She had been sitting at the same table in Maple Bloom Café for almost forty-five minutes, her hands clasped tightly in her lap to hide the trembling she couldn’t control.
Around her, life continued as if nothing were wrong. Couples laughed over slices of cake, the scent of freshly ground coffee and cinnamon drifted through the air, and warm afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, filling the room with floating golden dust. But for Emily, everything felt quiet and cold.
“Again,” she murmured to herself, swallowing the familiar ache rising in her throat. “Once again I’m the fool who believed this time would be different.”
Emily Carter had never been someone who sought attention. For the past two years, she had practically tried to disappear. She worked quietly in the café kitchen, creating delicate pastries that everyone admired while she remained hidden behind the swinging doors.
Her shyness hadn’t always been there.
It was a scar.
A scar left on the day she stood at the altar in a white dress, surrounded by flowers, and opened a note from her fiancé that read: “I can’t do this. You’re not enough.”