The sticky note she'd left on the fridge before leaving used to say: [There's light cheesecake in the fridge that you like. Don't eat too much, you'll get a stomachache.]

Now it read: [Sydney and Ernest's love-preserving fridge,] with a big red heart drawn beside it.

The couple mugs she'd bought for herself and Ernest had been shoved into the furthest corner and mold had even grown inside them.

The bed sheets in the bedroom had been replaced with a lily-themed set that Sydney apparently liked. The sofa cushions, the carpet, the bedside lamp, the trash bin, the shoe cabinet and the little footstool, everything within sight was unrecognizable to Ivana.

She couldn't even find her slippers. In just one month, it felt as though her five years with Ernest had been wiped clean.

Thank goodness it was summer. Ivana walked barefoot, wobbling slightly on the uneven floor. Her foot no longer hurt much, but her gait was still awkward as she was unused to walking like this.

In the storage room, she found her suitcase. She also dug through the closet, now full of Sydney's clothes, to the farthest corner where she unearthed her own crumpled clothes.

The clothes she'd still wear, she folded neatly. Anything Ernest had bought, she threw away.

For a moment, Ivana wanted to toss out the closet itself, too, since she was the one who'd bought it.

She glanced down at her foot, forget it. It had been used for years anyway, she could just treat it as a donation to the junk hauler.

In the end, there was only a single, lightweight suitcase to take with her, but the pile of trash was enough to fill the entrance of the apartment.

Just as she was about to call the property management to arrange garbage pickup, a timid young girl next door approached her.

"Excuse me, Miss …? You don't want all this anymore?" The girl looked as though she had just moved in, not well-off, by the looks of her circumstances. She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, glancing nervously at Ivana.

For a moment, Ivana saw herself eight years ago, when she'd first arrived in this city. The room she'd rented back then had been much worse than this apartment.

Back then, she, too, had timidly asked a girl who was moving out, "Miss, do you not want all of this anymore?"

Ivana answered, "Yes, I don't need it anymore. Do you want it?"

The girl's eyes lit up and she blushed with excitement, "How much do you want for it?"

Ivana smiled, "Nothing. Do you have any coke? If you do, an iced cola will do in exchange."

"Yes, yes, I do!" The girl hurriedly fetched a bottle of icy coke, her slippers dragging noisily across the floor.

After taking a gulp of the coke, Ivana's spirits lifted considerably.

"It's all yours!" She left the keys on the table and, with a swing of her suitcase, headed out the door to catch a taxi.

She said, "Sir, end number 8210, Orchard Apartment." Watching the scenery blur past outside the window, Ivana breathed in the scent of freedom.

Ernest called her again, spoiling the mood, though it didn't matter. She only had ten days left to endure.

"Gaining some guts now, huh? You got discharged and didn't even tell me?" His voice was icy, the words forced through gritted teeth.

"I wish you and Sydney happiness." This time, Ivana said it with an incredible calm.

"That's enough! I've already called you, haven't I? If you keep acting like this, don't blame me for what happens! You know my temper!"

Ivana found herself speechless, "If you don't want to hear me speak, you can hang up, you know."

"Ivana!" he yelled.

"Ah, don't yell at her again. Speak nicely," Sydney's sickly sweet voice interrupted as usual. "Hello? Ivana, it's me, Sydney."

Ivana just said, "Oh."

Sydney invited her, "Three days from now, it's my birthday. I don't have many friends here and Ernest booked the entire Nolen Bar. Can you come? We'll celebrate together, okay?"

"I don't think I'll go. My foot isn't convenient." Ivana said.

Sydney tried to persuade, "Ivana, are you still mad at me? I'll make you a cake to apologize, okay?"

Here we go again ... Ivana was in a pretty good mood today. Thinking it over, she figured it was just a meal, what's the worst that could happen? She'd be leaving for France soon and she didn't want to stir up any more drama.

With the Gilmore Family's influence in San Diego, it wouldn't even be hard for them to stop her from boarding the plane.

"Fine, send me the time," she finally said.

Sydney texted her: [7 PM, Nolen Bar. (Location shared).]

***

Ivana picked out the same dress she wore on her very first date with Ernest five years ago. She'd always been someone who believed in finishing what she started.

By the time Ivana arrived, it was already 7:30. Nolen Bar was bustling. Most of the people there were familiar to her, Dominic, for one, was present again.

There were also a few women who looked vaguely familiar. Ivana vaguely recalled they were Sydney's close friends.

Dominic was the first to notice her and quickly approached with a mix of flattery and unwillingness in his eyes, "Ah, our chef is finally here! Ernest and Sydney are over there."

Following Dominic's gaze, Ivana saw a large cake on the table, it looked familiar.

Ernest was talking to Sydney, who playfully nudged his chest and then fell into his arms, giggling coquettishly.

"Ivana! You came! Come on over!" Sydney waved her over, her face full of unconcealed triumph, like a hen proud of winning a fight.

As Ivana drew closer, she got a clearer look at the cake. It was the exact design she'd drawn up as a plan to celebrate her five-year anniversary with Ernest. She hadn't expected Sydney to steal the idea and make it for herself.

"Isn't Sydney's cake just gorgeous?"

"I heard someone's always winning cake design awards in competitions, but those cakes look nowhere near as good as Sydney's."

