---- That legendary queen of civil litigation. Finn, for the first time ever, actually went searching for her contact information. He dialed the number. My phone rang. He called ten times. No one answered. He had no idea the person he was looking for was sitting right there in the living room. A bitter taste filled my mouth. Look at that. He didn't even have my number saved. When I heard him say he was going to my old firm to ask around, I had to speak up, mentioning a few key legal points. "How do you know this stuff?" he asked, surprised. "T studied law too," I said lightly. "Seen plenty of cases like this." ---- Watching me talk so easily about it, Finn really looked at me for the first time, like he was seeing me in a new light. But I just smiled and went back to my folding. A few weeks later, he excitedly told me Elena's case was won. Ijust nodded coolly. "Congratulations." Elena invited me to her ballet charity gala. I wanted to say no, but Finn insisted I go with him. He said, "You'll love it. It's important to her." At the gala, Elena's manager, Alice, told me that Finn had never missed a single one of Elena's performances over the years. He always sent her favorite champagne roses. I listened quietly as the final, ugly puzzle piece slid into place. So that's what all those "important meetings" and " ---- urgent business trips" were really about. In that moment, I truly understood where I stood with him. Just a placeholder, easily ignored. And now, he could finally, openly, pursue his true love. And me? I was done pretending. It was time for me to start my new life.