My gaze fell on the shirt she wore, and my stomach twisted sharply. That shirt… the one I had bought for him on our first anniversary. Back then, I had nothing—only meager scraps of savings from skipping meals and pawning my mother’s necklace. When I handed it to him, he had broken down completely. He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead and swore I would never have to bleed for him again. He promised to shield me from every hardship life could throw my way. For years, he folded that shirt carefully, keeping it like a relic, too precious to ever be worn.
And now she wore it. Smiling. Leaning into him.
Her eyes found mine as if she had just noticed me standing there, then she pressed her cheek to his back, feigning shyness. “Why didn’t anyone tell me someone was here? Look at me—I must look ridiculous.”
Damien frowned, trying to free himself, but she only clung tighter. The pride in her gaze… it wasn’t even hidden.
I forced my eyes elsewhere. “I’m just here to return some things. When it’s convenient, please hand me back the token.”
I held out the signet ring. The symbol of everything I had thought would last.
He hesitated for a heartbeat, and I dared to think he might finally see me. But instead, he tightened his grip on her hand and sneered. “Do you really think I’m free right now?”
Breathing felt impossible. My fingers shook around the box, trying to stop myself from trembling. I had told myself I was ready to walk away—but seeing this, seeing them like this, cracked something deep inside me.
I remembered the first time we had fought over her. He had fallen to his knees, swearing that everything he did was to repay a debt, that it was only temporary, that the delay in our wedding was meant to bring us together sooner.
But her debt never ended. It grew and consumed everything I should have had with him.
Tonight, the last snowflake fell, and the avalanche finally broke free.
I could let go.
I placed the signet ring carefully on the table, forcing my hand not to shake. “Then when it’s convenient, have someone return it to me.”
I had planned to speak, to finally say the words—let’s end this—but then I saw her nails clutching at his shirt, clinging to him like she owned him. His body stiffened under her touch. My stomach twisted violently. I couldn’t stay another second. I turned and walked toward the door.
“Wait.”
His voice cut through the room like a knife. I froze.
“Are you really breaking off the engagement?” His tone was low, dark, threatening.
I tilted my head just enough for him to hear. “Yes.”
I caught the curve of his mocking lips. He stepped forward suddenly and kicked the boxes stacked against the wall. “If you’re ending this, why are you holding on to this junk?”
He stared at me, waiting for me to crumble, waiting for tears like before. But I didn’t.
“You’re right,” I said evenly. “No need to keep them. If they bother you, throw them out yourself.”
His fists clenched, knuckles cracking audibly. “I wouldn’t touch your things. Take them yourself. So you don’t have an excuse to come crawling back later.”
“Fine.”
Numb, I entered the bedroom and began gathering every fragment of myself from the space. This had been our wedding room. Every shelf, every drawer, every corner held the memories we had built together since childhood. Now I was erasing myself, piece by piece.
When my eyes landed on the red bedsheet—wrinkled, stained—my stomach lurched. I pressed my hand to my mouth, choking back bile. That sheet… evidence. Proof of what they had done, of his betrayal.
Tears threatened to fall, but I swallowed hard and forced myself to calm down.
From the living room, I could hear them—giggling, laughing like lovers who wanted me to feel every bit of it. They wanted me broken.
I kept my expression blank, kept folding, kept packing. When everything that was mine was gone, I closed the bedroom door gently.
Then his voice reached me again. “Celeste… remember when you promised to do something for me, unconditionally? That still counts, right?”
My heart stuttered. Memories flooded back: the summer after college exams, the swollen river, my reckless attempt to cross it. The current almost swept me away, and he had jumped in without hesitation, pulling me to safety with one arm while the other scraped against jagged rocks. Blood ran freely, yet he smiled, so I wouldn’t feel guilty.
I had promised then, tears in my eyes, to do anything he asked, one day, no questions asked.
Back then he had said, “All I want is for Celeste to be happy for the rest of her life.”
I had laughed, telling him to choose something for himself. He had only smiled. “As long as you’re with me, I don’t need anything else.”
And now… here he was. Softly kissing her forehead. “Maddie wants cherry cake from Sun Valley. Go get it.”
I stared at him, burning holes into him with my gaze, then whispered, “Alright.”
Even this favor—my last promise—was for her. Always for her.
And that was fine. That way, nothing remained between us.
