Chapter 2

The last transaction on his credit card statement was from just three days ago.

I looked into his emotionless eyes and nodded slowly, choosing not to call him out on his lies.

I wanted to leave him with some dignity.

Seeing that I wasn't starting a fight like I usually did, a small smile played on his lips. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a necklace, dangling it in front of me.

The amethyst violet-shaped pendant glinted in the light, making my eyes sting.

I took it blankly, turned around, and walked into the bedroom.

I threw the necklace into the nightstand drawer.

Then, I took off my silver ring—the one engraved with a violet pattern—and tossed it in there too.

Inside the drawer was an entire collection of violet-themed jewelry: necklaces, bracelets, bangles, and earrings.

I never understood why he was so obsessed with violets. Now that I knew about Violet, it wasn't hard to connect the dots.

I slid the drawer shut. His cheerful, expectant voice drifted in from the living room.

"You should wear the jewelry I gave you for the Mate Ceremony tomorrow. The matching violet set will look absolutely beautiful on you."

"Be a good girl and stay home, okay? I'm heading out for the party. It's my last night of freedom before we officially become mates, so I might be back late. Don't wait up."

I didn't say a word. I stayed in the bedroom, hiding like a turtle shrinking into its shell.

I whispered silently to myself: *We will never have a Mate Ceremony.*

As the front door clicked shut, I walked out and tossed the chocolate cake straight into the trash.

My eyes caught the cabinet beside the trash can. For five years, I had carefully saved every single ribbon and tag from the cake boxes he brought home. They sat there quietly.

They looked like a silent mockery of my pathetic, unrequited love.

The things I had treasured so deeply were nothing but trash he had casually thrown my way.

I opened the cabinet and swept everything into a garbage bag.

Only then did I start packing my suitcase for my flight tomorrow.

Aside from my clothes and some basic jewelry, the only things I could really take with me were my daily essentials.

As I rummaged through the drawers, I found even more things.

Over the past five years, every gift I had ever bought for Jack had been carelessly stuffed into random corners of the house.

Many of them were expired, their wrapping paper still intact.

No wonder he always gave me vague answers and claimed he "couldn't bear to use them" whenever I asked.

Now that I thought about it, he probably just threw them aside and forgot where they were.

Even his daily grooming products were imported from the exact country Violet lived in.

I threw them all into the trash bag, discarding my love for him and my past, pathetic self along with them.

Just as I zipped my suitcase, my phone rang. It was Jack's friend.

"Emma, Jack is completely wasted. Why don't you come pick him up? I'll text you the address."

In the background, I could hear Jack's raspy voice slurring, "Violet..."

His voice was filled with begging, devotion, and the joy of finding something he had lost.

But there was absolutely no hint of actual drunkenness in his tone.

My breath caught, and my heart skipped a beat.

The friend on the other end quickly covered the mic and hung up the phone.

I set my suitcase by the wall. I hesitated for a couple of seconds, but I still ordered an Uber to the address.

This was the last time. Since I had already decided to leave, I didn't want to leave any loose ends.

When I arrived at the VIP lounge of the bar, the teasing and laughter inside drifted through the crack of the door.

"Why is Violet back today? Don't tell me she heard about our Jack's big day? We definitely won't let you leave empty-handed tonight!"

Through the glass, I saw a wild, carefree expression on Jack's face—one I had never seen in our five years together.

His eyes were locked onto another woman’s face with intense anticipation.

And that woman's name was Violet. The very name I had seen on those shipping receipts over and over again.