Chapter 1: Trust Me, This Is for Us
Emma's POV
The morning light cuts through the floor-to-ceiling windows, painting sharp lines across the bedroom. My hand reaches for the other side of the bed.
Cold sheets. Empty space.
Ryan's gone again. Has been for hours, probably. He left without saying goodbye. Without even waking me up.
I blink away sleep, my mind foggy. The phone on the nightstand buzzes, the screen lighting up too bright. A notification slides down.
Bank Transfer Received: $50,000.00
My heart pounds. I grab the phone, fingers trembling as I tap it open.
Amount: $50,000
Note: For your dream
Time: 5:23 AM
I stare at the numbers. Fifty thousand dollars. The screen blurs. I read it again. My hands shake.
A white note card sits on the nightstand, Ryan's handwriting scrawled across it.
"Trust me, this is for us."
The words don't comfort me. They sit heavy in my chest.
Trust. That word.
Last night comes back. Ryan held me close, his face serious in a way that made my stomach twist. He said he needed to handle something important. I mumbled okay, half-asleep, thinking it was work stuff. Some deal.
But this. This money.
This feels like goodbye.
I open my messages and type.
"Ryan, what's this money for?"
Send.
Read immediately. One minute passes. Two. Five.
No reply.
The tightness in my chest spreads up my throat. That familiar fear surfaces, the one I've buried for years. The one that whispers I'm not enough. That I never was. That I was always going to be left behind.
Don't overthink. Don't jump to conclusions.
But my hands are already cold with sweat.
I pull on one of Ryan's white shirts, the fabric hanging past my fingertips. I head for the kitchen, but passing the study, I notice the door half-open.
Ryan's laptop sits on the desk, screen glowing.
I tell myself to keep walking. But my feet carry me forward.
The email interface fills the screen. The subject line hits me hard.
"Ashford-Martinez Wedding Venue Options – Final Confirmation"
The empty mug in my hand nearly drops.
Martinez. That name. It has to be a coincidence. Maybe a client's wedding. Maybe Ryan's helping someone. Maybe...
I'm already moving into the study. Sitting in Ryan's chair before I can stop myself, the leather still warm. My finger hovers over the trackpad.
Three seconds.
Then I click.
From: Sophia Martinez
Sent: Yesterday, 11:47 PM
Subject: Ashford-Martinez Wedding Venue Options – Final Confirmation
"Ryan, I think the garden venue is perfect. She'll love it. I've reserved next month's slot. Remember to confirm. Also, the florist said white roses and peonies need to be ordered two weeks in advance."
The world tilts.
White roses and peonies. My favorite flowers. Ryan knows this because I mentioned it on our first date, walking through Central Park. A throwaway comment. I didn't think he was listening.
But he was. He remembered.
Just not for me. For her.
Sophia Martinez. The architect. The woman who's known him since childhood. The woman who belongs in his world. Designer dresses, charity galas, Manhattan penthouses. Not like me. A wedding planner from a broken home, living paycheck to paycheck until three months ago.
I scroll down. There's an attachment. A quote from a florist.
"Bridal Bouquet – White Roses & Peonies, $350"
Bridal bouquet.
So that's what the money is for. Fifty thousand dollars. Compensation. Payment to make me disappear quietly. No scene. No mess.
My hands shake so hard I can barely grip the mouse. Tears sting my eyes but I blink them back. I won't cry. Not yet.
The phone rings. Ryan's name flashes across the screen. I swipe the tears away and answer.
"Emma." His voice sounds rough, exhausted.
"I got the transfer." I force my voice steady, but there's a tremor I can't hide.
Silence. Three long seconds where I can hear my heartbeat.
"I need some time to prepare something important. Can you trust me for a few weeks?"
Trust. How can I trust when I'm staring at wedding plans with her name on them?
My fingers tighten around the phone.
"What does the money mean, Ryan?"
Then I hear it. A woman's laugh in the background. Light, bright, close.
"Ryan, come look at this!" Sophia.
My breath catches.
"Who are you with?"
"It's... complicated." The pause tells me everything.
"The money is for your studio. You've always wanted your own business, right?"
Three months ago. I mentioned it once over dinner. He just said "that's nice" and changed the subject. I thought he didn't care.
And now, suddenly, fifty thousand dollars? Right when I find these emails?
"So what is this? A buyout?" The tears fall now but I keep my voice steady.
"What? No. Emma, what are you talking about?" He sounds confused, almost hurt.
I wipe my face with his sleeve. I take a deep breath, feeling something cold settle in my chest.
"Never mind. I understand. Thank you for your... generosity."
"Emma, wait..."
I end the call. The phone vibrates immediately. Ryan calling back. I decline it. Then power it off completely.
I slide down onto the study floor, back against the desk, knees pulled to my chest. The laptop screen still glows above me, that email mocking me.
I finally let myself cry. Not loud sobs. Just silent, shaking tears. My shoulders tremble. Tears drip onto Ryan's shirt.
I should have known. I should have seen this coming. A man like Ryan Ashford. Investment firm VP. Harvard MBA. How could he possibly stay with someone like me? We've been together a year and I've been waiting. Waiting for him to realize I don't fit into his world. Waiting for this.
And now it happened.
Sophia makes sense. She's an architect. Beautiful, elegant, successful. She's known his family forever. She speaks the language of his world.
I'm just the wedding planner he met at his colleague's reception. The girl who makes four grand a month and lives in a studio in Queens. The girl whose parents' divorce taught her that love doesn't last.
The phone in my bag vibrates again. Ryan's third call. Then fourth. Fifth. I sit motionless, staring at my bag as it buzzes, counting each attempt.
I remember that conversation three months ago clearly now.
"Sometimes I think about opening my own wedding planning studio. Something small, intimate."
"That's nice," Ryan had replied, then asked if I wanted dessert.
At the time, I thought he wasn't interested. Now I understand. He was calculating. Figuring out exactly how much it would cost to make a clean exit.
Fifty thousand dollars. Enough to lease a space, buy equipment, cover six months of costs. Exactly what I'd need. He calculated this. Planned it down to the last detail.
This isn't some impulsive gift. This is a severance package.
The vibrating stops. Silence. Then my phone buzzes again with messages flooding in.
Ryan: "Emma, please answer the phone."
Ryan: "Did I do something wrong?"
Ryan: "Why are you suddenly like this?"
Ryan: "The money really is just for your studio. You've always said you wanted your own career."
Ryan: "Emma, please. Tell me what's wrong."
I stare at the messages through blurred vision. Each one lands like a knife. He sounds confused. Hurt. Like he genuinely has no idea why I'm upset.
Maybe he really doesn't. Maybe in his world, this is normal. Give money, solve problems, ensure clean exits.
I want to ask why Sophia. I want to ask if he still loves me. I want to ask if any of it was real.
But I can't. I'm terrified of the answers.
I learned from my parents' divorce: never beg. Never make yourself small. When someone wants to leave, you let them go with your head held high. Dignity first.
My fingers hover over the keyboard, shaking. I take a deep breath, wipe my face, and type.
"I'm fine. Just need some space."
Send.
Then I bury my face in my knees and finally let myself cry for real.
