Vivie had always imagined what heartbreak would feel like. She had thought about it in vague, distant terms, like a dull ache that lingered, a sadness that came and went with time.

But this—this was suffocating.

She stood in the dim hallway, peering through the gap in the door, her hands clenched tightly at her sides as she watched them together. Ashton and his ex.

Even if she wanted to deny it, to tell herself it was just business, that it meant nothing—she couldn’t. Because she could see the way his ex looked at him, the way her fingers trailed so easily over his arm, the way she leaned in close, speaking in hushed, intimate tones.

And Ashton let her.

He didn’t move away. He didn’t tell her to stop.

Vivie bit her lip hard, forcing back the burning in her throat. It wasn’t jealousy twisting inside her; it was something worse. It was the feeling of being invisible. Of realizing, in one single moment, that all the effort she had put in—every lingering glance, every coffee she had made, every second she had spent trying to get close to him—meant nothing.

She had thought she was making progress. Thought she was getting somewhere. But it had all been in her head, hadn’t it?

Her pulse pounded in her ears as the woman’s laugh rang out, light and teasing. The sound grated against her skin like glass, a painful reminder of what she could never be to Ashton—someone he welcomed, someone he smiled for.

The woman’s hand rested on Ashton’s shoulder as she leaned in, whispering something that made the corners of his lips twitch. It wasn’t quite a smile, but it was close enough. Close enough to break something deep inside Vivie.

She forced herself to look away, to step back, to retreat before she lost the last shred of dignity she had left.

“Vivie, be a dear and get me some water,” the woman’s voice rang out smoothly, cutting through Vivie’s thoughts like a blade.

Vivie stiffened.

Slowly, she turned, her eyes locking onto the woman’s. There was a smile on her lips, but it wasn’t kind. It was the kind of smile that knew exactly what it was doing, the kind meant to remind Vivie of where she stood.

Not as Ashton’s wife.

Not even as someone significant.

Just a girl. Just a servant.

Vivie swallowed, her fingers curling into fists. She wanted to say something, wanted to tell this woman exactly what she thought of her, but before she could, Ashton spoke.

“Vivie,” he said, his voice low, unreadable. “Get it.”

And that was it. No hesitation. No defending her. Just an order.

Her stomach twisted.

She turned on her heel and walked away before they could see the hurt in her eyes.

She had known, deep down, that Ashton didn’t return her feelings. He had never promised anything. But to be treated like this—to be dismissed, to be belittled in her own home—was more painful than she had ever imagined.

She filled the glass with shaking hands, staring at her own reflection in the kitchen window. Her heart pounded, her breaths uneven. Was this what she had reduced herself to? Chasing after a man who didn’t want to be chased? Fighting for something that wasn’t even hers?

She wiped at her eyes harshly before walking back, setting the glass down on the table between them without a word.

The woman barely looked at her, picking up the water with a smirk. “Thank you,” she said, her tone laced with condescension.

Vivie met her gaze, forcing her voice to stay steady. “You’re welcome.”

The woman tilted her head, her eyes flickering with amusement. “Oh, darling, I didn’t mean to offend. It must be exhausting, trying so hard to keep his attention.”

Vivie’s fingers twitched at her sides, but she refused to rise to the bait. She refused to let this woman see how much she had already won.

Ashton said nothing. He didn’t even look at her.

That hurt the most.

Vivie inhaled sharply, forcing herself to stand taller. “If you’ll excuse me,” she said, her voice carefully even, “I have better things to do.”

She turned and left.

She didn’t look at Ashton.

Because if she did—if she saw even a flicker of indifference in his eyes—she knew it would destroy her.

And she refused to let him break her any more than he already had.