The rich aroma of sizzling spices filled the air as Megan set the table, carefully placing a cocktail beside the perfectly roasted chicken. Every dish was a labor of love—David’s favorites.

“Perfect,” she sighed, stepping back to admire her work. Tonight was their fifth anniversary, and despite the growing distance between them, she still hoped.

The front door creaked open.

“David, you’re back!” Megan beamed, rushing toward him.

But instead of a warm smile or even a glance of appreciation, his eyes darkened with disapproval.

“What the hell are you wearing? You look fat in this!”

The words stung, slicing through her like a blade.

For a second, she thought she had misheard him.

“What? I—David, it’s our anniversary. Did you forget?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

He scoffed, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“Of course not.”

A flicker of hope sparked in her heart when he pulled an envelope from his jacket. For a moment, she thought—maybe—these were the tickets to Paris. She had mentioned how much she dreamed of visiting during Christmas.

With trembling hands, she tore it open.

Her breath caught.

Not tickets.

Divorce papers.

Megan’s vision blurred as the word DIVORCE screamed up at her from the page.

“Tell me this is a joke,” she whispered.

David laughed, the sound cruel and sharp.

“I don’t have time for jokes, Megan. Because… I hate you.”

She flinched as if he had struck her.

“Why?”

“Why?” he echoed with a sneer. “Just look at yourself in the mirror—you’ll know why.”

Tears burned her eyes. “We can fix this. We can go to therapy. Please, I love you.”

“Therapy?” he scoffed. “You need therapy, not me.”

He turned his back to her, grabbing his suitcase.

“David, please, don’t do this,” she begged, reaching for his hand.

He yanked away.

“I don’t owe you an explanation. This marriage is over. And I’m finally free.”

Megan watched in disbelief as he strutted toward the door, his lips curling into a triumphant smirk.

“Someone is waiting for me in the car,” he said, eyes glinting.

Her stomach twisted.

“Who?”

“Jessica,” he said with a grin. “My secretary. Unlike you, she’s fit, sexy, and knows how to take care of herself.”

Megan felt like the floor had been ripped from beneath her.

“You were cheating on me?” she choked.

“Bingo!” He grabbed his suitcase, throwing one last smug glance over his shoulder. “Oh, and don’t forget to sign those papers.”

The door slammed shut, leaving Megan in suffocating silence.

Days passed in a blur of heartbreak and numbness.

Megan barely left the house, the walls closing in around her. She gathered their wedding photos, the once-precious memories now taunting her, and tossed them into a metal bucket. With shaking hands, she doused them in gasoline and lit a match.

The flames swallowed them whole.

A sharp knock startled her.

“Meg, open the door!”

Her best friend, Veronica, stood there, 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? Well, good riddance. I told you he was a jerk.”

Megan’s voice wavered. “But how do I move on?”

Veronica grabbed her phone. “By remembering who you are. And stop crying over a man who didn’t deserve you.”

With a mischievous grin, she tapped away on the screen.

“What are you doing?” Megan asked warily.

“Installing a dating app.”

Megan groaned. “Oh, come on—”

“No arguments,” Veronica said. “You deserve happiness. The kind that doesn’t depend on a man’s validation.”

That night, Megan hesitated before clicking the app open.

She barely had time to process the flood of profiles before a message popped up.

“Hi. You look gorgeous.”

Her heart leaped. She had barely showered, her face bare except for under-eye patches.

Panic set in, and she fumbled, nearly shutting the app down.

Then, another message.

“Did I scare you off?”

Megan hesitated before typing, “No, I just—I’m not used to this.”

The man introduced himself as Robert. “Call me Rob!”

His easy charm and warmth 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 curling his lips.

“Going somewhere?” he sneered.

Megan swallowed. “Just… out.”

“Signed the papers yet?” he asked, voice laced with impatience.

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 quick?”

Megan took a step closer, meeting his gaze with newfound confidence.

“You left me. Remember?”

David scoffed, then suddenly lunged forward.

“No matter who you find, they’ll leave. You’re boring, Megan. Ugly. No amount of makeup can fix that.”

A flicker of pain flashed through her.

But then—calm.

“You’re wrong,” she said, her voice steady. “I may have been broken, but I was never ugly.”

David’s face twisted with irritation. He reached out and yanked the diamond necklace from her neck, the chain snapping.

Megan gasped.

“That was my wedding gift,” she whispered.

David chuckled coldly. “Consider it rent. Like our marriage—paid for, used, and discarded.”

With that, he turned and left.

Tears threatened to spill, but Megan blinked them away.

She straightened, grabbed her purse, and walked out the door.

La Café Bean buzzed with life, but Megan only saw him.

Robert.

His dark eyes lit up as he held out a bouquet. “Sorry I stepped away earlier. I wanted to get these for you.”

Her heart softened.

Then—her allergies kicked in.

A violent sneeze erupted from her, sending pollen flying across the table.

Robert burst out laughing. “Okay, mental note—no flowers next time.”

Megan giggled.

“You could have told me you were allergic,” he said.

“I couldn’t turn down such a sweet gesture.”

Robert smiled, a warmth in his gaze that made Megan 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 made her spine stiffen.

“Megan?”

David.

She turned, forcing a polite smile.

“Hi, David.”

He fidgeted. “You look… great.”

“I know,” she said simply.

He swallowed. “Jessica and I… we’re separating.”

“I’m sorry,” Megan replied, 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 speak, another voice cut in.

“Excuse me. May I help you?”

David’s eyes widened.

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.