Chapter 1

1.

On the hundredth day of the cold war, I got a call from my ex-boyfriend.

Eason Vance’s voice was as cold as ice.

“Tamsin, is the cooling-off period over?”

Three months ago, on a stormy night, my fever hit 103 degrees, but he was with his new intern.

He said the girl was scared of thunder and he couldn’t leave her side.

We had a huge fight, and Eason blocked me on everything.

We hadn't spoken for a hundred days. This was his move. After every fight, he’d use silence to force me to be the first one to cave.

I glanced at the husband beside me.

“I’ve made up my mind.”

Eason’s tone softened slightly, not with gentleness, but with a purposeful urgency.

“Good, I need you back. The final bid for the Hudson Project is this Friday. My head’s a mess. You know I can’t walk into that boardroom without you looking it over one last time.” He paused, then added the killer emotional blackmail, “You’re the only one who really gets me.”

I let Leo Hayes plant a kiss on my cheek and said with a smile:

“Sorry, I’m busy.”

“My husband is about to take me to Dubai for our honeymoon.”

…

There were a few seconds of silence on the other end, followed by a dry, contemptuous laugh.

“Tamsin, please, a ‘husband’? That’s a new one. Your flair for the dramatic is getting out of control.”

“Stop acting. We both know who you really are. Remember the Blackwood Gala last year? You drove through a thunderstorm just because you were worried I’d have a few too many drinks. That’s the real you, Tamsin. This is just an act you put on when you’re throwing a tantrum. Drop it.”

He was right. In our three years together, I had given him almost my entire heart.

I knew he was insecure, so after much consideration, I turned down a promotion at my company―the position required a move to Chicago.

I knew he needed my support, so no matter how late it was, I’d help him analyze every tough case.

During our few cold wars, I was almost always the first to surrender.

Back then, I think Eason loved me too.

But everything changed after Maya became his intern.

He used to pick me up and drop me off from work every single day, without fail. No matter how late he worked, he’d come home and hold me in his sleep.

Then, somewhere along the way, he started having to take a detour to pick up Maya and give her a ride.

“Tamsin, Maya lives all the way out in Brooklyn. The subway is hell during the day, and it’s not safe for her to go home alone at night.”

“She’s just a young girl fresh out of NYU. I’m worried something might happen to her.”

I didn’t say anything. I just pulled open the passenger door, but Maya stepped in front of me.

“Tamsin, I get carsick. Can I please sit in the front? Please?”

Looking at her innocent face, I answered her directly:

“Maya, you can roll down the window in the back, or you can take motion sickness pills. This is my seat.”

Maya shot a pitiful look at Eason, who immediately pulled me aside.

“Tamsin, you graduated from Penn, for God’s sake. Why are you being so petty? It’s just a seat. Is it really that big of a deal?”

His fingers dug into my arm, the pressure uncomfortable. I frowned and glanced at my watch.

I had an important meeting today and didn’t want to be late.

I didn’t argue further and got into the back seat.

That night, Eason didn’t come home.

I called him, and he said coldly:

“Tamsin, the way you acted today made me very uncomfortable. I’m not coming home tonight.”

“Also, that Tiffany necklace I bought for you? I gave it to Maya as a welcome gift.”

I’d had my eye on that necklace for a long time. He had originally said he’d give it to me for my birthday.

In that moment, my heart almost stopped. It wasn’t anger; it was a real, physical pain.

“Consider it a lesson. I’m in business. I need to deal with all kinds of people. Are you going to get jealous of every female colleague?”

“Tamsin, you need to grow up.”

I couldn’t accept my partner putting his energy into another woman. This time, I wasn’t going to be the one to back down.

In the early hours of the morning, Eason’s assistant called me.

“Tamsin, Eason had too much to drink at a work event, and his stomach is acting up. Can you come pick him up?”

My sleepiness vanished instantly. I rushed to the bar on the Upper East Side.

When I pushed open the door to the private room, I saw Eason with his eyes closed, his head resting on Maya’s shoulder.

The assistant stood awkwardly to the side. But Maya just smiled at me.

“Tamsin, Eason drank too much and his stomach was hurting, so I was just rubbing it for him. You don’t mind, do you?”

Seeing him resting so peacefully on her, my heart sank.

Was this the same Eason I loved?

He had promised me he would keep his distance from all other women. He had promised me he would give me a complete sense of security.

Tears welled up in my eyes. I quickly turned and walked out. The moment the door closed behind me, I shut that scene away.

I didn’t sleep at all that night, replaying everything between Eason and me over and over in my head.

I couldn’t just sever a three-year relationship with a single word.

So I decided to do it slowly. I would start by getting used to life without him, bit by bit, grinding away my feelings with each new disappointment, always ready to pull away for good.

When Eason was on a date with me, a single call from Maya could pull him away.

He forgot our anniversary but took Maya to Fifth Avenue to pick out an evening gown.

The disappointment piled up until the fire inside me was completely extinguished.

The high fever on that stormy night became the catalyst for another cold war―and it solidified my decision.

Eason’s silent treatment, ironically, gave me the perfect opportunity to pack my bags and leave for good.

The memories came flooding back, but my heart no longer ached for him.

“Eason, we’re over.”

I said it calmly, only to be met with his scoff.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Tamsin.”

“If you’re really serious about cutting ties, then get your things out of the apartment tomorrow.”