Chapter 2

Her quiet compliance over the next few days seemed to unsettle him. On the morning of her departure, he found her in the kitchen, sipping coffee.

"I have a meeting across town," he said, adjusting his tie. "My driver is off today. Ride with me. I'll drop you at your aunt's place."

It wasn't a question. Jayme simply nodded and followed him to the garage.

The familiar scent of his cologne filled the car, a clean, woody smell that used to mean safety. It now felt suffocating.

She deliberately sat as far from him as possible, pressing her body against the passenger door.

She remembered a time, years ago, when they'd been in this same car. A thunderstorm had broken out, and she had jumped, startled. He had laughed, pulled her close, and let her hide her face in his shoulder until the storm passed.

Now, the silence was a storm of its own.

"You've been quiet lately," Autry said, his eyes on the road.

The sound of his voice made her jump. It was the most he'd said to her all week.

"Just thinking," she replied, her tone formal.

"About what?"

"My plans."

He glanced at her, a frown touching his lips. "What plans?"

"Nothing that concerns you, Mr. Villarreal."

The formal address made him flinch. "Why are you calling me that?"

Jayme looked out the window. "It seems appropriate, given the circumstances."

"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked, his voice tight with an irritation she didn't understand.

What right did he have to be annoyed? He was the one getting married. He was the one who had ignored her for seven years.

"I'm tired, Autry," she said, cutting off the conversation. "Just tired."

He didn't speak again for the rest of the drive. He dropped her at Darleen's curb without another word. As she got out, she didn't look back.

She spent the day with her aunt, finalizing her plans. She posted a final, vague message on her social media accounts, announcing a long hiatus to focus on a "new artistic passion." Her millions of followers flooded the comments with questions and well-wishes. She ignored them all.

That evening, Darleen took her to a charity gala, insisting she needed a distraction. It was a mistake.

The moment she walked in, she felt eyes on her. She tried to find a quiet corner on the terrace, but the whispers followed her.

"Isn't that Jayme Barnes? The influencer?"

"I heard Autry Villarreal dropped her for some college girl."

"Look, there's Villarreal now. With his new fiancée."

Jayme's blood ran cold. She saw Autry across the room, Cassie Turner clinging to his arm. Cassie was wearing a pale pink dress, looking every bit the sweet, innocent girl from the news report.

She ducked behind a large potted plant, her heart hammering. She overheard two women talking nearby.

"The new girl, Cassie, she looks just like a younger Jayme, don't you think?"

"It's uncanny. But Villarreal seems besotted with her. He never looked at Jayme that way."

A man with Autry scoffed. "She's nothing like Jayme. A cheap imitation."

Autry's voice cut through the chatter, cold and sharp. "Don't compare them."

The words should have hurt. They should have been another knife in her already wounded heart. But as Jayme listened, hiding in the shadows, she felt... nothing. The pain was a distant echo, a dull throb where an open wound used to be. It was the first sign that maybe, just maybe, she was starting to heal.

She slipped out of the gala unnoticed. Back at her aunt's house, she felt a fever coming on, a deep, bone-wearying exhaustion from the emotional turmoil. She wrapped herself in an old quilt her mother had made, the last physical piece of her parents' love she had, and fell into a restless sleep.

She woke to the sound of shouting.

It was morning. The sounds were coming from outside her aunt's house. Jayme looked out the window and saw a moving truck parked in front of Autry's mansion across the street. Cassie Turner was directing the movers, her voice sharp and demanding.

Then Jayme saw it. The movers were tearing out the small, beautiful rose garden she had planted in the front yard years ago. It was the one part of the sterile, modern property that had felt like hers. She had tended to it meticulously. It was her sanctuary.

Cassie was laughing as they ripped the bushes from the ground. "Get rid of all this dirt! I want a clean, simple Zen garden here. Autry will love it."

Jayme felt a surge of cold fury. She threw on some clothes and stormed out of the house.

She stopped on the sidewalk, watching as Cassie directed the destruction of her last little piece of peace.

Cassie saw her and her smile widened. It was a predatory, triumphant smile. She walked over, her new engagement ring sparkling in the sunlight.

"Oh, Jayme, hello," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Just doing a little redecorating. I hope you don't mind."

"You're tearing out my garden," Jayme said, her voice shaking with rage.

"Your garden?" Cassie laughed, a high, tinkling sound. "Silly, this is Autry's house. And soon, it will be my house. I'm just making it feel a little more like home."

Just then, Autry's car pulled up. He got out and walked over, placing a gentle hand on Cassie's shoulder.

"What's all the commotion?" he asked.

"Just getting rid of these messy old bushes, darling," Cassie cooed, leaning into him. "Jayme seems a bit upset about it."

Autry looked at the ruined garden, then at Jayme's pale, furious face. He looked at her fever-bright eyes.

"Are you feeling alright, Jayme?" he asked, his voice holding a hint of concern, but it was distant, detached. "You look pale."

"I'm fine," she bit out.

"Don't bother her, Autry," Cassie said, pulling on his arm. "Let's go inside. I need your opinion on the new marble for the entryway."

He let Cassie lead him away, giving Jayme one last, unreadable look over his shoulder.

Jayme stood there, watching them go. She didn't need his help. She didn't need his concern. She didn't need anything from him anymore.

She stayed away from the house for the next few weeks, living with her aunt and preparing for her move. She only returned when Darleen insisted she attend one last industry event, a launch party for a new social media app.

"You need to show your face," Darleen had said. "Don't let them think you're hiding."

The event was a nightmare. Autry was there, of course, with Cassie. He was a major investor in the new app. Throughout the night, Jayme felt his eyes on her, but he never approached.

Worse, she found her own career prospects suddenly drying up. A major brand deal she had been negotiating for months fell through. The brand representative was apologetic. "I'm sorry, Jayme. Our new partner, Mr. Villarreal, felt we should go in a 'different direction'."

It was a clear, calculated blow. He was pushing her out.

The final straw came during the event's presentation. The app's CEO was on stage, thanking the investors.

"And a special thanks to Autry Villarreal, whose vision has been invaluable. We're also thrilled to announce our first official brand ambassador... the lovely and talented Cassie Turner!"

The spotlight hit Cassie, who stood up and blew a kiss to the crowd, her eyes finding Jayme's with a look of pure triumph. Autry stood beside her, applauding, a proud smile on his face.

Later, as Jayme was trying to leave, Cassie cornered her by the bar.

"Surprised?" Cassie asked, her voice a smug whisper. "This is just the beginning. Everything you had, everything you wanted... it's all going to be mine."

Jayme just looked at her. She didn't feel anger anymore, just a profound sense of release.

"You can have it," Jayme said, her voice calm and even. "You can have all of it."

She turned and walked away, leaving Cassie looking momentarily stunned. The battle was over. She had already lost, but in losing, she was finally free.