Chapter 2

Countdown: twenty-four hours.

Damon barely came home. Morning till night, he was gone. The promised mating ceremony might as well have never existed.

Sometimes I'd see his friends' social posts. In the corner of some group photo, there was always a shot of him walking beside a woman. That face. The one I'd seen in his phone gallery.

Late that night, he came back. He hesitated for a long time, then finally said, "The belated ceremony… do we still have time to prepare it?"

I lowered my head. I knew what he really meant—he wanted to cancel it.

Because of Vivian.

"Then cancel it. There aren't many days left anyway." I looked up at him. No need to embarrass either of us.

Damon froze, like he couldn't believe his ears. Then he asked, "You don't care?"

Fair enough. Before, I would've lost it on the spot. Begged for an answer. Made a scene. How many humiliations in this marriage had happened during my meltdowns? Even though every single one of them started with him.

I shook my head. "Why would I care? It's just a ritual."

A long silence. Then Damon spoke again, almost hesitant. "How about I take you down to Southaven in a few days? Relax a little."

I glanced at the countdown on my phone and said no.

"The beach, then? Or that restaurant you've always wanted to try?" He kept offering, and I kept refusing. By the time he headed out the door, his expression had cycled through awkwardness, guilt, confusion, and finally—displeasure.

Countdown: sixteen hours.

I started moving my things out, little by little. Trying not to let him notice.

But he noticed anyway. "You've been moving a lot out lately."

I nodded and gave him the excuse I'd prepared. "Yeah. Going to stay somewhere else for a while."

He hesitated, then said, "I've been thinking about the ceremony. Maybe we could still have it…"

I cut him off. "There's no time for that anymore. Forget it."

His expression shifted to confusion. "What do you mean, no time? This was always what you wanted. And we've been together for five years now. Maybe it's time to make our relationship public."

Was he actually thinking that way? Maybe after five years, he'd finally started to forget Vivian?

I hesitated for a moment. Almost told him about the dissolution agreement I'd already signed.

Then Vivian's name lit up his phone screen. Perfect timing.

I smiled. "Go handle your thing. We can talk later."

Damon grabbed the door handle. Then, as if to make up for something, he turned back and made me a promise. "The ceremony is still on. I'll be back that day."

I watched his hurried back and said nothing.

Countdown: twelve hours.

I got an anonymous video. Vivian in a white dress. Damon in a suit. People all around them, toasting and laughing.

My quiet, empty room couldn't have been more different.

So he really never loved me.

A few drops landed on the screen. I turned off my phone and sat in the dark until late night.

Countdown: three hours. I finished packing everything.

Countdown: two hours. I cut him out of every photo. The album only had me left.

Countdown: one hour. I laid the dissolution agreement neatly on the table.

I thought about leaving some words for him. Changed my mind.

I could only say it in my heart:

"Damon, I loved you for ten years. Loving someone for ten years is hard. But I finally chose to let go."

"Congratulations to you. And congratulations to me."

I grabbed my suitcase. At the very last second of the countdown, my hand touched the doorknob.

It was over. My mating bond.

Then the door opened from the outside.

Damon stood there, forehead sweaty, breathing hard. A smile on his face, still tinged with guilt. "Sorry, something came up. Why aren't you dressed?"

His voice stopped. His eyes dropped to my suitcase. To the ticket in my hand.

"Where are you going?"