Nowadays, Ivana wanted to go again but didn't know if she still could. After some thought, Ivana sent an email to them, attaching her various awards over the years.

While waiting for a reply, Ivana also researched other schools and their admission requirements. But the one she wanted most was still Le Cordon Bleu.

Researching schools, checking flights, consulting about rental apartment ... Ivana busied herself until evening.

Ernest's call came through, "Ivana! Didn't learn your lesson last time? Where's the cake?" his voice sounded furious.

Sydney's voice clearly came through, "Ivana must've been caught in traffic again. Why you be so harsh with a woman? She might be scared."

Ernest commanded again, "Ivana, I'm telling you, three minutes. Right now. Deliver the cake immediately!"

Ivana held the phone and replied calmly, "I said I can't make it."

"You've gotten spoiled, haven't you?" Ivana could already picture Ernest furiously pacing on the other end of the line.

Over the years, Ivana had always gone along with Ernest. Getting up in the middle of the night to make cakes was nothing unusual, she had never said no before.

"I can't do it. That's it. I can't." After speaking, Ivana hung up and put her phone on silent mode.

Patients needed rest. Ivana told herself this and acted on it, asking the nurse to turn off the lights and going to sleep.

The phone screen switched from call after call to countless incoming messages. The screen's light bothered Ivana, so she flipped the phone over, screen down.

Ernest, whether you're happy or not, whatever you want to eat, whoever you want to eat with, it has nothing to do with me anymore.

After a good night's sleep, Ivana saw dozens of missed calls and hundreds of messages on her phone and felt it was ridiculous. For a cake, Ernest could persistently call and text her this many times.

Even back when Ivana had a fever, fainted and was hospitalized, he had never given her such treatment. Judging from his messages, he didn't even know she was hospitalized and had a toe amputated.

Ivana didn't intend to reply, she just compulsively tapped away all the notification dots.

Then she opened her email. There sat one unread message.

Ivana's heart raced, please, please let it be an acceptance!

She opened the email and sure enough, it was an acceptance letter. Holding her phone, she cried tears of joy. At that moment, she suddenly realized it had been so long since she'd felt this happy.

She got busy booking flights. Her foot needed another half a month to heal, so she scheduled her flight for a month later. She also needed to start looking for housing. She contacted local agents, wondering whether her broken French would be understandable.

She couldn't bring too much luggage. Everything from before could be left behind. She'd only bring a few personal clothes and buy new things in France.

***

Ernest's call came in again. After some thought, Ivana answered.

Five years of feelings, even if they were breaking up, she wanted it to end as clearly as it began.

"Ivana, have you had enough? It's been half a month and you haven't been home. Tomorrow's Sydney's welcome-back dinner. I won't hold this against you anymore. Make that award-winning Eternal Companion fondant cake and bring it over."

"I can't make it." Ivana said casually.

He roared, "It's been half a month already, haven't you had enough?"

"Even another half a month won't be enough for me to come home," she said.

"What do you mean by that?" he puzzled.

"Oh no, don't scold her. Ivana might blame me," Sydney's syrupy voice chimed in.

Ivana said again, "I'm hospitalized. I can't make it."

Ernest exploaded, "What kind of illness lasts half a month? Stop pretending! She's your senior!"

Ivana found it utterly absurd. She couldn't understand what made Sydney a 'senior.'

Back then, there were dozens of students learning under that pastry chef. How did Sydney suddenly become her senior? She had never recognized her as such.

"I lost a toe. I can't come." Ivana looked at her right foot, now missing one toe and that day trapped in the freezer involuntarily flashed in her mind.

Her heart clenched, though she didn't know if it was because of losing a toe or Ernest's heartlessness.

The phone was silent for a moment. "Where are you?" Ernest's tone softened.

Ivana said, "Alvarado Hospital. You don't need to come. I'm recovering well."

He asked again, "Why didn't you tell me?"

She explained, "You don't know? Your dear brothers should know. The freezer door at the dessert shop still isn't fixed, from what I hear." Ernest hung up.

Ivana looked at her phone. She hadn't had a chance to break up yet, but no matter, there'd be time.

She refocused on preparing for her departure, filling in all the necessary paperwork. With her flight scheduled for a month later, her visa couldn't wait. Hopefully, a quick-moving agency could speed things along.

"Bang!" The hospital room door was kicked open. The man called Dominic rolled into the room.

Ivana was startled but no longer surprised when she saw Ernest follow him in. That was just how he did things, direct, violent and fast. Over the years, Ivana had gotten used to it.

"I asked him. That day, he locked you in for hours." Ernest kicked Dominic hard, sending him stumbling forward to apologize to Ivana.

Ivana looked at Ernest calmly, "He locked me in for hours. But where were you?"

Ernest's expression faltered for a second before resuming its usual composure, "Sydney returned that day. She's unfamiliar with the area and I thought since she's your senior, I'd pick her up at the airport."

