The day before our engagement party, they voted me out. Ethan had created a group chat. The name? [Who Should Ethan Marry]. I was Option A: Clara, the girl who had been by his side for fifteen years. The other was Option B: Lily, his first love who had been waiting for him for ten years. When the voting ended, Lily won by a landslide. Everyone in that group was someone I knew. His sister, Audrey, said: "Clara is thirty. Her biological clock is ticking, and her fertility is probably tanking." His best friend said: "She's just a girl with no family. She doesn't belong in the Vance family." Even my own best friend, Chloe, cast her vote for Lily. She wrote: "Clara is too stubborn. A little loss will do her some good." And that day, I was sitting in a restaurant in my evening gown, foolishly waiting for Ethan to propose. Until I scrolled past a video of a wedding in Cabo. On the screen, Ethan was kissing his bride, Lily. It turned out my fifteen years of devotion was nothing but a betting game at their dinner table. They chose his bride for him. And in the process, they voted me—his fiancée of fifteen years—completely out of his life.
My fingers shook. I could barely hold my iPad. My chest tightened, and cold sweat broke out across my back. My phone buzzed. An email notification popped up. [Your resignation has been successfully submitted.] I stared at the words, running my fingers through my hair in frustration. I had sent that application at noon today. At the time, a bouquet of flowers from Ethan was sitting right next to my hand. Actually, he had been trying to persuade me to quit for years. He said his company had just gone public and he needed someone he could trust. He said no matter how hard I worked at my current job, I was just making someone else rich. My best friend Chloe had pressured me too. "Clara, you don't have parents. Ethan is the only family you have left." "You're lucky to have him. Don't take it for granted." Even Ethan's sister, Audrey, had smiled and patted my hand: "You're going to be a Vance sooner or later. Working for the family business is safer than staying outside." But I had always hesitated. My job was my security. I couldn't put all my eggs in one basket. But this afternoon, Ethan called me. "On your thirtieth birthday, I'm going to make things right between us." "I really need you by my side. My future only makes sense with you." I believed him. So I submitted my resignation. I threw away seven years of hard work, a year-end promotion, and my only safety net. And now, the group chat on my iPad was flooded with photos of Ethan's wedding. They had chosen his wife, and they had decided my fate. I bent over, dry-heaving, a metallic taste of bile rising in my throat. Just then, I saw Chloe post in the group chat. "I've kept Clara distracted. She's probably still waiting for her 'surprise' at the restaurant." Someone replied. "Getting dumped on her birthday? Do you think she'll do something crazy?" Audrey posted a laughing emoji. "She'll throw a tantrum for a couple of days at most. Once Ethan sweet-talks her and gives her a job at his company, she'll crawl right back." Staring at the screen, I couldn't take it anymore. I rushed to the bathroom and threw up. I hadn't eaten anything all day, saving my appetite for the birthday dinner. My stomach was completely empty. I threw up nothing but stomach acid, burning my throat. Gripping the sink, my tears mixed with cold sweat as they dripped down. The woman in the mirror was pale. Her lipstick was smudged, and her carefully curled hair was a messy ruin. Looking at my reflection, I suddenly felt like a stranger. Did Clara, at thirty years old, really lose everything? My screen lit up with an incoming call from Ethan. Looking at his name, a suffocating darkness pressed down on me. Just before the call timed out, I picked up. "Clara, I'm so sorry. An overseas project came up last minute, and my phone died. You're not mad, right?" My voice was hoarse. "No." He let out a low chuckle. "I remember that necklace you liked last time." "I'll buy it for you as soon as I get back from this business trip." I used to melt when he talked to me like this. But now, his voice overlapped with the image of him kissing Lily in that wedding video. My stomach churned, and I dug my fingernails deep into my palms. "Did you submit your resignation?" he asked. "Don't worry. Come to my company. I'll take care of you." I clenched my teeth, forcing my voice to sound steady. "I submitted it." He let out a sigh of relief on the other end. "Good girl. I've got you." Just as he finished speaking, a female voice drifted over from the background. "Ethan, the photographer says we need to retake the shots in the red dress." It was soft, sweet. I slowly crouched down, wrapping my arms around my shaking body. Ethan lowered his voice. "Babe, I have to run. I have some work to finish. I'll call you later, okay?" I heard myself say, "Okay." After the line went dead, the only sound in the room was the rain outside. Sitting on the floor, I saved the chat logs, the poll, and the screenshots of the wedding video. Then, I dialed my director's number. "Mr. Bennett, is it too late to withdraw my resignation?" I stared at the group chat that didn't include me. My voice shook, but I forced out every single word. "Also, about the relocation project you mentioned last time." "I'll take it."
