---- Chapter 10 The next morning, before the sun came up, | built a fire in the small fireplace of my apartment. | went through the box of things | had taken from the house, the box of things that represented my life with Liam. One by one, | threw them into the flames. The first photo we ever took together, at our high school graduation. The dried rose from our first date. The letters he wrote me when | was away at college. The blueprints for the first house we designed, the house we were living in. Each item was a memory, a promise, a lie. | watched them curl and blacken, turning to ash. | wasn't just burning paper and objects. | was burning the last 20 years of my life. | was burning the girl who had loved Liam Kane with all her heart. By the time the fire died down, she was gone. All that was left was a pile of gray dust. | showered, dressed in simple, comfortable clothes, and picked up the single suitcase | had packed. | didn't look back at the empty apartment. The drive to the airport was quiet. The city was just starting to wake up, but it didn't feel like my city anymore. | was a tourist passing through. ---- As | was checking in my bag, my phone rang. It was Liam. | almost didn't answer, but | knew this was the final move in our game. "Hey," | answered, my voice calm and gentle. "Ava! Hey, baby," he sounded rushed, a little breathless. "Listen, something's come up at the Pinnacle site. A major issue with the foundation. | might be a little late for the wedding. Can you... can you hold things for me? Maybe start the ceremony an hour later?" The lie was so clumsy, so transparent. He was with Clara. He needed more time to untangle himself from her before coming to marry me. The arrogance of it was breathtaking. He really thought he could have it all. "Of course, Liam," | said, my voice as sweet as honey. "Don't worry about a thing. I'll handle it. Your bride will be waiting for you. Just get here when you can." "You're the best, Ava. The absolute best. I'll be there, | promise." "| know you will," | said, and a real smile touched my lips for the first time in months. "Goodbye, Liam." | hung up the phone. | walked to a nearby trash can and dropped it in. Then, | took out the SIM card from my new phone, the one with the French number, and snapped my old one in half. | dropped the pieces into the trash as well. All communication with my old life was severed. ---- | walked to my gate, my new passport in my hand. | didn't look back. Meanwhile, hours later, Liam finally disentangled himself from a demanding Clara. He raced across town, checking his watch, annoyed that he was cutting it so close. He smoothed his tuxedo and ran a hand through his hair as he burst through the doors of the grand cathedral where our wedding was supposed to take place. It was empty. Completely, utterly empty. No guests, no flowers, no music. Just rows of vacant pews and a deafening silence. The wedding planner was there, packing up some easels. She looked up when he came in, her expression a mixture of pity and confusion. "Mr. Kane," she said. "What are you doing here?" "What am | doing here?" he sputtered, looking around wildly. "Where is everyone? Where's Ava? Did she move the location?" The planner shook her head slowly. "The wedding was canceled, Mr. Kane." Liam stared at her, his mind refusing to process her words. "Canceled? What are you talking about? | just spoke to Ava this morning. She said she'd wait for me." "Well," the planner said, shrugging. "She called me yesterday. ---- She canceled everything. For good this time."