"You picked her up and that meant you couldn't answer your phone, return texts, or leave the keys to the freezer?" Ivana's tone was calm and indifferent.

Ernest thought Ivana seemed different at that moment, perhaps angry. That was fine. She'd been angry before and after a few days, she'd be back to clinging to him with a smile.

He said, "Enough already, Ivana."

"Let's break up." Ivana looked at Ernest with unwavering calm.

She had always thought it would be hard to say those words, yet the moment she did, her chest felt instantly lighter, strangely relieved.

Ernest felt a sudden heaviness in his chest, "What nonsense are you spouting? You're breaking up with me?"

She bravely said, "Yes. I'm breaking up with you. I'm not seeing anyone else either."

He asked, "What do you want me to do? Chop off one of his toes to pay you back?"

Dominic turned pale with fright, visibly trembling. Ernest would do it.

Once, a thug made trouble at Ivana's shop and tried to touch her inappropriately. When Ernest found out, he had one of the man's fingers cut off and dragged him to Ivana to apologize.

She said coldly, "If you cut his, will mine grow back? Or can you sew it back on for me?"

Ernest's face darkened. Just as he was about to say something, his phone rang.

Ivana could hear Sydney speaking.

Ernest's expression eased, "I'll let this slide because you lost a toe. I'll pretend you didn't say any of that."

Ting! A WhatsApp message from Sydney: [Do you think pulling this stunt will make Ernest come back to you?]

Ernest left quickly. Sydney's WhatsApp status updated just a few minutes later.

The photo showed Ernest carefully lowering his head, tending to Sydney's tiny fingernail-sized cut, applying iodine and placing a bandage.

Ivana found it a bit of an eyesore. Ernest had never done any of that for her. At most, he'd buy her some medicine and a bandage and back then, she had been unbelievably moved.

Once, she clung to Ernest, asking him to apply the medicine for her. But he said he couldn't because he was afraid of blood.

Now that she thought about it, that excuse had been far too obvious. A man who could sever someone's finger without blinking couldn't possibly be afraid of blood.

It was just that, at the time, Ivana hadn't been able to see through it. The difference in treatment between the real one and the stand-in, that was just how it was, Ivana told herself.

She stared at the photo for a moment. Hmm, it didn't bother her anymore. She even liked the post.

That night was particularly quiet. Only her phone buzzed constantly with cloud syncs and activity on her feed. Ivana worked late into the night. The nurse scolded her multiple times before she finally went to sleep.

By then, all her paperwork was filled out, her calls were made and all that was left was waiting for her visa.

The next day, Ivana lazily woke up when the sun was already high in the sky.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Sydney placing a bouquet of lilies on her bedside table, with a fruit basket on the chair. Before Ivana could say a word, she started sneezing.

Covering her nose and mouth, she called out, "Nurse! Nurse! Get these flowers out of here! Throw them away! Open the windows! Air it out!"

The nurse, naturally obedient to her employer, quickly removed the flowers and opened the windows to let fresh air in.

Sydney blinked her big, innocent eyes at Ernest with a pitiful expression, "Ernest …"

"Ivana! Sydney came to see you out of kindness and even brought flowers! You've gone too far. She didn't cause you to lose your toe!" Ernest shielded Sydney behind him.

Ivana glanced at her heavily bandaged foot and almost laughed. Wasn't it ridiculous? Did Ernest think someone who could barely walk could harm Sydney?

Ernest turned and stepped out of the room, grabbing the flowers left in the hallway and shoving them back into Ivana's arms.

"Apologize to Sydney!" he commanded.

Ivana's face was buried in the lilies. Her severe pollen allergy made her feel suffocated.

Ernest, seeing her silent, pushed the lilies against her chest again.

Her anger made her breathe harder and the pollen triggered even worse reactions. Ivana began to struggle to breathe. She reached out, gripping the call button on the bed, squeezing it so tightly her hand turned white.

"Apologize! Do you hear me?" Ernest seemed oblivious to Ivana's pale face and bluish lips. He kept pressing the lilies against her, demanding an apology.

By the time the nurse rushed in, Ivana was already struggling for air, unable to say a word.

The experienced nurse immediately saw what was wrong. She shoved Ernest aside, tossing the flowers out of the room, "Quick! Call the doctor! Move! Make way!"

"Who's the family member?" The doctor moved quickly, oxygen mask on, blankets adjusted, pupils checked …

Ernest instinctively responded, "I am."

A piece of paper was stuffed into his hands, "She's in anaphylactic shock, we're resuscitating her. Sign it!"

Ernest didn't even read the paper. He quickly signed, an inexplicable sense of panic rising within him.

As the adrenaline was administered, Ivana slowly regained consciousness.

The doctor gave a few instructions to the nurse before frowning at Ernest, "As her family member, you didn't know she was allergic to lilies? Severe allergies can lead to shock! What kind of family member are you?"

Ivana, now able to breathe again, glanced at Ernest before closing her eyes and turning her back to him. She didn't want to see him or talk to him right now, she was utterly drained.