The Sweetest Revenge

Chapter 11 - Flashbacks

Morning light filters through my window, casting a soft, golden glow over my cluttered desk. I stretch, feeling the familiar ache in my neck from last night's work session, and try to focus on today's task. My client wants a series of banner designs for their high-end candle brand-a job that's repetitive, a little soulless, but steady. Neutral colors, calming vibes, all of it supposed to represent some kind of quiet elegance. Ironically, the kind of calm I'd love to feel myself right now.

Ping.

A faint notification pops up on my laptop screen.

Facebook memory from 3 years ago.

For a moment, I just stare at it, my fingers frozen on the keyboard. I know I shouldn't look; nothing good ever comes from reliving the past. But the temptation is there, the curiosity pulling me in. Almost automatically, I click on the notification. And there we are, a photo of Jake and me from our one-year anniversary trip to the mountains, grinning against a snowy backdrop, cheeks flushed from the cold. We look... happy. Or at least, I look happy. Blissfully naive, wrapped up in a memory that once felt unbreakable.

I read the caption I'd written back then, words filled with so much hope: "One year down, forever to go with my favorite person. Here's to many more adventures together."

The words seem almost mocking now, like an echo from someone else's life. The worst part? Today would've been our four-year anniversary.

Four years.

I feel a pang deep in my chest, the ache twisting its way through my whole body. How could something that once felt so certain be gone so easily? How could he replace me so quickly, like I was nothing?

I scroll down, and there's Jake's comment beneath the post: "Forever isn't enough, Em. Here's to a lifetime and more."

I shut my laptop, the screen going dark. There's a buzzing beneath my skin, a restless energy that won't leave me alone. I stand up, pacing across my small apartment, as memories push their way in.

I remember the day Jake ended things. He'd called me out of the blue, saying he had to talk, his voice flat, almost cold. I could tell something was off even before he showed up, his face set in a way I'd never seen before. He told me he was leaving, that he needed time for himself, that it wasn't working for him anymore. And that was it-no explanation, no real goodbye, just a few sharp words that shattered everything.

I wrap my arms around myself, as if somehow that could piece me back together.

Was it me?

Was I not good enough?

I can't help but wonder, to spiral into the dark place that tells me I wasn't enough-that I was somehow lacking. Maybe I was too messy, too complicated, too focused on my art. Maybe he needed something simpler, someone who didn't come with so many dreams and struggles.

I find myself picking apart every flaw, dissecting every memory, as if I could pinpoint the exact moment I became... replaceable.

The ache in my chest tightens until I can barely breathe. "Why wasn't I good enough?" The question escapes in a whisper, raw and shaky. I feel the hot sting of tears, my body unable to contain the pain any longer. Anger mixes with the hurt, a bitter fury that wells up from somewhere deep. I clench my fists, and before I know it, I'm sobbing-angry, ugly sobs that shake my whole body.

I reach for my phone, impulsively opening f*******: and scrolling through old posts. Each photo, each shared memory feels like salt on an open wound. I see us on holidays, at parties, birthdays, all these moments frozen in time. In each one, he looks at me like I'm his world, and I know in those moments, I was. But what was real? All those shared dreams, all the things he promised... did they mean anything?

Swiping furiously, I start deleting the posts. One by one, I erase every reminder of him. The trips we took, the birthdays we celebrated, all the declarations of love-gone. I can't stand the thought of keeping any of it. He doesn't deserve a place in my life, not even in my memories. I delete until the screen feels blank, a reflection of the emptiness I feel inside.

Just as I'm about to close the app, a new notification catches my eye. It's the post I made last night with Liam from our "date." Curiosity gets the better of me, and I tap on it, reading the comments that have already started piling up. Friends and acquaintances are leaving comments like, "You two look perfect together!" and "You're glowing, Emma!" A few of them are playful, teasing me with heart emojis, and I find myself smiling, despite the heartache. It's silly, but for a second, I almost feel... okay.

Then I see it-Jake's reaction, a simple thumbs up.

He saw the post.

My breath hitches, and I feel a small flicker of satisfaction, like a spark in the darkness. He's watching, and maybe he's wondering too. Wondering what he lost, what he gave up so easily.

A shaky laugh escapes my lips, and I close the app, feeling the weight on my chest lighten just a bit. Maybe it's time to stop letting him have so much power over me, to stop giving him space in my head. He left, but I'm still here, and maybe...maybe I'm stronger than I thought.

There's always one thing that makes me feel better. I glance over at my keys, a resolve building inside me. Maybe I can't change the past, but I can choose where I go next. So I pick up my keys, breathing in deeply as I walk out the door.