STARTING OVER

Chapter 2

Aria woke up feeling numb all over. Last night was the wildest night of her life. Her head hurt because of all the drinks she had last night.

For a few seconds after opening her eyes, she didn’t know where she was. The room was quiet, dark, and nothing like her own. The air smelled like cedarwood and something faintly spicy, masculine, and expensive.

Then her heart dropped.

She wasn’t home. She wasn’t even close to home. And the body heat beside her last night… wasn’t Evan’s.

Aria sat up fast, clutching the blanket to her naked chest.

“What did I do? God, what did I do?” Aria mumbled to herself, looking around like a theif caught stealing.

Unlike what she thought, her dress was arranged neatly on the couch and her shoes by the door side. The man, whoever he was, was an organized man and he wasn’t in the bed anymore. She heard faint running water from the bathroom. The reality hit her harder than the hangover.

She needed to leave.

Immediately.

She slipped into her clothes, wincing at every small sound, and tiptoed out of the room before she could lose her nerve.

By the time she made it into her car outside, her hands were shaking violently.

She rested her forehead against the steering wheel.

She had never felt so ashamed. Or so empty.

Yesterday she was fired.

Then she saw Evan with another woman.

And now… this. Sleeping with a man she didn’t even know or remember because she couldn’t even recall how his face looked like. All she remembered was how good he made her feel yesterday night. So good that she felt butterflies in her tummy just by thinking about it.

She remembered Evan too and her chest tightened painfully, her eyes welled with tears. She wiped them quickly and forced herself to breathe.

“Go home,” she whispered. “Just go home.”

---

Her apartment felt too quiet when she stepped inside.

Too still.

She had never known what it felt like for her apartment to be quiet, because Evan was always there doing something inside.

So, she thought he had really left.

But he was there, sitting still on the couch, elbows on his knees, eyes red like he hadn’t slept at all.

“Aria.” His voice cracked as he stood.

She froze.

He walked toward her slowly. “Why didn’t you come out of that creep’s room? I waited for a long time.”

She shrugged off her jacket, keeping her eyes on the floor.

“I don’t owe you an explanation, Evan.”

He flinched. “Aria, don’t do that. Don’t shut me out. I messed up—I know I messed up. Don’t be like this over something stupid.”

Her throat tightened. “Stupid? I walked in on you… sleeping with that girl I was defending and you knew that! I got fired because she denied it. Now I know how stupid I was for reporting it when she was enjoying it and even sleeping with my man.”

“I was drunk,” he said quickly. “I didn’t mean anything with her. It only happened once.”

“And what I did?” she whispered. “You saw me…”

He swallowed. “Yeah. I saw you kiss someone.”

Aria blinked back tears. “So why are you here then? If you saw that.”

“Because I needed to ask who he was.” Evan demanded suddenly. His face twisted with jealousy. “Do you know him? Have you been talking to him before?”

“No,” she said softly. “I don’t even know his name.”

That somehow made it worse.

Evan stared at her like she had slapped him.

“So… you just gave yourself to a stranger? You kissed him!” His voice dropped, low and shaking.

He grabbed her and suddenly started checking her neck. “Aria, what the hell is wrong with you? What’s this mark on your neck. Tell me, did you have sex with him too? Why did you stay there all night?”

She shut her eyes.

“Don’t talk to me like that.”

“No,” he said, voice rising. “You said I hurt you, but you ran into the arms of someone you don’t even know. That’s… that’s low, Aria. What are you? A slut?”

Her chest cracked open at his words.

Pain. Betrayal. Shame. Anger. Everything swirled at once.

But under all that… a small part of her still loved him.

A small part wanted him to hold her, cry with her, fix everything.

But he cheated.

And she did too.

They were done. No amount of love could fix what they broke.

“Evan,” she whispered, voice trembling, “please leave.”

He stared at her, stunned. “You’re choosing him over me? You acted so angry but you were cheating on me. How shameless of you.”

“I’m choosing myself,” she said, tears falling. “Please… just go. I don’t care whatever you think anymore.”

For a moment, he looked like he would fight harder.

Then his shoulders dropped, and he walked past her toward the door.

He paused with his hand on the knob.

“You’ll regret this,” he murmured. “No one will love you like I did.”

Aria didn’t answer.

He left.

And the apartment suddenly felt too big, too loud with silence.

She broke down on the floor.

Crying into her hands, shaking so hard she couldn’t breathe.

Everything hurt.

Her heart.

Her pride.

Her future.

She didn’t know how long she cried, but a sharp buzzing from her phone stopped her.

A notification.

Aria sniffed and wiped her face with her sleeve, picking up the phone.

Culinary Board: “Your Étoile Academy Entrance Exam Results Are Now Available On The Website.”

Her heart jumped. And for a moment, she forgot all that had happened.

She blinked at the screen, rereading the message again and again. This was it. Her Dream. What truly mattered to her.

Her chest tightened, this time not from pain, but from fear and hope tangled together.

Hands trembling, she rushed to her laptop and opened the website.

She typed her login details slowly, breath shallow.

The page loaded.

A long second passed.

Then—

Congratulations, Aria Beaumont.

You have been accepted into Étoile Culinary Academy.

Program Duration: 1 Year

A mentor will be assigned to you on orientation day.

Aria covered her mouth with both hands.

A sob caught in her throat, this one lighter, softer and joyful.

She had done it.

Despite everything.

She had gotten in.

Something warm bloomed in her chest for the first time in a long time.

Hope.

She whispered to herself:

“I can start over.”