Chapter 2

2.

The next day, I met my best friend Sarah, who’s a lawyer, at a coffee shop in Manhattan. I asked her to draft a divorce agreement for me.

“What happened between you two? Is it that serious this time?”

Sarah looked shocked, her latte forgotten in her hand.

She knew better than anyone how much I loved Elias. In the past, our fights always ended after a short cold war.

“I’m tired, Sarah.”

I gazed out at the traffic flowing down Fifth Avenue. “You know, she’s back.”

That one word was all Sarah needed to understand.

Selena.

Elias's unforgettable first love.

Her name was like a tiny thorn embedded in my heart. It never drew blood, but it caused a dull ache from time to time.

I had never even met her in person, yet her presence had cast a shadow over my life for five long years.

Elias said personal space was important, but he and Selena had shared a Spotify account. He hated having his life on display, but his old Instagram was filled with traces of that girl. The art exhibition he took me to featured the modern artist Selena loved. He complained that shopping with me was a waste of time, but he once spent a whole day with her exploring every flea market in the city.

After two years of dating and three years of marriage, Elias had never truly removed her from his heart.

And me? I was just a convenient placeholder during his downtime. A habit. A second choice.

“Alright, the divorce papers are on me. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get a single penny more than he deserves.”

Sarah looked worried.

“But Chloe, are you really sure about this?”

“I told you from the beginning that he wasn't right for you. He never got over her, and you were just killing yourself trying to fill her shoes.”

“But you wouldn’t listen. You dove in headfirst, and nothing I said mattered.”

I looked down, stirring my coffee.

Some lessons you just have to learn the hard way.

The sky turned a gloomy gray, and the rain started to fall without warning.

Sarah’s husband, Mark, came to pick her up.

“I thought I told you not to come.”

“No way, honey. I couldn’t let you get caught in the rain. Chloe, come with us, we’ll drop you off first.”

I smiled and shook my head.

“You two go ahead. I’ll stay a little longer. I’ll just get an Uber.”

I used to envy the genuine care and affection they had for each other.

Why was it that Elias and I, also husband and wife, always had an invisible wall between us?

Why.

The answer was simple―he just didn't love me enough.

But I had lied to myself for so long, convinced he was just naturally cold and didn't know how to love.

When the rain let up a bit, I got up to leave.

Just then, a familiar black Mercedes SUV pulled up to the curb.

A woman in a cream-colored dress sat in the passenger seat. Her hair was softly curled, and she had a gentle demeanor.

Elias got out from the other side and walked toward the cafe, probably to grab a coffee.

He saw me and his expression didn't change, though he raised an eyebrow slightly.

He probably expected me to greet him, but I just looked down at my phone, checking the wait time for my Uber.

Maybe I was distracted, because I missed a step on the curb and twisted my ankle.

Elias glanced over again, his brow furrowed, but he said nothing.

He went into the coffee shop, ignoring me completely.

I gritted my teeth against the shooting pain in my ankle and continued to wait by the road.

A few minutes later, Elias came out with two coffees to-go.

“Get in the car.”

“You obviously wanted me to see you standing in the rain. Well, you got what you wanted.”

His voice was cold and impatient.

“…I didn't.”

Elias didn’t waste any more words, simply pulling me into the car.

He handed me one of the coffees, an Americano.

I didn’t take it, so he just placed it on the console.

The car was silent, the atmosphere thick with tension.

Suddenly, Selena touched her forehead.

“Elias, I think my blood sugar is a little low… Do you have anything sweet in the car?”

Without a second thought, Elias pulled a Godiva chocolate from the glove compartment and handed it to her.

“How many times have I told you to carry a snack with you? You never listen.”

Selena took it and smiled softly.

“I always forget when I get busy. Good thing I have you.”

They started reminiscing about old times, talking about Ivy League friends they both knew and things they had experienced together. Their conversation flowed with an easy, unspoken chemistry.

And there I was in the back seat, an unwelcome audience.

The city lights blurred past the window.

We drove past the park by the Brooklyn Bridge, where a giant carousel turned slowly.

Elias and I had our first date at a place like that. They say if a couple kisses at the top of a Ferris wheel, they’ll be happy forever.

I stole a kiss from him that day. He just stared at me for a long moment.

I thought it was one of the few sweet memories we shared.

Later, I found out that Elias’s biggest regret was never taking Selena to ride the London Eye.

Fragments of the past flashed through my mind, most of them just my one-sided hopes and his dismissive responses.

I closed my eyes and drifted off.

When I woke up, the car was parked in front of our Upper East Side apartment building.

Selena was gone.

Elias unbuckled his seatbelt and turned to look at my swollen ankle, his brow furrowed.

“Chloe,” he said, his voice low. “Do we really have to be like this?”

I looked up at him, confused.

“You could have just asked for a ride home, you know? Did you have to stage this whole scene for attention?”

His tone was steady, but there was an undercurrent of irritation.

I didn't know what he was so annoyed about. Maybe he was angry that I had interrupted his precious time alone with his one true love.

“You’re overthinking it, Elias.”

“I didn’t ask you to drive me.”

He probably thought I was just being stubborn. He scoffed.

“Really? So you were planning to crawl home on that foot?”

“I can call an Uber,” I said, looking him straight in the eye.

“My life doesn't revolve around you, Elias.”

“I stuck to you before because I loved you. It doesn’t mean I can’t live without you.”

“Go on, Chloe, walk away. Let’s see if I chase you.”

The man’s eyes darkened again.

I had no desire to argue with him.

He’d find out soon enough when the divorce papers landed on his desk. This time, I wasn’t playing games. This was real.

I pushed the door open, trying to get out on my own.

But he was faster. He got out and scooped me into his arms. The movement wasn’t gentle, but he didn’t let me fall.

Inside, he found the first-aid kit and clumsily sprayed my ankle with a pain-relieving mist, his expression still cold.

“Don’t do this again.”

I watched him in silence.

Elias was always like this, hot and cold, leaving me in a constant state of confusion and self-doubt.

Did he feel anything for me at all?

Obsessing over whether someone loves you is stupid, but I had been that stupid for five years.

It was time to wake up.

I didn’t bother trying to read his mind anymore. I just mumbled a thank you.

Elias stood in front of the sofa, motionless.

“Is there anything else?” I asked.

Elias pressed his lips together. “Aren’t you going to ask me who she is?”

I shook my head calmly.

I had already seen Selena’s Instagram. Yesterday, she posted a story of her plane landing at JFK. The caption was “Waiting for you.”

I had scoured the comments, but I didn't see a like from Elias. Still, I knew he would go.

And he did.

“I’m tired. I’m going to bed,” I said, standing up. “I’ll sleep in the guest room tonight.”

Elias grabbed my wrist.

“Chloe!”

For the first time ever, he actually offered an explanation. “It’s not what you think between Selena and me.”

“She just got back, she doesn’t know anyone here. I was just helping her out.”

“Mhm,” I said. “Of course.”

Elias studied my face, as if searching for any sign that I was lying.

“Chloe, she and I are in the past. We’re just friends now.”

I nodded, uninterested. “I know.”

Elias pulled me into his arms, trying to kiss me for once.

His warmth radiated through his shirt, a feeling I had once craved more than anything.

He knew I liked physical affection, and he probably thought one kiss would fix everything.

But I turned my head away.

Elias froze, clearly stunned. He had never expected me to reject him. His face darkened.

“Chloe, my patience is limited. Don’t push it.”

That night, we slept in separate rooms. He left the master bedroom for me and took the guest room.

When I woke up the next morning, the apartment was silent. He was already gone.