"Who knows if those awards were won by cozying up to Ernest?"

Sydney's two friends chimed in one after the other, their disdainful gazes sweeping up and down Ivana.

"Ivana's awards were all won on her own merit." It had been a long time since she'd seen Ernest. He seemed to be doing well, full of vitality. Only when he looked at Ivana did a hint of displeasure creep into his expression.

"Ernest, don't say that. If Sydney were to enter those competitions, she'd definitely win too!" someone said.

Ernest's eyes remained on Ivana and she quietly stared back. Sydney, ignored, bit her lip and called Ernest's name pitifully.

Ernest glanced over at her and his expression softened.

He said, "Come here. Sit next to me." Ivana didn't want to sit beside him, but sitting next to Sydney would be even worse.

Her gaze scanned the available seats and Dominic immediately slid further over, hogging two seats with a single body. Sighing, Ivana settled beside Ernest.

Fine, sitting here would also mean he'd hear her breakup message more clearly later. That way, she wouldn't embarrass him publicly.

"Ivana, about last time, I'm sorry. How about you light the candles?" Ernest wrapped his arm around Ivana's waist, took the lighter from Sydney and pressed it into Ivana's hand. "Go ahead, light them."

Ivana stared at the lighter. He knew she was afraid of fire, any open flame triggered her deep-rooted fear.

Once, Ernest had even replaced all the stoves in their house with induction cooktops for her. For five years, her birthday cakes never had candles.

Ivana thought for a moment, fine. She'd light the candles and once everyone was singing 'Happy Birthday,' she'd tell Ernest they were breaking up. Then, she'd find an excuse to leave.

With the noise of the crowd, no one would even hear her. That way, everyone could save face.

As Ivana lit the second candle, Sydney suddenly let out a sharp scream. Everyone turned toward the source of her scream and Ivana instinctively lifted her head to look.

Just as she wondered what Sydney was shouting about, she suddenly felt a surge of heat rise sharply against her thigh.

Ivana looked down and saw that the candle she had just lit somehow fell onto the tablecloth. In an instant, flames leaped up, quickly spreading from the table to the couch.

Ernest instinctively pulled Ivana to the side, trying to get her out of harm's way.

Sydney tried to grab Ernest, but missed him and had to sprint over herself, accidentally knocking over a full bottle of whiskey.

The fire grew rapidly and no one in the room was brave enough to approach. Sydney clung to Ernest, trembling, "Ernest, I'm scared."

Ernest let go of Ivana and softly comforted Sydney in his arms.

Ivana's face paled. She tried to move, but the two women behind her were pushing and shouting, occasionally letting out piercing screams, "Where's the fire extinguisher?"

The flames had grown taller and Ivana found herself being pushed closer and closer to the origin of the fire. Someone, panicked, grabbed a curtain and began waving it at the fire.

Ivana tried to retreat, but she was pushed forward by the crowd toward the flames.

"Ah!" screams filled the air.

The curtains caught fire too. The burning fabric whipped through the air, setting tables and sofas on fire.

Panicked, the person holding the curtain shouted and threw the burning cloth straight toward Ivana.

The red flames reminded her of her parents, triggering an overwhelming fear that froze her in place, making her unable to react normally.

The curtain landed on her head and Ivana instantly became engulfed in flames. "Ah! Ah!" The room erupted in screams, some for Ivana and others for various people.

Ignoring the searing pain, Ivana trembled, using her shaking hands to rip the burning curtain off. "I can survive this! I can survive," Ivana kept repeating to herself, trying to calm her mind.

Her hands burned horribly, worse than when she was locked in the cold storage before.

"Sprinklers! Fire extinguishers!" Ernest yelled angrily. "Call 911! Call 911!"

Finally managing to tear the curtain away, what Ivana saw was utter chaos. She was now surrounded by flames.

The sprinkler system had not responded. The alarm didn't go off and the fire extinguishers were nowhere to be found.

Through the thick, suffocating smoke, Ivana saw Ernest carrying Sydney as they rushed toward the exit. Everyone else surged toward the door, leaving Ivana to be completely surrounded by the fire.

She gritted her teeth, pushing forward through the terror, hoping to escape. But the flames were too strong. She had no choice but to carefully dodge the flickering flames.

Her arms, legs and feet were all burnt, but she didn't have time to care. The smoke choked her, tears streaming from her eyes, her breathing becoming labored. She stumbled, searching for a bathroom, hoping to soak her clothes with water to cover her mouth and nose.

Everywhere she turned was fire, smoke and heat and she couldn't tell which direction to go in.

"I won't die. I will survive. Why? Just seven more days. Just seven more days and I can go to France. My visa has already been approved. Mom, Dad, are you coming to pick me up?" Her consciousness began to fade, the black, choking smoke enveloping her as she saw what seemed to be her parents' faces.

Her parents had died in a fire when she was younger, too. It was the same, the fire and the smoke everywhere.

Ivana remembered her dad, holding her and her mom as they ran out of the kitchen. Then, her dad disappeared. Later, her mom had hugged her tightly, placing her into a firefighter's arms. After that, her mom also disappeared.

She sat surrounded by flames, hoping her parents would come out to hold her, stroke her head and say, "Ivana, don't be afraid."