Chapter 2

The sound of the front door opening and closing broke the evening silence. Liam was home.

Ava sat at the dining table, a full plate of food in front of her, cold and untouched. She had been waiting.

Liam walked into the dining room, loosening his tie. He glanced at her, then at the food. "You haven't eaten?"

"I was waiting for you," she said, her voice small.

He grunted, walking past her toward the stairs. "Don't bother. I already ate with Sophia."

The casual cruelty of his words made her flinch. "You're always with her now."

He stopped on the bottom step and turned, an annoyed expression on his face. "What do you expect? She's my fiancée."

A bitter taste filled Ava's mouth. Her hands trembled slightly under the table. He used to be hers. Evenings were for them. Now, she was just an afterthought.

"Don't look at me like that," he said, his voice cold. "Sophia is going to be living here soon. I expect you to be polite to her. Don't make things awkward."

She felt a knot tighten in her chest, making it hard to breathe. He wanted her to welcome the woman who had taken her place, to smile and pretend everything was fine.

"Yes, Liam," she said, her voice barely a whisper. The formal title felt strange on her tongue.

He looked surprised for a second. His eyes swept over her, taking in her slumped posture and the pale, defeated look on her face. A flicker of something, maybe guilt, crossed his features, but it was gone as quickly as it came. He chose to ignore it.

He turned and went upstairs without another word.

Ava stared at the cold meal. She picked up her fork and forced a few bites into her mouth. The food was tasteless, like chewing on cardboard. Her stomach churned in protest.

Later that night, a sharp pain lanced through her abdomen. She curled into a ball on her bed, a low groan escaping her lips. The cold food had given her acute cramps.

Suddenly, her bedroom door burst open. Liam stood there, his face etched with concern. "Ava? What's wrong?"

The pain was so intense she could barely speak, only managing to point to her stomach.

"Okay, I'm taking you to the hospital," he said, already moving to help her up. He pulled his keys from his pocket. "I'll go get the car."

He rushed out of the room. Ava gritted her teeth against the waves of pain, a tiny spark of hope igniting in her chest. He still cared. He was still her Liam.

She waited, breathing through the pain. But he didn't come back.

Instead, she heard his voice from downstairs, talking on the phone. It was Sophia. Her voice was faint but laced with panic. She'd had a minor fender-bender and was hysterical.

A few minutes later, Liam appeared in her doorway again, but his expression had changed. The concern was gone, replaced by a strained impatience.

"Ava, I have to go. Sophia needs me."

She stared at him, bewildered. "But... you said you were taking me to the hospital."

"It's just a stomachache," he said dismissively. "You're always so dramatic. Sophia was in an accident. That's more important."

He didn't even see the hypocrisy. A minor car accident versus her, doubled over in pain.

"I'll call a cab for you," he offered, as if that made it all better.

"No," she said, the word tasting like ash. "It's fine. I'll be okay."

She finally saw it clearly. The boy who had run into a burning building for her was gone. This man standing before her was a stranger.

"Good," he said, relieved that she was being so understanding. "You're not a kid anymore, Ava. It's good that you're learning to handle things on your own."

He turned and left. She heard the front door close, the sound of his car speeding away. The tears she had been holding back finally fell, hot and silent against her cheeks.

He'd taken her phone with him, she realized, to call the cab. She was alone, in pain, with no way to call for help. She tried to stand, to get to the landline downstairs, but the pain was too sharp. It forced her back onto the bed.

Her vision started to blur. She felt dizzy, a strange, floating sensation taking over. Maybe this was it. Maybe it would be better this way.

She woke to the pale light of morning. The worst of the pain had subsided, leaving a dull ache. She felt weak, but she managed to get dressed and call a taxi.

At the hospital's outpatient clinic, she was waiting to see a doctor when she saw them. Liam and Sophia. They were standing by the pharmacy window. Liam had his arm around Sophia's shoulders, whispering something in her ear that made her laugh. She looked perfectly fine.

Ava watched them for a long moment, her heart a dead weight in her chest. Then, she took a breath and walked towards them.

"Liam," she said, her voice calm and even. "Ms. Miller."

Liam's relaxed expression vanished the moment he saw her. His eyes darkened with annoyance.

"What are you doing here now?" he demanded. "I thought I told you to come last night. Or were you just faking it to get my attention?"

Ava's breath hitched. "I... I couldn't."

Sophia chimed in, her voice dripping with false concern. "Oh, Liam, don't be so harsh. Ava, you should have called him again if you were still in pain. He was worried about you."

The lie was so blatant, so perfectly delivered, it almost took Ava's breath away.

"You're becoming more and more of a handful," Liam said, his gaze hard and unforgiving. He looked at her like she was a nuisance, a problem he had to solve. The disgust in his eyes was unmistakable.

Ava looked at his face, at the coldness there, and gave up. There was no point in explaining. He wouldn't believe her anyway.

"I'm sorry," she said, looking down at the floor. "It won't happen again."

His expression shifted, a hint of confusion in his eyes. He was used to her fighting back, to her tears. This quiet submission was new.

He thought she had become unfamiliar.

He reached out, as if to check her for a fever. "Ava..."

She instinctively flinched back, avoiding his touch as if it were fire. His hand froze in mid-air.

"I need to get to my appointment," she said, her voice flat. "I'll be late for work."

She turned and walked away, her back straight, her steps measured. She didn't look back.

Liam watched her go, a deep frown creasing his forehead. Something was wrong. It felt like he was watching a stranger walk away, a stranger who looked just like his Ava.

He took a step, then another, catching up to her.

"Wait," he said, his voice softer now. "Are you really okay? Let me pay for your visit."

Ava stopped and turned. For a second, she was surprised by the flicker of genuine concern. But it was too little, too late.

"Thank you, Liam," she said, and the sincerity in her voice was real. It was a thank you for everything he had ever done for her, for the years he had raised her. It was a thank you, and a goodbye. "I know you raised me. I'll always be grateful for that."