CHAPTER 3 - They Were Never For Me
Scarlet’s POV
It was already dark outside and there was no single message or call from Caspian, and neither did he visit me in my room when I passed out due to fatigue and I woke up with an IV line connected to the back of my hand. The nurse carefully removed it after the IV bag was emptied and said I had to take the prescribed supplements and after settling the bill, I could go.
And since I had no one else with me, I requested the nurse to do it instead, handing her my credit card. As I fixed my hair, I dialed Caspian’s number and after a few rings, he eventually answered.
“Hey, you’re home yeah?” he greeted and I could hear in the background the polite voice that came in to interrupt him, “Here’s your coffee and chamomile tea, sir, ma’am. Enjoy the fireworks!”
Fireworks. The annual festival begins tonight and a fireworks display will commence the celebration. How fun. He was already out there, enjoying a coffee, and the tea must be for Sarah, it was her favorite flavor, and she never drank coffee, she said it was bad for her teeth.
“No, Caspian,” I replied, implying that he had made me wait yet did not return in the end. “I’m still here in the hospital.”
“Why? It’s been hours, Scarlet. You should have gone home without me,” he remarked, sounding surprised as if he never explicitly told me to wait for him. But no, that was not the reason. “Look, I’m sorry, but I can’t come to you right now. I thought you already went home so I thought I should drive Sarah home since the doctor said she should not be straining her foot. You can take a cab, yeah? I might get stuck in traffic if I return to the hospital.”
I sighed at his attempt to cover where they were, “Alright. I’ll take the cab.”
“Take care, Scar—”
I did not let him finish anymore and ended the call. I was fed up with his lies already. He had the audacity to spend time with her, and had fun, while I was passed out, lying on a hospital bed. How nice.
When the bill was settled, I was discharged and I stepped out of the building and sat at the bench. I scrolled through my taxi app and booked a driver, and while waiting for its arrival, the night sky began to turn bright, studded with booming fireworks displaying various shapes and different colors. It was lively, and the people were all smiles, while I sat here, on a cold bench, alone, with an empty heart. With every sparkling cascade, I imagined Caspian and Sarah, likely sitting together under this same sky, sharing whispered words and gentle laughs. The image gnawed at me, so bitter and repulsive.
I spotted the cab and went home.
And that night, Caspian did not come home.
I held the tablet tightly in my hand when a notification popped up while I was reading an article. Seeing Sarah’s name on it, I tapped, and the first thing I saw on the chat box was a photo of her and Caspian. I frowned, immediately closing the app as my heart raced, drumming in my chest as I realized that Caspian’s account was still logged in on my tablet. I was getting an itchy feeling to read through their conversation, but… as I gave it a thought, the proofs were already in front of me, I did not have to snoop on his social media accounts anymore to find out. Digging here would only deepen the wound. Hence, aggressively, I deleted the messaging app, not wanting any of his unfaithfulness to leave a trace in my personal belongings. I was not going to hurt myself more by immersing in a pool of messages. It was already too much, and I knew I did not deserve to be treated this way.
Soon, I’ll go.
I typed my resignation letter and the following morning, I went straight to the office and handed the resignation letter to the city archive’s administrator.
“Why so sudden, Scarlet?” she asked but there was worry in her face as she took in my stressed look. I was not particularly delighted about leaving the city archive, I built a circle here and I was not ready to suddenly leave them behind.
But I could not stay here any longer, once my brother completed the arrangements with my future fiancee, I would leave.
“It’s just something personal, Madame. I do not want to go but I have to. I am really sorry. It was sudden,” I replied and she nodded lightly as her hand brushed my upper arm, conveying understanding to this sudden resignation.
“It must be very important. But I understand. I know you love your job, and you are not the type of person to suddenly resign if it is not something important,” she said, smiling at me with a look of understanding even though I could not detail her the reason why I was quitting. “Don’t worry, I will process your resignation immediately.”
“Thank you, Madame, for everything,” I bade her my farewell and stepped out of her office. Once I was back in the main archive hall, I looked around.
The main archive hall stretched out before me, a quiet towering space filled with the smell of aged paper and polished wood. Rows of shelves stood like sentinels with their contents meticulously organized having each section brimming with the weight of the city's history.
This was where I felt purposeful. Every file I sorted, every record I preserved— it felt like a small act of immortality, safeguarding the past for the future.
It was hard to let it go.
But I had to.
After leaving the archive, I decided to stop by a pastry shop to buy a cake.
The Victoria’s Pastries was not just any shop— it was the one where Caspian always bought cakes for me. He always brought red velvet, the shop’s specialty, and pride. I did not mind it; I appreciated the thought and enjoyed the cakes with him, even though my favorite flavor had always been caramel.
The shop’s bell jingled as I stepped inside, and the rich aroma of baked goods wrapped around me like a warm blanket— comforting. And after everything that I found out and the decisions I made, I thought I needed something sweet to uplift myself.
The displays were neatly arranged, one side showing an assortment of cakes in various flavors— chocolate, fruit, vanilla. My gaze lingered on the caramel cake, feeling like its golden frosting was calling to me.
Across from it was another display dedicated entirely to red velvet cakes, which the shop was very well known of. The vibrant red color stood out, each cake was decorated with creamy white frosting in different designs. It was clear this was the shop’s pride and joy, and it was said that they have the best red velvet cakes in the State.
The attendant noticed me looking at the red velvet cakes and stepped forward with a smile. “Miss, are you interested in our red velvet collection?” She gestured toward the cabinet with a bright and cheerful expression. “It’s our specialty, you know. Best in the city! Would you like to try one?”
I hesitated, staring at the cakes that Caspian always brought to me. They were good, but I would always prefer a caramel cake.
“No,” I said finally, forcing a polite smile. “It’s not my favorite flavor,” I uttered honestly.
The attendant blinked, her cheer faltering slightly before she nodded. “Of course. What would you like instead?”
I pointed to the caramel cake in the display closest to me. “The six-inch caramel cake, please.”
Her smile returned as she noted my order. “Excellent choice! Please wait a moment while I box it up.”
I stepped aside, letting my eyes wander absently around the shop as I waited. When the bell above the door jingled again, I turned out of instinct, my heart sinking as Sarah walked in.
“Scarlet!” she exclaimed, her face lighting up in surprise. “You’re here! Are you getting a cake?”
“Yes,” I replied curtly, despite the unease churning inside me.
She moved toward the red velvet cabinet, her gaze softening as she admired the cakes. “This shop is my favorite,” she began, her tone laced with nostalgia. “They make the best red velvet cakes. Caspian and I used to come here all the time before I left. It was our little ritual to pick one out together.” She laughed lightly, the sound grating against my ears. “Now that I’m back, I couldn’t resist stopping by again. I miss it.”
I froze in realization as her words hit me like a punch in the gut. Caspian’s red velvet cakes— his gestures of affection, his supposed thoughtfulness— they were not for me. They had never been for me.
They were her favorite, her tradition, her memory. He had been thinking of her, always her.
Always Sarah.
I swallowed hard, forcing a neutral expression. “That’s nice,” I managed, my voice betraying none of the bitterness clawing at my chest.
The attendant returned with my boxed cake, and I accepted it with a nod, clutching the package tightly as I swiped my card for payment. My appetite was gone, but I was not about to let Sarah— or anyone— see just how much her words had shaken me.
