And eventually, he started avoiding me altogether. He worked late, coming home later and later.
Then he started showing up at events with different women on his arm.
Until three months ago, when he brought Ginger home.
“This is Ginger, my fiancée,” he said, calm and matter-of-fact, in the foyer.
I stood frozen on the staircase, staring at the woman. She was beautiful in her Chanel suit.
She had her arm looped through him, a perfect little smile on her face.
“You must be Darcey,” she said, her tone warm but formal. “Lee talks about you all the time.”
At that moment, it felt like someone had reached into my chest and crushed my heart in their fist.
The pain spread, filling my body like a poison until I thought my knees might give out.
But I still managed to smile. “Welcome to the family, Ginger.”
After that day, I started pulling back from him. I stopped waiting for him at dinner. Stopped hovering near his study. Even when we did cross paths, our exchanges were brief and distant.
Just like tonight.
I heard the sound of keys turning in the lock—he was home.
I was halfway up the stairs when his voice stopped me. “Darcey.”
I froze but didn’t turn around. “Yeah?”
“This weekend, Ginger and I are going villa hunting. You want to come along?”
My grip tightened on the staircase railing until my knuckles turned white. “No, I’ve got dance practice.”
“I see.” He paused. “Oh, by the way, Ginger and I have set a date—we’re getting married at the end of the year.”
Those words hit me like a hammer straight to the chest.
I forced back my tears, doing my best to keep my voice steady. “Congratulations to you both.”
The second those words left my mouth, I practically bolted upstairs, shutting myself in my room. The tears I’d been holding back finally spilled over, streaming silently down my face.
I grabbed my phone and stared at that admission letter once more.
Maybe this was the universe’s way of cutting me a break—a chance to leave with my dignity intact without having to watch their wedding play out in front of me.
Outside the window, the sunset had turned the sky a blood-red hue.
Kind of like the love I’d stubbornly held onto all these years—destined to fade away in the evening light.
It was time to leave.
I wiped my tears and started searching for plane tickets online.