Chapter 2

After burning everything, Valerie didn’t return to her apartment immediately. Instead, she sat on a bench outside for what felt like an eternity.

By the time she returned, Dominic was already asleep. But his phone, resting on the bedside table, vibrated incessantly.

She walked over to silence it but accidentally opened his WhatsApp messages.

The screen flooded with chat logs between him and Camilla.

[What a coincidence] one message read. [I didn’t expect to end up on your flight this time. The carefree rebel has become a calm and composed pilot! I’m impressed.]

Dominic’s reply had been delayed, but it came nonetheless: [Do you really not know why I became a pilot?]

Camilla responded with a playful sticker and replied: [Could it be… because of me? Just because I once said I liked boys in pilot uniforms?]

Dominic’s reply consisted of a single word—a word sharp enough to shatter Valerie’s heart entirely.

[Yes.]

Her eyes reddened and tears slipped down her cheeks before she could stop them. She hastily wiped them away and exited the chat.

As she did, her gaze fell upon the bold, unmistakable pinned conversation at the top of his list.

It was Camilla’s.

Directly below it was her own chat window. It bore a label too—Do Not Disturb.

Love and indifference, separated by just one word, felt like a chasm as vast as heaven and earth.

But it didn’t matter anymore. She had already let go.

He had finally reunited with the one he loved, and Valerie was ready to embark on a new chapter of her life.

Both had gotten what they wished for—a perfect resolution for both.

The next morning, Valerie woke to the sound of her alarm, only to find that Dominic had already left.

He hadn’t mentioned where he was going, but she knew—he was meeting Camilla.

After all, the night before, Camilla had casually mentioned craving croissants at a cafe near their alma mater. Dominic had immediately booked a table through an app.

Valerie pushed the thought aside. She had her own plans to follow.

After breakfast, she applied light makeup, grabbed her bag, and headed to her workplace. By midday, she had completed her resignation formalities.

At lunch, she met with a few of her university roommates for a farewell meal.

The women all knew about her decade-long unrequited love. When they heard she planned to break up with Dominic and return home to explore other romantic prospects, they couldn’t help but sigh over the years she had wasted.

“Are you really just going to leave without saying a word? Don’t you feel wronged? Won’t you tell him everything—all the ways you’ve silently loved him over the years?”

“Exactly! You like him so much. Are you sure you don’t want to fight for him one last time? If you tell him, he might stop you. Ten years—no heart, no matter how cold, could remain unmoved.”

“Honestly, Dominic was a jerk in this whole thing, but the truth is, you’re the one who’s been with him for many years. That other girl has been abroad for ages. Maybe she’s just a youthful obsession to him now.”

Valerie knew their words came from a place of concern and regret.

But her decision was final. She wasn’t interested in empty gestures or futile efforts. With a soft shake of her head, she dismissed their suggestions.

“He doesn’t love me. Telling him would be meaningless. It’s better to end things cleanly and leave with dignity.”

Seeing her resolute stance, her friends had no choice but to wish her well in finding someone better.

The group talked for over an hour before finally parting ways.

After finishing her last glass of wine, Valerie returned home, still feeling energized.

Taking advantage of the good weather, she began clearing out everything she had accumulated over the years.

Couple-themed clothes and mugs, a cabinet overflowing with plushies, the razor in the bathroom, the array of cosmetics crowding her vanity—one by one, all the items she had carefully chosen and brought into her life were now tossed into the trash.

The once-cozy bedroom, kitchen, and living room were gradually emptied, left desolate and cold.

But Valerie understood that once she left, these vacant spaces would soon be filled with new belongings.

They would all belong to someone else: Camilla, the new mistress of the house.

For the next few days, Dominic didn’t return home, nor did he send a single message.

Valerie didn’t care where he had gone. She continued packing her belongings at a steady pace, undisturbed.

On Friday, her birthday, Valerie went out to order a cake and bought herself a bouquet of fresh flowers.

She had just arranged the flowers in a vase when her phone buzzed with a call from Dominic.

“Hey, I’m outside your office. Your coworkers told me you resigned. What happened?”

A flicker of surprise crossed her face.

In all their years together, Dominic had never come to pick her up from work.

Although she couldn’t fathom what had prompted the sudden change, she had no intention of revealing the true reason for her resignation.

“I’ve just been feeling too exhausted lately. I thought I’d take some time off to rest.”

He didn’t press her further. Instead, he told her that he would pick her up to take her out.

Half an hour later, they met at her doorstep. Valerie climbed into the car.

She didn’t ask where he was taking her, nor did she inquire about his absence over the past few days.

Instead, she quietly gazed out the window at the passing scenery, maintaining a silence that stretched unbroken throughout the drive.