I didn't sleep at all that night. I went through my phone, deleting every single photo related to them. Fifteen years of memories took only a few hours to wipe clean. By the end, my camera roll was practically empty. I stared at the blank screen for a long time before getting up to pack my things. So much of what I owned was tied to them. And so much of it should have been thrown away a long time ago. I opened my closet to pack my suitcase. My fingers paused instinctively on a gray scarf. When I was fourteen, my parents passed away. None of my relatives wanted to take me in. I had sat on the steps, crying until I couldn't breathe. Ethan had knelt in front of me, wrapping this very scarf around my neck. He had said, "Clara, from now on, my home is your home." After that, he spent every single birthday with me. At eighteen, he baked me a small cake himself. At twenty-two, we celebrated over sushi. At twenty-six, when his startup failed, he held me close and promised that when he made it, he would give me the grandest thirtieth birthday imaginable. But on my thirtieth birthday, he was in Cabo, giving that grand moment to another woman. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Ethan stood at the front of the group, holding a cake and a bouquet of white roses. Chloe peeked out from behind him, smiling as if nothing had happened. "Clara! Surprise! I went to the next town with my family yesterday and got you these scented candles." Audrey handed me a gift box as well. "You've been so busy lately that you forgot your own birthday. Here's a little something." A few mutual friends squeezed into the apartment, tossing balloons and confetti around the living room. "Why the long face, birthday girl? We're here to celebrate!" Looking at the crowd in front of me, their faces suddenly overlapped with the video from last night. They were talking, but I couldn't hear a word. Only the comments from the group chat echoed in my ears. "She'll throw a tantrum for a couple of days at most." "Once Ethan sweet-talks her, she'll crawl right back." Ethan opened a velvet jewelry box. Inside lay a diamond necklace. He stepped forward to put it on me, his fingers brushing against the back of my neck just like they always did. "Babe, I was really too busy yesterday." "Don't be mad anymore. Come work at my company, and we can be together every day." As the cold metal touched my skin, I felt suffocated. I ripped it off and tossed it back into the box. Chloe's smile froze. "Clara, that's enough. Everyone came all this way to make it up to you. Why are you acting like this?" Audrey sighed. "You're thirty years old. Stop throwing childish tantrums." I looked up at them, my throat burning. "Are you done putting on a show?" The living room fell dead silent. I asked, word by word, "Was the wedding in Cabo beautiful?" Chloe's face drained of color, but she quickly frowned. "Since you already know, why didn't you just ask? Did you have to be so passive-aggressive and make things awkward for everyone?" Another friend chimed in. "Lily has been waiting for Ethan for ten years. It hasn't been easy for her either." "So what if you've been with him for fifteen years? Love isn't a ticket queue where you wait for your turn." I wanted to laugh, but my lips were trembling too violently. Ethan reached out to grab my hand. "Clara, stop acting out." "Lily and I only had a ceremony. We didn't sign any legal papers." My head snapped up. I saw exhaustion in his eyes, but also absolute certainty. "I promised I'd give you a commitment when you turned thirty. I didn't forget." "If you want, we can go register our marriage tomorrow." "She wanted the wedding, but you get the marriage. I gave her the ceremony, and I'm giving you the legal papers. That way, nobody loses." My ears rang. A surge of pure rage erupted in my chest. The sheer absurdity of it almost made me laugh out loud. Ethan softened his voice. "Clara, you don't have a family. That's why I can't leave you." "You've already quit your job. Who's going to spend your birthdays with you? Who's going to pick you up from work? Who's going to take care of you when you're sick?" His voice was gentle. But every word was a calculated reminder that I had absolutely nothing. I looked at the room full of balloons, the gifts, and the cold necklace. My eyes stung, but I refused to let the tears fall. I took a slow step back, dodging Ethan's outstretched hand. He frowned. "Clara?" I looked at him, my voice barely a whisper. "You're right." "It's time I find myself a real home."
