Chapter 5

The trail was lined with beautiful Maple trees.

Now that it was autumn, the ground was covered in a thick blanket of golden leaves.

Eight years ago, this was where Ethan had first taken my hand.

I walked to a bench halfway down the trail and sat down. I pulled a worn sketchbook from my bag.

I had kept this book safe for years, terrified of ruining it.

Inside were drawings of Ethan and journal entries of our years together.

Once, during a storm, Ethan was so afraid the sketchbook would get wet that he held it tightly against his chest under his jacket. He ended up with a high fever and was bedridden for three days.

Back then, he said this book held our beginning, and it was more precious than his own life.

I touched the cover where he had written, "Avery’s Personal Diary." A tear fell onto my hand.

Over the years, whenever things got hard, I would look at these drawings and tell myself that Ethan used to love me.

But as I flipped through the faded pages now, I knew the Ethan who cherished me was dead.

Footsteps sounded behind me.

Ethan walked up, with Hailey trailing beside him.

Hailey was holding two cups of hot coffee.

"Avery, have something warm to drink."

"No, thanks."

Ethan frowned. "Just take it. Hailey stood in line for a long time to get this."

Hailey stepped forward to hand it to me, but she tripped on a root, and the hot coffee splashed directly toward me.

I dodged to the side.

The hot coffee splashed entirely over my open sketchbook.

"My book!"

I lunged to grab it.

But Ethan grabbed my arm first, pulling me back.

"What are you doing? Can't you see Hailey got burned by the hot coffee?"

He grabbed Hailey's hand to check it.

Her skin was barely pink, but her eyes were already brimming with tears.

"I'm so sorry, Avery. It was an accident. I just wanted to bring you some coffee..."

I shook off Ethan's grip and knelt to pick up the sketchbook.

The paper was soaked through, the edges turning to mush at my touch.

The sketched face of Ethan was smeared with brown liquid, completely unrecognizable.

"It's just a cheap sketchbook. Do you have to make such a big deal out of it?"

He walked over, snatched the ruined sketchbook from my hands, and threw it carelessly onto the wooden bench.

"Hailey is wearing a white dress. How is she going to meet clients later with a dirty dress? Use this book to cover the wet bench first."

With that, he guided Hailey to sit down.

Hailey glanced at the book, didn't say a word, and sat right on top of my precious sketchbook.

I stood there, staring at Ethan.

The book he had risked a fever to protect from the rain was now nothing more than a cushion to protect Hailey’s dress.

The man I loved for eight years had personally stomped our past into the mud.

At this very moment, the pain in my heart vanished.

It just felt completely empty.

Seeing the expression on my face, Ethan’s tone softened slightly.

"Fine, I'll buy you a couple of designer bags tomorrow to make up for the book. Satisfied?"

I used to wonder how he would apologize if he ever broke my heart.

I never imagined he would try to pay off our memories with a couple of handbags.

That single sentence burned away the last thread of my hesitation.

"Ethan."

I unzipped my bag, pulled out the divorce papers I had printed at the campus library, and thrust them in front of him.

"We finished the walk."

"Sign it."

Ethan froze. His eyes darted from the document to my face.

"Avery, are you done throwing a tantrum? I literally just used your sketchbook as a seat cover."

"I am not throwing a tantrum."

I looked him dead in the eye.

"Ethan, I don't love you anymore."