The rich scent of sizzling spices filled the air as Megan carefully arranged the table, placing a cocktail beside the perfectly roasted chicken. Every dish was prepared with love—David’s favorites.
“Perfect,” she murmured, stepping back to admire her work. Tonight marked their fifth anniversary, and despite the growing distance between them, she still held onto hope.
The front door creaked open.
“David, you’re home!” Megan beamed, hurrying toward him.
But instead of a warm smile or a look of appreciation, his expression darkened with disapproval.
“What the hell are you wearing? That dress makes you look fat.”
The words cut through her like a blade.
For a moment, she thought she had misheard him.
“What? David, it’s our anniversary. Did you forget?” she asked softly, barely above a whisper.
He scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.
“Of course not.”
A flicker of hope ignited when he pulled an envelope from his jacket. For a fleeting second, she thought—maybe—these were tickets to Paris. She had always dreamed of visiting during Christmas.
With trembling hands, she tore it open.
Her breath hitched.
Not tickets.
Divorce papers.
Megan’s vision blurred as the word DIVORCE screamed at her from the page.
“Tell me this is a joke,” she whispered.
David chuckled—a cold, merciless sound.
“I don’t joke, Megan. Because… I hate you.”
She flinched as if he had struck her.
“Why?”
He sneered. “Just look at yourself in the mirror—you’ll understand.”
Tears burned her eyes. “We can fix this. We can go to therapy. Please, David, I love you.”
“Therapy?” He laughed. “You’re the one who needs therapy, not me.”
He turned his back to her, grabbing his suitcase.
“David, please, don’t do this,” she pleaded, reaching for his hand.
He yanked it away.
“I don’t owe you an explanation. This marriage is done. I’m finally free.”
Megan watched in disbelief as he strutted toward the door, a smug smirk on his lips.
“Someone’s waiting for me in the car,” he added, eyes glinting.
Her stomach twisted.
“Who?”
“Jessica,” he said, grinning. “My secretary. Unlike you, she’s fit, sexy, and actually takes care of herself.”
The floor seemed to vanish beneath her.
“You were cheating on me?” she choked out.
“Bingo!” He grabbed his suitcase and tossed one last triumphant glance over his shoulder. “Oh, and don’t forget to sign those papers.”
The door slammed shut, leaving Megan alone in deafening silence.
Days blurred into one another, her heartbreak suffocating.
She barely left the house, the walls closing in on her. One night, she gathered their wedding photos—once cherished memories now mocking her—and tossed them into a metal bucket. With shaking hands, she doused them in gasoline and struck a match.
The flames devoured them.
A sharp knock startled her.
“Megan, open up!”
Her best friend, Veronica, stood at the door, arms crossed.
“I’ve been calling you all week! What’s going on?”
Megan swallowed hard. “He’s gone, Veronica. He left me.”
Veronica sighed, stepping inside. “David? Good riddance. I told you he was a jerk.”
Megan’s voice wavered. “But… how do I move on?”
Veronica pulled out her phone. “By remembering who the hell you are. And by not wasting another tear on a man who didn’t deserve you.”
With a sly grin, she tapped at the screen.
“What are you doing?” Megan asked cautiously.
“Downloading a dating app.”
Megan groaned. “Oh, come on—”
“No arguments,” Veronica said firmly. “You deserve happiness. The kind that isn’t dependent on a man’s approval.”
That night, Megan hesitated before opening the app.
She barely had time to process the flood of profiles before a message popped up.
“Hey. You look beautiful.”
Her heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t even showered, her face bare except for under-eye patches.
Panic set in, and she nearly shut the app down.
Then, another message.
“Did I scare you off?”
Megan hesitated before replying, “No, I just—I’m not used to this.”
The man introduced himself as Robert. “Call me Rob!”
His easy charm made her smile.
“How about dinner tonight?” he asked.
She hesitated—then surprised herself.
“Yes.”
Dressed in a sleek black dress, Megan took a deep breath before stepping out the door.
Then—she froze.
David stood in the hallway, a smirk playing on his lips.
“Going somewhere?” he sneered.
Megan straightened. “Just out.”
“Signed the papers yet?” he asked impatiently.
Her phone buzzed.
Robert: Want me to pick you up?
She clenched her fists. “Are you done here, David?”
His eyes darkened. “Moving on already? That fast?”
Megan took a step forward, meeting his gaze with newfound strength.
“You left me, remember?”
David scoffed before suddenly lunging forward.
“No matter who you find, they’ll leave. You’re boring, Megan. Ugly. No amount of makeup can fix that.”
Pain flickered in her chest.
But then—calm.
“You’re wrong,” she said, her voice unwavering. “I may have been broken, but I was never ugly.”
David’s face twisted with irritation. He reached out and ripped the diamond necklace from her neck, snapping the chain.
Megan gasped.
“That was my wedding gift,” she whispered.
David smirked coldly. “Consider it rent. Like our marriage—paid for, used, and discarded.”
And with that, he turned and walked away.
Tears threatened, but Megan held them back.
She lifted her chin, grabbed her purse, and stepped out the door.
La Café Bean buzzed with life, but Megan only saw one person.
Robert.
His dark eyes lit up as he held out a bouquet. “Sorry I stepped away earlier. I wanted to grab these for you.”
Her heart softened.
Then—her allergies kicked in.
A violent sneeze erupted, sending pollen flying across the table.
Robert laughed. “Okay, mental note—no flowers next time.”
Megan giggled.
“You could have told me you were allergic,” he teased.
“I didn’t want to ruin such a sweet gesture.”
His warm gaze made her feel something she hadn’t in a long time—cherished.
“So, tell me about yourself,” he said. “Your dreams, your fears—everything.”
For the first time in forever, Megan let her heart open.
And when she returned home that night, she smiled at her reflection in the mirror.
She wasn’t just moving on.
She was free.
Months later, Megan sat at a restaurant when a familiar voice sent a chill down her spine.
“Megan?”
David.
She turned, offering a polite but indifferent smile.
“Hi, David.”
He fidgeted. “You look… amazing.”
“I know,” she said simply.
He swallowed. “Jessica and I… we’re separating.”
“I’m sorry,” she said, not meaning it at all.
“I made a mistake, Megan. Leaving you was the worst decision of my life. Please, give me another chance.”
Before Megan could respond, another voice cut in.
“Excuse me. May I help you?”
David’s face paled.
Robert stood beside Megan.
“I’m Rob. Megan’s fiancé.”
Megan smiled, lacing her fingers through Robert’s.
“Actually, David,” she said, “we’re getting married soon.”
And just like that, she turned away—leaving David in the past where he belonged.