Without another look at Ethan, I walked past the balloons and gifts, heading straight for the door. Chloe rushed after me and grabbed my arm. "Clara, where are you going?" "Everyone rushed back from Cabo without even eating just to throw you a party. What more do you want?" Her nails dug into my wrist, leaving a sharp, burning pain. I shook her off and pushed the door open. As the door clicked shut, I heard someone mutter inside. "It was just a ceremony. Does she really need to throw such a fit?" The elevator plummeted. In the reflection of the metal doors, my face was ghostly pale, with a red mark on my neck from where I had ripped the necklace off. I blocked Ethan, Chloe, and all our mutual friends on Snapchat. When I reached the office, the receptionist looked at me in surprise. "Clara? Didn't you take today off?" I replied, "Just sorting out a few things." I walked straight into Mr. Bennett's office. He pushed the relocation agreement toward me. "The San Francisco project is urgent. If you sign this, you leave next week." I gripped the pen, my fingers still trembling. As I finished signing my name, the pen tip ripped a tiny tear in the paper. Staring at the tear, I finally let out a breath. That afternoon, I began handing over my responsibilities. My phone kept buzzing in my bag. I ignored it. Eventually, my assistant, Mia, walked in with a cup of coffee. She stood frozen at the door. "Clara... have you seen what's online?" She handed me her phone. On the screen was a new video from the influencer who had posted the Cabo wedding. [The Dream Wedding Update: The Groom's Toxic Ex of 15 Years Drives the Bride to Tears.] In the video, Lily was wearing her wedding gown, her eyes red as she snuggled into Ethan's chest. The voiceover sounded furious. "Word has it that the groom took care of his family-less ex out of sheer charity." "But she refused to let go for years, even going as far as to harass them after their wedding." The comment section was flooded. "Just because you don't have parents doesn't mean you can steal someone else's husband." "That woman is pure evil." My fingers felt too cold to scroll. Below that, Chloe had reposted it on Instagram. "I've known her for years. All I can say is, some people really take other people's kindness for granted." Audrey had posted too. "My brother is too soft-hearted, which is why he let this drag on for so long. I hope a certain someone finally lets go of two people who are truly in love." My stomach violently spasmed. I ran into the restroom, gripping the sink as I dry-heaved. In the mirror, my eyes were bloodshot, and my lips had lost all color. Outside, I could hear whispering. "That's Clara, right?" "She looks so normal. How could she harass someone for fifteen years?" I turned on the faucet, letting the rushing water drown out their voices. But every single word still pierced my ears. After collecting myself, I went back to the conference room to continue the handover. But by the third page, my voice gave out completely. Mia handed me some water. The glass clicked against my teeth. I took a sip and kept going. I couldn't stop. After the meeting, Mr. Bennett called me into his office. A few anonymous emails were open on his desk. "Clara, the San Francisco team received a complaint." "Someone claims you are emotionally unstable and involved in personal drama, making you unfit for relocation." I stood there, the cold seeping into my bones. My phone lit up with a text from an unknown number. "Clara, stop fighting it." "See? Without me, you have nothing."
