Part 1I Broke Up With Him His Life Broke Down

The engagement party was well underway, but Rhys was nowhere in sight.

I called him countless times. Nothing. Not a single text back. Not until I saw the post on Sloane’s Instagram story.

“Someone has been flying back-to-back for work, but because I wanted to, he dropped everything to come swimming with me.”

The picture was a selfie of her and Rhys in an indoor pool.

In the background, tossed carelessly aside, was the familiar crimson fabric of my vintage family heirloom gown.

Facing a ballroom full of guests, I announced I was calling the whole thing off.

Six years. Six years I had loved him. I was simply—tired.

* * *

The guests had long dispersed when Rhys finally called.

A spike of irritation shot through me, yet I answered anyway, a perverse reflex.

Rhys’s voice was laced with an impatient indifference. “Gemma, come to The Meridian Club and pick up Sloane and me.”

I looked down, my voice dangerously calm. “I’m nearby.”

The club was less than two blocks from the hotel.

“How could you possibly be nearby?”

Then, a beat of realization, and a casual, dismissive “Ah.”

“Oh, right, I forgot about today. Look, we’ll do the engagement next time. Just come pick us up first.”

I didn’t respond. He continued, his tone hardening with authority. “It’s just an engagement, Gemma. Don’t start throwing a tantrum. Just come get me.”

It’s just an engagement.

That was it, wasn’t it? To him, my sincerity, my commitment, my grandfather’s final gift—that gown—none of it meant anything. Before the party, he swore he had to fly out for a last-minute deal, promising to be back the day before. He did come back, only to run straight to Sloane.

I hung up, my chest aching with a dull, heavy pressure.

A moment later, Rhys updated his own feed:

“My little one loves to stay active.”

The photo was a full-body shot of Sloane in a flattering swimsuit, proudly showing off her figure by the pool.

A strange, acrid taste of nausea rose in my throat. I let out a sharp, empty laugh. In that moment, I finally saw how completely superfluous I was in this six-year relationship. The obsession, the fierce loyalty I’d maintained for so long, vanished into thin air.