The words hollowed me out completely.
“Thorian,” I whispered, each syllable heavy with finality, “we’re finished.”
I cut the line before he could answer—before he could say anything else that might break what little remained of me.
For thirty years, that man had been the center of my world.
We grew up together in the organization, trained side by side, survived bloodshed and betrayal under the same banner. Everyone knew my loyalty to him was absolute. I stayed through every hardship, every sacrifice, even when my feelings were never returned—when his heart belonged to Selindra.
And when she left, when he was broken, I stepped in.
I gave him everything.
We built a life together. A family. Ashley.
We had known each other since childhood. Partnered in our first operation in our twenties. Became bound by marriage not long after. And at twenty-nine, I gave birth to our daughter.
Now she was gone.
For three decades, I never looked at another man. For three decades, I gave him my youth, my devotion, my silence. I believed that one day, I would truly matter to him.
But I was wrong.
In his world, I was never the first choice—only the convenient one.