Chapter 2

The second I got back from the reception, I headed straight for the master bedroom to pack.

I was zipping up the second suitcase when Liam walked through the front door.

He glanced at the messy living room, rubbed his temples in exhaustion, and sighed.

"Cassandra, please. I’m running on empty tonight. I promise you, our wedding will be ten times bigger than Tiana’s."

Always next time.

For eight years, he fed me promises about the future.

Next time, I'll upgrade your ring to a pink diamond.

Next time, we’ll travel the world together.

Next time, once my business takes off, you won't ever have to work again.

I never knew how long the next time was supposed to take.

I took a deep breath. "Liam Daniels, I respect your choice. But there is no next time for us."

Before he could react, I grabbed my bags and left.

---

Down in the parking garage, a sudden realization hit me.

I had left my passport, personal documents, and my grandfather’s heirloom locked in the nightstand.

Ten minutes later, I unlocked the apartment door again.

In the brief time I was gone, Tiana had already moved in.

The apartment was suddenly filled with pink clutter.

Colorful makeup and skincare products crowded the vanity. The kitchen counter was piled high with gourmet sweets and junk food.

I stared, completely dazed.

I used to love cute plushies. I used to enjoy doing my makeup and keeping snacks around the apartment.

But Liam complained that plushies were childish, makeup made me look trashy, and snacks were unhealthful.

To please him, I threw them all away.

Yet here was the apartment, overflowing with everything Tiana loved.

The contrast was deafening.

Loving someone, and not loving them, was really obvious.

Tiana stepped out of the bedroom, offering a sweet smile. "Liam said it’s easier to take care of me if I live here."

My hands trembled as I threw open the nightstand drawer. It was completely bare.

"Where are my things?" I demanded, turning to glare at Tiana.

Liam walked in, his forehead creased with annoyance at my tone. "What things?"

"My grandfather’s jade pendant," I choked out. "You know how much that meant to me."

Before Liam could reply, Tiana giggled softly.

"You don't mean the jade ring Liam gave me yesterday, do you?" She raised her hand, showing off a polished green band on her finger. "Is it this one?"

My grandfather's memory had been recut into a cheap trinket to make a young girl smile.

A wave of fury made my entire body shake.

Three years ago, on his deathbed, my grandfather held our hands with trembling strength.

“Cassandra has had a tough life, Liam Daniels. Take care of my baby girl.”

Liam nodded solemnly back then, pulling me into his arms with tears in his eyes. “I’ll love her for the rest of my life.”

Now, that same man stepped forward and handed me a jewelry box with a cold face.

"Tiana is your sister. Don't be so stingy," he said flatly. "Consider it a gift exchange."

I popped the box open. Inside sat a cheap leather cord necklace.

I knew the brand. It catered to eco-friendly fashion trends using non-metallic materials.

Liam had been with me for eight years.

He knew that I was easy to appease, that I always compromised, and that I tolerated everything.

Yet he couldn't remember that I had a severe contact allergy to anything other than real gold or silver.

I slammed the box onto the coffee table.

Tiana frowned, looking hurt.

"Cassandra, that’s so ungrateful. Liam went to three different boutiques just to find that for you."

"Did he?"

I forced a smile, looking between the two of them.

"Since you're so thoughtful of him, let's make this simple. We’re over. You two can date, get married, and live happily ever after.”