Jayden's POV
I stared at my phone, the weight of Marian's final words pressing down on me like a boulder.
"I do deserve happiness. And that's why I'm not looking back. Goodbye, Jayden."
I couldn't bring myself to put the phone down. My fingers clenched around it, my knuckles turning white as the silence of my apartment closed in around me.
She had meant it.
Marian wasn't just angry or hurt—she was done. Truly, completely done with me.
I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling sharply as frustration, regret, and something dangerously close to desperation coiled in my chest. I had known this wouldn't be easy, that she wouldn't forgive me right away. But I hadn't expected the finality in her voice, the unwavering certainty in her rejection.
I thought I'd have a chance.
Slamming my phone down on the table, I pushed to my feet, pacing across the room. The city skyline stretched beyond the glass windows, the distant hum of traffic a stark contrast to the storm raging inside me.
