Chapter 2
Stephanie didn’t go home immediately after burning everything. She sat on a bench outside for what seemed like hours.
When she finally made it home, Liam was already asleep, but his phone on the bedside table was buzzing away.
She went to turn it off but accidentally opened his WhatsApp instead, and his chat history with Maeve popped up on the screen.
“Li, talk about a coincidence! I never expected to be on your flight back home, or that someone as chill as you would end up being a captain.”
It took Liam a while to reply. “You seriously don’t know why I became a captain?”
Maeve sent a cheeky emoji. “Is it because of me? Just because I mentioned liking guys in captain uniforms?”
“Yes.”
That one word from Liam was enough to tear Stephanie’s world apart. Tears filled her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away.
She exited the chat and saw the noticeable pinned icon next to Maeve’s name. Beneath it was her chat with Liam. The icon there was different, though—it was the “Do Not Disturb” sign.
Stephanie realized that the way Liam treated someone he loved was worlds apart from how he treated someone he didn’t. But that didn’t matter anymore since she had already decided to move on.
Liam was getting closer to the one he loved, while Stephanie was ready to start a new chapter in her life. They ended up with what they wanted, which was the best for them.
…
The next morning, Stephanie was jolted awake by her alarm and noticed Liam was already gone. He hadn’t mentioned where he was headed, but she had a feeling he went to see Maeve.
After all, Maeve had casually mentioned wanting breakfast from that spot near her high school last night, and he had already gone ahead and made a reservation.
Stephanie didn’t think much of it. She had her things to take care of.
After breakfast, she put on some makeup, grabbed her bag, and headed to the office to quit her job. At noon, she got together with a few of her college roommates for a goodbye lunch.
Everyone at the table knew about her decade-long secret crush. They sighed when they heard she was planning to break up and head back home for blind dates, thinking she’d wasted the best ten years of her life.
“Steph, are you seriously just going to slip away like this? Don’t you think it’s unfair? Aren’t you going to tell Liam about everything you’ve done for him all these years before you go?”
“Yeah, you love him so much. Are you not going to give it one last try? If you tell him, maybe he’ll ask you to stay. It’s been ten years—anyone with a heart would be moved.”
“Liam’s definitely a jerk, but you’re the one who’s been with him for six years. That woman went abroad long ago, right? Maybe he’s just holding onto some old obsession with her?”
Stephanie could tell they all felt sorry for her, but she had made up her mind and wasn’t about to waste any more time.
She shook her head. “He doesn’t feel the same way about me, so it’d be pointless to tell him. It’s better for me to just walk away with some dignity.”
Seeing how determined she was, they let it go with a sigh, hoping she’d end up with someone better. After chatting for over an hour, they finally went their separate ways.
After downing the last glass of wine, Stephanie headed home, feeling wide awake. The nice weather gave her the perfect excuse to clean out everything she’d bought over the years.
She had carefully handpicked everything—the matching outfits and mugs, the plush toys from claw machines that filled the cabinets, the razors in the bathroom, and the cosmetics covering the vanity.
Now, they were all heading to the trash.
The bedroom, kitchen, and living room, once so warm and inviting, were now empty and lifeless. But Stephanie knew that Maeve’s things would quickly take over these empty spaces after she left.
Liam didn’t come home or even texted for the next three or four days. Stephanie wasn’t bothered about where he had gone. She slowly packed her things.
It was her birthday on Friday, so she went out to get a cake and bought herself a nice bouquet of flowers. She’d just put the flowers in the vase when Liam called.
“Steph, I’m outside your office. Your colleagues mentioned you quit. What happened?”
Stephanie looked surprised when she heard that. Liam had never bothered to pick her up from work after all this time together.
She wasn’t sure why he was acting so off, but since she couldn’t tell him why she quit, she made up an excuse. “I’ve been exhausted lately, so I thought I’d take a short break at home.”
Liam didn’t dig any deeper. He asked where she was and said he’d come get her and take her somewhere.
Half an hour later, they met outside where they were staying.
Stephanie got in the car and didn’t ask where they were going or why he hadn’t come home lately. She sat quietly, watching the scenery outside the window the whole drive.
