Chapter 3

The shock on Liam' s face was the last thing I saw before I turned my back on him for good. The feeling was intoxicating, a rush of power I hadn't felt in five years.

I walked back into the bridal shop, and Chloe immediately rushed to my side.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm better than okay," I said, feeling a grin spread across my face. "I'm fantastic."

We spent the rest of the afternoon trying on dresses, laughing and sipping champagne. It felt like a celebration of my newfound freedom. I chose the first dress I had tried on-the simple, elegant one. It felt like me. The real me, not the shadow I had been living as.

The wedding plans moved forward at a dizzying pace. David's family was well-connected, and everything was arranged with an effortless grace that was a world away from the chaos of my life with Liam.

The venue was a beautiful old estate with sprawling gardens. The guest list was filled with people who genuinely cared about us. It was all so perfect, so real.

A week before the wedding, Chloe hosted a small bridal shower for me at her apartment. It was a lovely, intimate affair with my closest friends.

We were opening gifts when the doorbell rang.

Chloe frowned. "I'm not expecting anyone else."

She went to the door and opened it to reveal Liam, holding a bouquet of my favorite lilies.

My heart stopped.

"Liam, what are you doing here?" Chloe demanded, blocking the doorway.

"I came to see Sarah," he said, his eyes finding mine over Chloe's shoulder. He looked tired, his usual polished charm replaced by a raw desperation.

"She doesn't want to see you," Chloe said, her voice like ice.

"Please, Sarah," he said, his voice pleading. "Just five minutes."

My friends were all staring, their expressions a mixture of confusion and concern. The happy, light-hearted atmosphere had evaporated.

I stood up, my hands clenched at my sides. "It's okay, Chloe. Let him in."

Chloe shot me a worried look but stepped aside.

Liam walked into the apartment, his presence immediately sucking all the air out of the room. He handed me the lilies.

"They're beautiful," I said, my voice flat. I put them on a side table, away from the other gifts.

"I've been a fool, Sarah," he said, his voice low so only I could hear. "These past few weeks... I can't eat, I can't sleep. I miss you."

"You have a funny way of showing it," I said, thinking of him with Jessica at the cafe.

"That was a mistake," he said quickly. "Jessica means nothing to me. I ended it with her. It's always been you."

The words that I had longed to hear for five years now sounded hollow, pathetic.

"It's too late, Liam."

"It's not!" he insisted, his voice getting louder. "Call off the wedding. It's not too late. We can start over. Publicly, this time. I'll tell Chloe everything, I'll tell everyone. I'll give you anything you want."

I just looked at him, a deep, profound pity welling up inside me. He didn't get it. He still thought this was a game, a negotiation. He thought he could buy me back with promises he should have made years ago.

"What I want, Liam," I said, my voice quiet but firm, "is to marry David. I want a life of peace and respect. I want a man who didn't have to lose me to realize he wanted me."

His face crumpled. The desperation in his eyes turned to anger.

"So this is it? You're just throwing us away?"

"There is no 'us' to throw away," I said. "There was you, and your needs, and me, foolishly hoping you'd one day see me. But you never did."

Suddenly, a new voice cut through the tension.

"Liam, honey, you forgot your keys."

Jessica stood in the doorway, dangling a set of keys from her finger. She was wearing a tight, revealing dress, her makeup perfect. A triumphant smirk played on her lips.

So much for ending it with her.

Liam whirled around, his face pale. "Jessica, what are you doing here?"

"I was waiting in the car," she said, pouting. "I got bored."

She sauntered into the room, her eyes scanning the bridal shower decorations with disdain. She stopped in front of me, looking me up and down.

"So, this is the little party for the blushing bride," she sneered. "How quaint."

Chloe stepped forward. "I think you should both leave."

Jessica ignored her, her focus entirely on me. "You know, Liam told me all about you. He said you were sweet, but a little... clingy. That you were just a placeholder until someone better came along."

Every word was a deliberate, calculated strike. But the strange thing was, it didn't hurt anymore. It was just noise.

"And I guess that someone is you?" I asked, my voice calm.

Her smirk widened. "He seems to think so."

She turned to Liam, who looked like a trapped animal. "Tell her, baby. Tell her who you're really with."

Liam just stood there, speechless.

I felt a surge of anger, not for myself, but for the years I had wasted. For the woman I used to be, who would have been shattered by this scene.

"You know what?" I said, stepping forward. "You two deserve each other."

I walked over to the side table and picked up the bouquet of lilies. I held them out to Jessica.

"Here," I said. "A little something for the happy couple."

She looked at the flowers, then at me, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Then, she did something I never expected. She took the flowers, and with a sudden, vicious movement, she threw them on the floor and stomped on them, crushing the delicate white petals under her stiletto heel.

"Oops," she said, with a fake gasp of surprise. "Clumsy me."

The room was silent. Everyone stared at the ruined flowers on the floor. A symbol of five years of my life, crushed without a second thought.

Liam finally found his voice. "Jessica, that's enough!"

He turned to me, his face a mask of frustration. "Look what you made her do, Sarah! You always have to push things, don't you?"

Blaming me. Even now, he was blaming me.

I just stared at him, the last vestiges of any feeling I had for him turning to ash.

I looked down at the crushed lilies, then back at him. On his key ring, attached to his car keys that Jessica was still holding, was the small, silver key I had given him for my old apartment. The one he never used but always kept "as a reminder."

"Give me my key," I said, my voice deadly quiet.

He looked confused. "What?"

"My apartment key," I said, pointing to his key ring. "I want it back."

A flicker of panic crossed his face. It was a stupid, small thing, but it was the last tangible piece of me that he had.

"Sarah, don't be ridiculous-"

"Give it to me, Liam."

He hesitated, then reluctantly took the key off the ring. He held it out to me.

I didn't take it.

I just looked at him. "You know what? Keep it. It's a key to a life that doesn't exist anymore."

Jessica snatched the key from his hand. "I'll take it," she said with a laugh. "Maybe I'll stop by sometime. See what I'm up against."

She dangled the key in front of my face, a final, taunting gesture.

And in that moment, something inside me snapped.

I didn't yell. I didn't cry.

I smiled. A cold, sharp smile.

"Do that," I said. "But you'll have to get through the new owner first. I sold the place last week."

The look on her face was priceless.

"Now," I said, my voice ringing with a finality that echoed in the silent room. "Get out of my friend's house."

Chloe moved to my side, her presence a solid wall of support. My other friends formed a silent phalanx around me.

Liam and Jessica stood there for a moment, outnumbered and outmaneuvered. Then, without another word, they turned and walked out the door.

I looked down at the crushed flowers on the floor. I didn't feel sadness or a sense of loss.

I felt nothing.

I bent down, picked up a single, bruised petal, and then let it fall from my fingers.

I stepped over the mess on the floor and didn't look back.

The party was over, but my life was just beginning.