When I walked out of his office, my legs were so weak I nearly crashed into the glass door. I could always find another job. But my ID, contracts, and the old metal box left by my parents were still at the house I shared with Ethan. I had to get them. When the elevator doors opened at the apartment, I heard the sound of cardboard boxes scraping against the floor. The living room was crowded. Chloe, Audrey, and Lily—who was wearing a white dress—were all there. The movers were shoving my clothes into black trash bags. Chloe was holding my gray scarf with disgust. My voice sounded horribly hoarse. "Who gave you permission to touch my things?" Lily turned around, her eyes instantly welling with tears. "Clara, please don't misunderstand. Ethan said you've been unstable lately, so I just wanted to help you pack." She stroked the back of the sofa. "I'm going to be living here now. We can't keep your old things around forever." A heavy blow struck my chest. Every lamp, every cup in this apartment had been carefully chosen by Ethan and me. I used to think this was my home. It turned out I had just overstayed my welcome, forgetting that the landlord could kick me out at any moment. Chloe scoffed, tossing the scarf into a box. "Clara, did you really think this was your house?" "Did you actually think we were your family?" Those words crashed down on me, turning my world black for a second. When I was fourteen, standing in front of my parents' graves, it had felt exactly this cold. Then Ethan came along, and I thought I wasn't alone anymore. I gripped the shoe cabinet, my nails digging into the wood. "Put my things down." Nobody listened. Audrey frowned. "Clara, stop throwing a fit. Lily was kind enough to help you pack. You should be grateful." Lily suddenly pulled an old metal box out of a drawer. "Do you want this too?" My pupils dilated. I lunged forward. "Don't touch that!" Inside were my parents' photos, my birth certificate, and the last birthday card my mother had ever written to me. Chloe stepped in front of me, sneering. "They've been dead for years. Why keep this depressing junk?" During the scuffle, the metal box knocked loose and slammed onto the floor. Photos scattered everywhere. Someone's shoe stepped right on my mother's face. A loud buzzing filled my ears. I shoved Chloe aside and fell to my knees to gather them. Lily let out a soft gasp, intentionally falling backward against the glass coffee table. A piece of glass sliced her arm. Hurried footsteps echoed at the door. Ethan rushed in, his eyes immediately landing on her bleeding arm. "Lily!" He scooped her up, his voice trembling. "Does it hurt?" Kneeling amidst the broken glass and scattered photos, my own fingers were bleeding. A drop of blood dripped onto the photo of my parents. I looked up at him. "They're throwing my things away." Ethan glanced at me, his eyes filled with nothing but disappointment. "They're just helping you move." "Clara, why do you have to push everyone to their limits?" My mouth opened, but no sound came out. Lily clung to him, sobbing. "Ethan, it's fine. It's only natural for Clara to hate me." Ethan held her tighter and turned to me. "The drama online is getting out of hand. You need to post a statement." "Tell everyone that you and I broke up a long time ago, and that you lost control of your emotions and misunderstood Lily." Suddenly, I laughed. I laughed so hard my chest ached. "You want me to publicly lie and say I'm the toxic ex who's been harassing you?" He went silent for a moment. "Just for now." I gathered the photos one by one and put them back in the box. My hands were numb with pain, but my chest felt completely hollow. "Okay." Everyone froze. I stood up, cradling the metal box. "I'll move." "And I don't want you anymore." A torrential rain was pouring outside. The movers piled my boxes on the curb. The metal box on top wasn't fully closed, and the wind blew it open. Our family photo rolled out, drifting toward the street. I rushed to grab it. Ethan stepped forward to help. But behind him, Lily suddenly wailed, "Ethan, my arm hurts so much!" Ethan paused mid-step. It was just a split-second pause. But in that moment, I wondered if it would have been better if my fourteen-year-old self had never met him. Blinding headlights pierced through the heavy rain. The screech of brakes ripped through the street. Clutching the soaked family photo, my body was violently thrown into the air. In the darkness, I thought I heard Ethan's agonizing scream. "Clara!"
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