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Kate sighs, and I can almost see her shaking her head. "You'll never know unless you try, Quinn. You deserve to be happy, and you don’t need to go through the same shit that Liam put you through. Don't let fear hold you back. Address it."
As I hang up the phone, I take a deep breath. I head back into the house. The fire in the living room casts flickering shadows on the walls, echoing the uncertainty and tension that fills the air. I’ve made up my mind what I plan to do, but I hope I don’t have to do it. There is so much on the line—my grandmother’s home, my career, Paige, and… my heart.
I head up to my bedroom to prepare for what needs to be done. I hope that I don’t have to do it. I pray that Ezra steps up.
I stand in the living room, my back to Ezra as I stare into the flickering flames of the fireplace. The tension in the air is palpable, and I can feel the weight of our unspoken words pressing down on me.
"Quinn," Ezra begins, his voice steady but laced with emotion. "We need to talk about this picture."
I turn to face him, my eyes blazing with anger. "What do you want me to say, Ezra? That I was out with someone who actually has time for me?"
His jaw clenches as he struggles to keep his composure. "I can't have my girlfriend run off with another man every time I get busy with work."
"Girlfriend?" I scoff, my voice dripping with disdain. "I'm not your girlfriend, Ezra. I'm your dirty little secret."
His words cut deep, and I think of the conversation I overheard between him and Marianne. It's clear that I'm hurt, and I understand why. But the timing couldn't be worse.
"Quinn, now is not the time to reveal our relationship to everyone," Ezra explains, trying to make me understand. "My parents are already upset, and I'm in the middle of closing a major deal. If it came out that I was involved with the nanny, it would look bad."
My eyes narrow, and I cross my arms defensively. "So, what? You're just going to keep me hidden away like some shameful secret?"
"No, that's not what I meant," Ezra protests. "I just need more time to figure things out."
I shake my head, my anger boiling over. "I can't do this anymore, Ezra. I won't be your little secret while you parade around with women like Marianne."
The pain in his voice is almost too much to bear, and I feel my resolve crumbling. I want him to tell me how much I mean to him, how desperately he wants to make our relationship work. But the reality of his situation, between the pressure from his family and the demands of his career, threatens to suffocate us both.
"Quinn, please," Ezra pleads, his voice cracking with emotion. "I'm trying to do what's best for both of us."
I look at him, my eyes filled with a mixture of hurt and defiance. "Well, maybe what's best for both of us is for me to leave."
His heart seems to shatter, but I don't back down. Instead, I hand him a neatly folded piece of paper — my notice.
"I'll be out by the end of the week," I say coldly before turning my back and storming up to my room.
As I leave him standing there, clutching the notice in his trembling hands, I can't shake the feeling that I've just lost the most important person in my life, and I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to get him back.
As I storm up the grand staircase of Ezra's opulent estate, my heart feels like it's being ripped apart by the pain of our breakup. The betrayal stings, and my anger at myself for falling for another wealthy man who's ashamed of me threatens to consume me. I thought Ezra was different, but it turns out he's just like Liam — keeping me a secret, with no intention to take our relationship public.
I walk into my room, where the tastefully selected furniture and expensive artwork serve as a constant reminder of the world I'm about to leave behind. The scent of candles and fresh flowers fills the air, but it does nothing to soothe my aching heart.
Taking a deep breath, I grab my suitcase and begin to pack my belongings. I won't be leaving for a week, but I need to remove anything that I don't use daily from this place that now feels tainted with deception. As I prepare to leave it all behind, the memories we shared in this house flood my mind, each one feeling like a dagger to my chest.
Tears stream down my face as I think about not only the loss of my relationship with Ezra but also the impending loss of my job. My grandmother's mortgage weighs heavily on my mind, and the uncertainty of my future is overwhelming.
The thought of leaving Paige is almost unbearable. My heart aches at the idea of not being there for her anymore, and that pain only adds fuel to the fire of my anger. I stomp around the room, my fury bubbling over, as I throw my clothes into the suitcase with reckless abandon.
My anger and heartache morph into fear as I realize that I was simply being used, a pawn in Ezra's game of maintaining appearances. I allowed myself to be blinded by his charm and the life he offered, only to be discarded when it no longer suited him.
The weight of my emotions becomes too much to bear, and I collapse onto the floor, my body shaking with sobs. My tears fall freely, staining the plush carpet beneath me as I desperately try to make sense of the shattered pieces of my life.
As I sit there, the luxurious furniture, the exquisite artwork, and the large windows offering a stunning view of the suburban estate only serve as a reminder of what I've lost. The life I thought I was building with Ezra has crumbled before my eyes, leaving me broken and alone.
Ezra's betrayal cuts deep, but it's my own naiveté that hurts the most. I allowed myself to believe in a future that was never meant to be, and now I must face the consequences of my choices. As I wipe away my tears and continue packing, I'm filled with a newfound determination to rebuild my life — without Ezra, without the secrets, and without the heartache.
15
New Quest
