Chapter 4

Early the next morning, rolling a small suitcase behind me, I walked out of the apartment.

I didn't clear out every single belonging like people do in dramas, nor did I smash anything to pieces.

I only took my baking tools and a few changes of clothes.

The designer handbags he had casually tossed my way were still hanging in the closet. The luxury skincare sets his assistant had delivered remained neatly arranged on the vanity.

To anyone looking, it seemed like nothing more than a quick weekend getaway.

That afternoon, I stopped by my parents' house.

"Mom, Dad, I'm not buying that house."

Sitting on the sofa, my voice was calm and firm, leaving no room for argument.

My mom froze, dropping the vegetables she was prepping onto the floor.

"Chloe, did Ethan do something? We felt something was off when he insisted on postponing the purchase."

My dad's face darkened instantly. "If he did something to hurt you, I'll go down to his office right now."

I shook my head, taking my mom's hand in mine.

"Nobody hurt me. I just finally saw things clearly. We're not right for each other."

"I took a job as the head baker for a seaside bakery down south. My flight leaves tonight."

They didn't try to stop me, nor did they pry for details.

My dad let out a heavy sigh and patted my shoulder.

"As long as you've thought it through. No matter what choice you make, our door is always open. Go do what makes you happy."

That afternoon, I went to the carrier store, got a brand-new SIM card, and canceled every shared account linked to his name.

As night fell, I pulled my suitcase into the airport terminal.

The departure hall buzzed with travelers, boarding announcements chiming through the speakers.

7:50 PM.

Ten minutes before the concert was set to start.

I pulled out my phone and opened my chat with Ethan.

His profile picture sat quietly at the top.

I couldn't even remember the last time he had shared a piece of his day with me unprompted.

I typed out two sentences.

[Ethan, we're done.]

[The keys and the keycard are on the entryway console.]

I tapped send.

Then, I popped out the old SIM card, snapped it cleanly in half, and tossed it into the trash can.

Grabbing my luggage, I joined the line moving toward the boarding gate.

The plane roared down the runway and sliced into the night sky. Outside the window, the sprawling city lights shrank into faint embers as I flew toward the warm southern coast.

At the very same moment, cheers erupted inside the downtown arena.

Ethan sat in the VIP front row, watching Hailey scream with excitement beside him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The concert didn't wrap up until midnight.

Declining Hailey's invitation to grab late-night tacos, Ethan slid into his car and rubbed his exhausted temples.

Before starting the engine, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"Tomorrow was supposed to be the day we put down the payment."

He muttered to himself.

Pulling out his phone, he noticed my chat thread was set to Do Not Disturb, so he didn't bother opening it.

Instead, he dialed the sales office directly.

"Hi, this is Ethan Vance. I need to push back our contract signing tomorrow by three months."

The representative on the other end paused, followed by the rustle of papers being flipped.

"Mr. Vance, are you sure?"

Ethan frowned. "What do you mean?"

The representative's voice came through crystal clear.

"Ms. Chloe canceled the reservation days ago. The entire earnest money deposit was refunded to her account. We assumed you already knew."