The Girl He Replaced, The Woman He Can't Reach

Back at the apartment, I sat on the sofa in a daze for hours.

The cracks in my relationship with Liam had started to appear last month.

At first, I couldn't understand how love could just vanish.

Whenever I questioned him about Chloe, he would always say, "You're overthinking it. She's like a sister to me. It's only right that I take care of her."

I believed him at first.

The love he’d shown me once felt so real. I never had a reason to doubt it.

It wasn't until a party where he got drunk and I went to pick him up that I learned the truth from his equally drunk friends.

"Liam and Chloe... they grew up together. He actually confessed to her before he started chasing you, but she turned him down."

"You never really get over your first love."

"He was drawn to you because your smile reminds him of Chloe."

"But don't worry, we all told him to treat you right. Chloe probably only rejected him back then because he was poor. Now that she sees he's successful, she's back."

The kettle whistled, pulling me from my memories.

I forced myself to sip the chamomile tea, the bitter taste matching my mood. I looked around the apartment I had so carefully decorated and crossed another day off the calendar.

Fourteen days left.

Then, I began to methodically pack and clean.

Moving from my city apartment back to the Hamptons meant I couldn't take much with me.

Anything I couldn't pack, I threw away.

I couldn't stand the thought of someone else—especially Liam's next girlfriend—going through my things.

After two trips to the dumpster, I was utterly exhausted.

The rest would have to wait.

Fresh out of the shower, I saw Chloe's new social media post.

"Tech CEO by day, braving the line for my favorite cake by night. He said he’s making up for all our lost time. #blessed"

The photo was of a strawberry cheesecake, but what caught my eye was the oversized college varsity jacket she was wearing—my anniversary gift to Liam.

That jacket. We bought it after pulling several all-nighters to land our company's first major client.

That deal made our name.

Even though he'd barely slept all week, he was so ecstatic he dragged me to the mall and bought the jacket I'd been eyeing for ages.

I’d balked at the price, but he insisted, draping it over my shoulders and gathering me into a hug. "Amelia," he said seriously, "everything you want, I have to give it to you with my own hands."

He never took that jacket off, except to shower and sleep.

His last assistant was fired for accidentally getting it dirty.

Everyone thought Liam was deeply in love with me.

Looking back now, it's laughable.

No one knew that his loving gazes were looking right through me, at someone else.

I let out a heavy sigh, opened all our shared cloud albums, and hit 'delete permanently.'

That night, Liam didn't come home again.

The next day, I slept in until noon before heading to the office to handle my resignation.

Since the company stabilized two years ago, I had only been handling administrative and support tasks.

On my way from my office to HR, several people stopped to congratulate me.

Confused, I was pulled into an office by Olivia Clark from HR. "Spill! Are you and Liam finally getting engaged?"

"What?"

I was stunned.

As a company OG, Olivia never minced words. "Don't play coy! Liam booked out that popular rooftop bar. Everyone knows he's going to propose!"

I frowned. "What are you talking about?"

She clapped a hand over her mouth. "You really don't know? Is Liam planning a surprise...?"

"Please explain."

"Alright..." She hesitated, then leaned in conspiratorially. "Someone saw a flower delivery for Liam—a whole truckload of pink roses! Today's not your birthday or an anniversary. What else could it be but a proposal?"

Pink roses.

When Chloe first arrived in New York two months ago, Liam had greeted her at the airport with a bouquet of pink roses.

My fingers curled into a fist.

I said nothing. Olivia glanced at the file in my hand. "What's this?"

"My resignation letter."

"Of course!" she beamed. "For the engagement, right? Getting ready to be the perfect wife. Here, I'll sign it for you."

"Thanks."

I didn't correct her, just handed her the document.

As she signed, she muttered, "Liam really should have given me a heads-up. How am I supposed to find a partner as good as you on such short notice?"

"Just need Liam's signature and it's done."

She handed the file back to me. "Amelia," she said warmly, "I don't know if choosing family life is the right decision, but as a friend of many years, I'm rooting for you! I hope Liam gives you everything you deserve."

"I will be happy," I said.

Just not with you.