Chapter 4

After posting the comment, Ava removed Ethan from her special notifications.

There were still a few days left. She would use that time to completely dig him out of her heart.

When she got home, the house was empty and cold.

She cooked herself a bowl of noodles. As she was eating, she received a message from Chloe.

Ethan and I won't be back tonight.

The message was accompanied by a photo of a candlelit dinner and another of them together in a hotel room.

Ava's fingers trembled. She calmly replied, "Okay."

A notification popped up from her high school group chat. They were planning a graduation party.

Considering she would be moving across the country, she decided to go. It would be a final farewell to her classmates.

Someone in the group mentioned Ethan.

I remember when Ava went missing on that school trip, Mr. Hayes flew back from a business trip overseas overnight to lead the search. He's so doting.

The past warmth was now an icicle, making it hurt to breathe.

She simply replied, "He's not coming."

They didn't know she had confessed and been rejected. They didn't know he already had someone else.

That night, she slept fitfully.

She dreamt of the first time she met Ethan. She was eight years old. He had looked at her with indifference and turned to walk away.

She woke with a start, her face wet with tears.

If he had been that cold from the beginning, would she have recognized the distance between them sooner?

But what was most painful was having received all his affection, only to have it disappear overnight.

She got out of bed and saw the suitcase filled with her memories.

Thirteen days until she left.

She decided to throw it all away, to empty her heart.

She dragged the suitcase downstairs and ran into Ethan and Chloe, who were just coming home.

Ethan frowned. "Where are you going with that luggage?"

I'm moving into the dorms, she said calmly. "These are just some useless things I'm throwing away."

Without another word, Ethan took the suitcase from her and tossed it into the donation pile by the gate. It landed with a loud thud.

Ava's heart sank.

He didn't care at all that the bag was filled with gifts he had given her, with their shared memories.

He turned back, his tone leaving no room for argument. "There's no need to move into the dorms. I'll talk to your advisor."

He was already thinking only of Chloe. He didn't care about her future at all.

She went upstairs without a word.

She heard Chloe ask softly, "Is she angry?"

Ethan's cold reply followed. "She's an adult now. She needs to learn to be independent."

Ava paused for a moment on the stairs, then continued walking back to her room.

She was an adult now. She would walk her own path.