Chapter 4

They didn’t come back that night, nor the next morning.

The only sign of life from Ethan was a single, curt text message lying in my inbox, telling me to stop throwing a tantrum. My head felt incredibly heavy, and my skin burned hot—a lingering consequence of getting caught in yesterday’s torrential downpour.

On social media, Ethan and Seraphina stood shoulder to shoulder at the grand opening, cutting the ribbon together. They looked like a picture-perfect power couple. Looking at it just made me feel physically sick.

I swallowed some fever medication and forced my aching body out of bed, packing the absolute last of my belongings into my suitcase.

It was already noon by the time Ethan finally bothered to call.

“Liv, the ribbon-cutting ceremony is over. We’re just going to grab a quick bite to eat, and then we’ll head back,” he said casually over the video call. “Sera even went out of her way this morning to track down one of those limited-edition designer blind box figurines for you.”

My voice came out raspy and hollow. “I don’t like those figurines, Ethan. And I’ve always hated blind boxes.”

His brows instantly knit together, his tone dripping with an irritation I had rarely heard from him before. “Liv, drop the attitude. Seraphina treats you so well. You should be grateful, not sulking.”

Right then, Seraphina stepped into the video frame, her eyes notably red and welling with tears. “Liv, please don’t be upset. I’m telling Ethan to head back right now so he can be with you.”

I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. “He’s my boyfriend, and yet you’re the one giving him permission to come home to me?”

Ethan’s voice flared with a sudden, protective anger. “Seraphina, stop. This isn’t your fault. The three of us have gotten along just fine like this for years. Alivia clearly isn’t thinking straight today. Just ignore her and let her cool off on her own.”

Five years. It had been five whole years since he last addressed me by my full first name with that kind of cold, dismissive edge.

A suffocating wave of irritation swelled in my chest, and my voice rose before I could stop it. “Ethan, let’s break up.”

Ethan froze for a fraction of a second, his voice dropping into a low, dangerous rumble. “Alivia, I’ve told you before—do not use breaking up as a threat to manipulate me! What exactly are you trying to accomplish with this?”

I looked at the two of them on my screen, keeping my voice as flat and steady as humanly possible. “I’m not trying to threaten you, Ethan. I mean it. Let’s break up. Let’s stop making things so miserable for ourselves.”

Ethan’s face darkened completely. The last time I had seen him look that furious was two years ago when I had recklessly eaten spoiled food and ended up in the emergency room. “Alivia, did you take the wrong medication today? Is that why you’re throwing this pathetic fit?”

I forced a bright, radiant smile onto my face. “No. I finally took the right medicine.”

Seraphina’s expression shifted, adopting a grave, deeply disappointed tone as she tried to lecture me. “Liv, no matter how upset you are, you should never throw the word ‘breakup’ around so carelessly. It’s incredibly toxic. Stop trying to use a breakup as a weapon to get your way.”

Ethan didn’t even let her finish. He grabbed her arm, pulling her back as he threw one final sentence at the camera before severing the call. “She’s completely spoiled! Leave her alone until she reflects on her behavior.”

In the past, whenever he got angry, I would instantly panic, analyzing what I did wrong and rushing to soothe his temper. But this time, I was just completely exhausted. I was done trying to squeeze myself into the suffocating spaces between them.

I placed my house keys flat on the table and walked out of the apartment we had shared for five years.

Outside, the rain was still falling. My chest felt hollow, as if a vital piece of me had been ripped away, leaving a gaping hole for the freezing wind to blow right through. The world was vast, yet in that moment, it felt like there wasn’t a single square inch of it left for me.

I checked into a luxury five-star hotel and ordered a massive spread of all my favorite dishes. Ever since Ethan allegedly walked away from his family inheritance for me, I had spent years pinching pennies, desperately saving every cent so we could afford a real future and a home together. I had spent so long saving that I had almost forgotten how to love myself.

I didn’t receive another word from them until the following evening.

Ethan and Seraphina had spent the last two days enjoying themselves at an amusement park. The message he sent was a single photograph.

It was the exact diamond ring I had been dreaming about for years. But in the photo, it was slipped firmly onto Seraphina’s ring finger.

I tapped the accompanying voice note, and Ethan’s smug, arrogant voice filled the quiet hotel room.

“Alivia, the moment you offer Seraphina a proper apology, I’ll officially propose to you. Sera already did you a favor and made sure the ring fits perfectly.”

It was laughably pathetic. The ring meant for my finger had to be put on someone else’s hand first.

Without a word, I blocked both of their numbers and pulled up my work email, tapping the confirmation button on the overseas transfer. The timeline was incredibly tight; my flight to New York was scheduled for tomorrow morning.

Right before boarding the plane the next day, I took one final look at my phone. A message from an old college classmate popped up, containing a screenshot.

Ethan had posted the picture of the ring on Seraphina’s finger to his public feed.

His caption read: People who use breakups as weapons don’t deserve a ring.

I didn’t bother to reply. I shut off my phone entirely, turned my back on the terminal, and boarded the flight to New York.