*"Thank you for the best gift. Let's make up for all the years we missed."*
I recognized the necklace immediately. I had seen the box on Walter's desk weeks ago. It was engraved with the words: *One True Love.*
I had foolishly thought it was a surprise for me.
A bitter smile touched my lips. It was never for me.
Nothing was ever for me.
I liked Charlotte's post.
At that exact moment, a notification popped up: *Flight Booking Confirmed.*
My eyes closed. A long exhale escaped my lungs. A profound sense of exhaustion washed over me.
It was almost over.
When I returned home, the house was bright.
My body was weak from the surgery, and I moved slowly. I found Walter in the kitchen, wearing an apron, cooking. Charlotte leaned against the doorframe, watching him with a soft, possessive gaze.
They looked like the perfect domestic couple.
I was the intruder in my own home.
Walter, who claimed he didn't know how to boil water, was cooking for her.
I smiled. There was no warmth in it. It was the smile of someone who finally understood the joke.