Chapter 2

This time, Elena didn't dare grab Ryan’s arm. Instead, she trailed behind him, giving his lower back a subtle nudge.

Ryan looked conflicted, but after letting out a heavy sigh, he turned to me.

"Maya, there's one more thing... Elena’s parents and relatives want to see our new home. I thought we could use our apartment just for a couple of days. That means... we need to clear out your things so her parents don't suspect anything."

"Once they're gone, you can move right back in. In the meantime, I booked the best penthouse suite in town for you."

That apartment was something Ryan and I had built from the ground up, working side by side for years, dreaming about our future.

And now, for Elena, he was kicking me out of my own home.

Suppressing the cold numbness inside me, I simply gave a dull nod.

Watching them walk into the apartment like they owned the place, I let out a self-deprecating laugh. They looked far more like the masters of this home than I ever did.

The moment we walked through the door, Ryan began giving orders.

"Elena, put our matching mugs on the kitchen counter. It needs to look lived-in."

Following his instructions, Elena began replacing my belongings with hers, item by item.

I stood in the hallway like an unwanted stranger, watching the home I had lovingly decorated be dismantled before my eyes.

Seeing me standing frozen, Elena pouted with mock guilt.

"Maya, are you upset that I'm messing up your decor? If it's too much, I can always take my parents to an Airbnb..."

In the past, my blood would have boiled, and I would have thrown her out the door. But now, my heart was completely hollow.

Ryan looked at me with pleading eyes. I swallowed the bitterness and nodded.

"I'll pack my things now."

I didn't have much. Everything fit into two suitcases.

One held my clothes. The other held my memories with Ryan over the years.

From the display shelf, I took down a pair of lopsided ceramic mugs. Tears suddenly blurred my vision.

Back when we were broke and barely getting by, we had taken a single free afternoon to visit a pottery studio.

It took us hours to shape those two crooked, uneven clay mugs.

Ryan had held them like fragile treasures, grinning ear to ear.

"Maya, we're going to be like these mugs. We're staying together forever. Even if we turn to dust, we'll still be together!"

Now, his heart belonged entirely to his first love. Those promises had long been tossed aside.

While I was lost in my memories, Ryan walked over and urged, "Maya, why are you keeping these useless old things? Won't they just weigh down your luggage?"

"Just throw them out. It’ll make moving easier. I'll buy you brand-new ones later."

I stared at him, stunned, before a soft, detached smile spread across my face.

He was right. Useless old junk belonged in the trash.

Once I joined the classified research facility, a brand-new life would be waiting for me anyway.

With the help of the building staff, I dragged all the boxes filled with our past and dumped them straight into the incinerator chute.

Watching my distant silhouette, Ryan felt a sudden pang of guilt.

"Maya, where are you going? Let me drive you."

I glanced at Elena standing right behind him and said softly, "Don't bother. I wouldn't want Elena getting jealous."

Ryan watched me walk away. To him, it was just a temporary departure for a day or two. After all, whenever he vanished for two weeks, I never threw a tantrum.

Right after I stepped out of the lobby, Elena sent me a photo on Snapchat along with a message:

“Look, Maya! Ryan and I already hung our wedding photo above the bed. Make sure you come to the dinner reception tomorrow!”

I glanced at it and swiped it away. Just then, a text popped up from Ryan’s parents:

“Maya, we heard the two of you are finally getting married! We’re out of town visiting relatives, but we’re catching the first flight back tomorrow morning! Don't forget to bring that favorite pie of mine, or we won't let you through the door!”

Pain pinched my chest. His parents had no idea that the bride wasn't me—it was Elena.

When I first moved to this city alone, Ryan’s parents had taken me in and treated me like their own daughter.

Before I disappeared forever, I owed them a proper goodbye.