Chapter 1
AMARA
‘We are over.’
Amara knew the day felt wrong.
It showed in the way the clouds hung dark yet refused to release rain. In how gently the wind blew, but each time it brushed against her bare skin, she shivered as though touched by ice. Then Gerald called, saying he wanted to talk.
Gerald never asked for permission. He always spoke his mind, immediately.
They sat in the coffee shop across from her office, tucked away at the back beside an open window. Two cups of iced Americano rested between them, along with a plate of toast he had ordered specifically for her. At least he had been gracious enough to let her eat before dropping a bomb.
‘What do you mean?’ Amara asked, forcing a laugh.
She still believed it was a joke, though no matter how much she denied it, somewhere deep down she had seen it coming. She had noticed the signs earlier, recognised them for what they were — and chosen to look away.
‘I’m sorry,’ he sighed, bowing his head. A tendril of hair escaped his slicked-back, gel-dark style, an odd sight, considering Gerald’s hair was never out of place. In fact, now that she thought about it, she didn’t think she had ever seen it worn down. They had been together for almost two years. Next week would have marked their second anniversary.
‘I know you feel it too, Amy,’ he continued, using the pet name he had given her. She had always found it strange — Amy and Amara were two entirely different names — but she had been in love. And love had a way of smoothing over such things. Over time, she had grown to like it.
‘You feel the distance between us.’ He gestured to the space on the table separating them. ‘The spark we had before… it isn’t there anymore.’
‘But isn’t that normal?’ Amara asked. ‘Every couple experiences a lull at some point. That isn’t supposed to break them, it’s meant to make them stronger.’
‘But we haven’t grown stronger in over three months, Amy. If anything, we’ve only drifted further apart.’
Amara stared at him. ‘Is it because of my job? I know I’ve been working late nights recently, but sincerely, it isn’t my fault. We have a difficult client, and the past couple of months have been really trying—’
‘It’s not because of your job, Amy. I won’t deny it played a part, but that isn’t the cause. Not entirely.’
She reached for her coffee and took a long sip, letting the cold bitterness ground her before placing the cup back on the table. Folding her trembling hands in her lap, she schooled her expression, hoping he couldn’t see how thoroughly she was coming apart.
‘So what exactly is your reason for ending our relationship?’ she asked. ‘Since you’ve already made up your mind, you might as well tell me.’
Gerald sighed again and turned to the window. Seeing him like this — restless, uncertain — felt wrong. Gerald had always been composed. Anxiety rarely touched him.
‘I’ve fallen in love with someone else.’
And that was it. The blow she had been bracing herself for. The signs she had noticed — the way he avoided her touch, how rarely he came over, how he asked her not to visit without calling first. The calls that ended too soon.
There it was. The bane of every woman in love.
The other woman.
‘You cheated on me?’ Amara whispered, her voice barely holding together.
‘What? No.’ He jerked toward her, raising his hands defensively. ‘No, never. I didn’t cheat on you. I’m not that kind of person.’
‘Then who is she?’
‘I don’t think that matters, Amy. I never cheated. I just… developed feelings for her, and I knew it wouldn’t be fair to keep leading you on.’ He paused, then added quietly, ‘I tried to stop it. I really did. But you were always busy. There was always something happening at work — one client issue or another. Once, you didn’t speak to me for two days.’
‘I told you,’ Amara said. ‘I went for an important business retreat in Taiwan. I lost my phone when I arrived.’
‘But that’s the thing, Amy. You never even told me you were travelling to Taiwan. That’s another continent, and your boyfriend had no idea where you were. How do you think that made me feel?’
She bit her lip, a thickness rising in her throat. Guilt settled over her like a sodden, suffocating duvet, and she wished — desperately — that she could turn back time.
It wasn’t every day one heard of a partner who didn’t cheat, who tried to make things work. Gerald had tried. And she had taken him for granted.
He was right. Maybe there really was no spark left between them. She only couldn’t understand why she had held on so tightly when the ending had been inevitable.
Lowering her head to hide the tears gathering in her eyes, she whispered, ‘I’m sorry.’
‘I’m at fault too, Amy. I wasn’t patient enough. I’m sorry as well.’
She wiped her tears quickly, then looked up and forced a smile.
‘I suppose this is where it ends for us.’
‘We can still be friends, Amy,’ he said gently. ‘It doesn’t have to end like this.’
She nodded. ‘Sure. Friends.’
Relief softened his features, and her heart cracked even further. How badly must he have felt, bringing this to her? He reached across the table, offering his hand.
She hesitated — then slowly took it.
And just like that, with a single handshake, she sealed the end of nearly two years with Gerald.
