there for you," she said firmly. "For the wedding, for everything. I'm your best friend. No matter what."

Tears pricked my eyes. "Thank you. That means everything to me."

"First things first," she said, her voice turning practical. "We need to get you a wedding dress. Let's go this weekend."

Talking to Chloe felt like lancing a wound. It was painful, but necessary. For the rest of the week, I threw myself into my art and the wedding plans. David was incredible, handling most of the logistics with quiet efficiency. He never pushed, never demanded. He just made it clear that my happiness was his priority.

On Saturday, Chloe and I were at a bridal boutique, surrounded by a sea of white lace and tulle. I was trying on a simple, elegant A-line gown when my phone buzzed.

A text from a number I didn't recognize.

"We need to talk. I'm at the cafe next door."

Liam.

My hands started to tremble.

"Who is it?" Chloe asked, seeing my expression.

"It's him," I whispered.

Chloe's face hardened. "Ignore him. He's not worth your time."

But I knew he wouldn't just give up. He'd make a scene.

"I need to face him," I said, my voice stronger than I felt. "I need to do this for myself."

I changed back into my clothes, my hands shaking as I buttoned my shirt.

"I'm coming with you," Chloe said, grabbing her purse.

"No," I said firmly. "This is between him and me. I need to end this, once and for all."

I walked out of the boutique and into the small cafe next door. He was sitting at a corner table, looking handsome and infuriatingly calm.

And he wasn't alone.

Jessica, the model from the gala, was sitting across from him, sipping a latte.

My heart plummeted. Even now, trying to win me back, he brought another woman.

He saw me and stood up, a charming smile on his face. "Sarah. Thanks for coming."

Jessica looked me up and down, a smug little smirk on her face.

"So, you're Sarah," she said, her voice dripping with condescension. "Liam's told me all about you."

I kept my gaze fixed on Liam. "What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk," he said, gesturing to the empty chair. "Can we please just talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about."

"So it's true?" he asked, his smile faltering. "You're really marrying David Chen?"

"Yes."

He let out a short, humorless laugh. "Come on, Sarah. You don't love him. You're just trying to make me jealous."

"You think everything is about you, don't you?" I said, my voice low and steady. "This has nothing to do with you. This is about me finally choosing a life where I'm not a dirty little secret."

His face darkened. "That's not fair."

"Isn't it?" I shot back. "What part of the last five years was fair, Liam?"

Jessica scoffed. "Oh, please. Liam was just having some fun. You can't seriously have thought it was anything more."

I finally turned to look at her. "You have no idea what you're talking about."

"I know that he's with me now," she said, placing a possessive hand on Liam's arm. "And he's not interested in some desperate, washed-up artist."

The insult barely registered. All I could feel was a cold, hard clarity. This was who he was. This was the life he had chosen. And I was finally, truly free of it.

"Actually," Liam said, a cruel glint in his eyes. "I'm sure Sarah will find someone eventually. Maybe I can help. I have a few friends who are into the whole... starving artist type."

That was it. The final, public humiliation. He wasn't just dismissing our past; he was mocking it. He was mocking me.

A strange calm settled over me. I looked him straight in the eye, a small smile playing on my lips.

"That won't be necessary, Liam," I said, my voice clear and ringing through the quiet cafe.

"I'm getting married in three weeks."

I held up my left hand, letting the diamond on my finger catch the light.

"You're both welcome to come, of course. If you're not too busy."

The shock on his face was satisfying. Jessica's jaw dropped.

I didn't wait for a response. I turned around and walked out of the cafe, my head held high. I didn't look back.

I walked back into the bridal shop, where Chloe was waiting anxiously.

"So?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"So," I said, a genuine smile breaking through. "I think I found my dress."