Chapter 4

I didn't answer or reply. I put it on silent and let it buzz beside me.

And just like that, our relationship was completely over.

At Jason's apartment, Jillian panicked when she saw that message.

She bombarded me with calls and texts.

"What are you talking about? There should still be plenty of cards left! Stop being dramatic, okay?"

"Is this because I wasn't home? I'll explain everything when I get back."

"Why aren't you answering! Liam, even if you're mad, you can't do this."

"Answer the phone! I'm serious!"

She couldn't believe I would just leave like that, sending message after message.

After countless calls and texts, dread settled in Jillian's chest.

"How could this happen... We agreed not to fight about this. Why isn't he answering..."

She started remembering how I'd seemed distant every time I used a card.

Things that should have made me angry got no reaction at all.

Realizing she was losing control, Jillian kept calling as she headed for the door.

Jason suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, pressing his face against her back.

"Jill, where are you going? You promised to spend the whole day with me."

Jillian pried his arms off, pushed him away, and ran out the door.

She sped home, ignoring the speed limits.

When she opened the front door, everything looked normal—but she still couldn't relax.

Walking further in, she saw ceramic shards scattered across the floor. She knelt down and picked one up—

It was our custom mug.

The mug lay shattered, our faces on it broken beyond recognition.

She gathered the pieces, then stood up and pushed open the bedroom door to find me.

It wasn't until she saw all my things were gone that reality finally hit her.

Jillian sat on the bed, staring at the empty room, completely lost.

The iPad's lock screen was our photo. She reached out, wanting to touch it.

She wondered where I could have gone. Where else did I have to go after leaving here?

She kept searching, and her eyes landed on something on the table.

They were the Get Out of Jail Free cards I'd made—every single one stamped.

Her hands shaking, she spread the stack of cards across the table.

She tried to rub off the red stamps, but they wouldn't budge.

She counted them—all 99 of them.

Jillian remembered our wedding day, when she'd confidently told me:

"Liam, I'll never use a single one of these! I'll love you forever."

Another memory flashed—her standing next to Jason, impatiently telling me to use a card.

Years of love, carelessly thrown away in the year Jason came back.

She who once hated seeing me upset had used those cards recklessly, never thinking twice.

Every time, she'd used this shortcut to get my forgiveness, then tossed me some gifts as so-called compensation.

She never thought our relationship would actually have problems.

After all, every time she used a Get Out of Jail Free card, she'd still symbolically buy me something.

She saw it as compensation for me and a reward for my "not making a fuss."

With that thought, she opened my closet.

Inside, neatly arranged, were all the things she'd given me. I hadn't taken a single one.

A few duplicate shirts, an unworn watch.

She thought of the gifts she'd given Jason—she always knew he loved a certain brand of limited edition sneakers.

So she'd pre-ordered every new seasonal release and had them delivered to his apartment.

Those sneakers cost a fortune, each pair.

They were nothing like these thoughtless, generic gifts she'd given me.

Seeing it all clearly, Jillian fell silent.

How had our once passionate love become so careless?

She sat on the couch, unable to sleep all night, slowly piecing together how we'd gotten here.

The next day, as soon as Jillian got to the office, Jason followed her in.

"Jill, rough night? Here's your coffee. And this is the new partnership proposal."

Jason set the coffee on her desk and reached to massage her shoulders.

She used to love feeling needed like that.

But thinking about my leaving, her expression darkened even more.

She dodged his hand, pushed the coffee aside, and started looking at the proposal on her desk.

As she read through it, she realized it was completely unfocused.

It was unreadable—a total mess.

If this went to a client, we'd not only lose the partnership but tank the company's reputation too.

Jillian set the proposal down, silent for a moment before speaking:

"Who wrote this? How dare they hand me something like this?"

"Where's Liam? Didn't he review this?"