The Taste Of Goodbye

Chapter One – The Taste of Goodbye

(Alina Pov

The stew was almost done.

I stood by the stove, gently stirring the pot, letting the aroma of garlic, pepper, and thyme fill the air. I knew exactly how he liked it—soft beef, no oil floating, a bit spicy but not too much.

“Madam, should I serve the table?” the maid asked, peeking from the doorway.

I shook my head without turning. “No. I’ll do it myself.”

She left quietly. She knew not to argue. I always cooked for him myself, even if we had ten maids. Maybe I thought it would keep him home. Maybe I believed food could hold a heart.

But hearts don’t stay because of food.

I heard the gate open. His car drove in, slow and calm, like nothing was wrong in the world.

A few minutes later, I heard the door unlock.

He walked in. Strong cologne filled the room before I even saw him.

“Welcome,” I said softly, wiping my hands on a kitchen towel.

He nodded without looking at me. “Yeah.”

He dropped his suitcase on the couch, loosened his tie, then walked straight toward the stairs like I wasn’t there.

But I saw it.

Clear as day.

A smudge of red on the white collar of his shirt. Lipstick.

I stood still. My chest tightened.

I wanted to pretend I didn’t see it.

I wanted to look away, smile, act like the fool everyone thought I was.

But something in me said no.

Not tonight.

Not anymore.

I followed him slowly.

He was already in the room, unbuttoning his shirt like nothing happened.

I stood by the door, my voice shaking.

“Who was she?”

He paused. Only for a second. Then turned to me. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t lie,” I said, stepping in. “Your collar. It’s lipstick.”

He looked down, then back at me. No panic. No guilt.

“She was a mistake.”

“A mistake?” My voice cracked. “How many times do you make the same mistake?”

He didn’t answer. He just sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hands together.

“I cook for you. I serve you. I give everything I have. And this… this is what I get?”

Still no reply.

Tears rushed to my eyes, hot and heavy, but I blinked them back. I didn’t want to cry in front of him. Not this time.

“You’re not even sorry, are you?”

He looked up finally. His eyes were cold.

“I’m tired, Alina. I don’t want to argue. What do you want me to say? That I’ll stop? So you want me to leave my company because you don’t want to see me with other ladies? If I am not wealth, will you marry me, stop this threat, I know you won’t leave”

That was the part that hurt the most.

He knew I wouldn’t leave

Because I never did. No matter how many times he stayed out late, no matter how many rumors I heard, no matter how many smiles I faked in public.

“I used to believe you’d change,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “That maybe if I loved you enough, you’d stop hurting me.”

His silence answered everything.

I couldn’t hold the tears anymore.

They fell.

And I hated that he saw them.

“I’m not going to do this again,” I whispered, turning away. “Not this time.”

He scoffed. “Right. You will cry, sleep and still make breakfast tomorrow”

I turned back to him slowly, wiping my tears with the back of my hand.

“Maybe. But maybe this time, I won’t.”

His face didn’t change.

But mine did.

Something inside me cracked open. And for the first time, I realized…

I wasn’t crying because he broke me.

I was crying because I was finally ready to let go.