The night my apartment caught fire, my firefighter boyfriend Dominic was nowhere to be found.

As smoke filled my lungs and flames licked at my heels, I desperately dialed his number, praying to hear his voice one last time.

Instead, his ex-girlfriend Lillian answered.

"Sophia? Dominic is here celebrating my birthday. What's up?" she chirped, oblivious to my dire situation.

Before I could gasp out a response, I heard Dominic in the background, his voice laced with irritation. "It's my day off. Tell whoever it is to stop bugging me."

The line went dead, and when I tried calling back, I found he'd blocked my number.

By some miracle, I survived that night. When I returned to work at the fire station, I immediately requested a transfer.

Suddenly, Dominic was everywhere, begging me to stay. But it was too late.

——

Three days after my brush with death, he finally showed up at our apartment.

His eyes swept over the charred living room, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "If you can't handle a stove, don't try to cook. Look at this mess."

I met his gaze, a bitter smile twisting my lips.

Home? This place hadn't felt like home in a long time.

Dominic shifted uncomfortably under my contemptuous stare.

"Got the day off?" he asked, changing the subject.

He rattled off questions, carefully avoiding any mention of Lillian or the fire.

He didn't even seem to notice my soot-stained clothes or the dark circles under my eyes.

How could he have missed the emergency alerts?

Too busy partying with his ex to care if I lived or died, I supposed.

"Dominic," I said, cutting him off mid-sentence. "We're done."

His face darkened.

"Are you serious?"

He scoffed, as if I were throwing a childish tantrum.

"Fine. If that's what you want, we're over."

He sneered, picked up his jacket.

“Don't come crawling back this time.”

The door slammed behind him.

I knew what would happen next.

In the past, I'd always been the one to apologize, to beg for forgiveness.

Not anymore.

As I watched him storm away.

I realized he'd never been worth my devotion.

The next day, I returned to work, my head held high despite the whispers and stares.

As a fire commander, I nearly caused a catastrophe at home during a fire. Ironically, I ended up needing rescue from my fellow firefighters in the area.

I became the object of ridicule among my colleagues.

Beneath their teasing, I sensed genuine concern.

They knew I had always maintained high vigilance and precise disaster response skills since joining the team, so it was unreasonable for such an accident to happen suddenly.

My supervisor called me into his office, his brow furrowed with worry. "What happened, Sophia? This isn't like you."

I shrugged, forcing a smile. "Just a moment of distraction. It won't happen again."

He didn't buy it.

After a long pause, the instructor concluded.

"Is this about Dominic?" he pressed.

"You've seemed down lately. A year ago, you gave up a huge opportunity for him..."

"Sir!"

I interrupted, eager to change the subject.

"When does the national rescue team selection begin?"

His eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You're finally considering it? It's about time."

I silently lowered my head, unable to speak.

A year ago, Dominic and I had a breakup.

At that time, I was ready to sign up for the national rescue team selection.

But later, he sincerely apologized, and I easily forgave him.

As the youngest and most promising female command officer in the team, I should have had a bright future.

But in the end, I chose to stay.

The instructor was heartbroken but respected my decision.

This time, he didn't immediately agree to my request.

As he handed me the application materials, his expression softened.

"Think of yourself this time, Sophia. You deserve better."

I clutched the papers to my chest, a spark of determination igniting within me.

"I won't let you down, sir. Or myself."

The instructor beamed and started reminiscing about the past.

In my first year here, I was known as the "Rose in the Fire" for my good looks and calm command abilities.

That same year, Dominic was also transferred here.

He was also in the spotlight, with people saying that seeing him on the fire scene was like seeing the stars.

Gradually, everyone paired us together.

We didn't disappoint them and became the "Rose and the Stars" in their eyes.

And also the best partners.

But now... I gave a bitter smile and said nothing

That night, I scrolled through concerned messages about the fire.

The detailed report on the fire a week ago was out.

Everyone was concerned about my injuries.

Except Dominic.

Dominic, my supposed soulmate, hadn't even bothered to check if I was okay.

But now, I was tired.

Five years of love and pain, and for what?

During these five years, I had gone through many painful experiences.

But I had never thought of giving up.

With a deep breath, I hit the "block contact" button.

I always thought I couldn't let him go, but I realized it only took five seconds to block someone.

Dominic, this time we are truly saying goodbye.

Dominic remained silent after I ended our relationship.

I learned he'd taken two weeks off work, vanishing without a trace.

Yet somehow, my phone kept buzzing with updates about his whereabouts.

"Sophia, Dominic says he's never been happier," Lillian texted.

The attached photo showed a shirtless Dominic lounging on a beach chair, flashing a carefree peace sign at the camera.

For years, he'd talked about a beach getaway.

Our busy schedules never aligned.

Even after five years together, we'd never seen the ocean as a couple.

Now, mere days after our breakup, he'd made his dream a reality without me.

I switched off my phone and blocked Lillian's number, unable to stomach any more of their blissful vacation updates.

After requesting a transfer at work, I was granted a few days off to prepare for the selection process.

I decided to use two of those days to move out, though "moving out" seemed an exaggeration.

I'd barely spent two nights a month here lately.

Dominic hadn't set foot in the place for half a year.

The living room loomed dark and empty, a stark reminder of my near-death experience just days ago.

As I pushed open the door, my foot caught on something.

Glancing down, I spotted a ring I'd lost in the fire.

Once gleaming, its surface was now masked by a layer of ash.

I carefully pocketed it.

Looking up, I was startled to see an unexpected figure.

Dominic had returned.

"What a mess, "Just hire a cleaner tomorrow. Haven't you suffered enough?" "

He grumbled, kicking a nearby box.

Another ring rolled out, stopping at my feet.

Dominic's expression darkened.

This ring held history.

It was a gift to his ex-girlfriend Lillian, returned after their breakup.

For the past five years, Dominic had always regarded it as a disgrace.

Yet, he couldn't help but be reminded of someone whenever he looked at it.

When Lillian reappeared, he'd eagerly rekindled their relationship.

"Why is this still here?" he muttered, bending to retrieve it.

I looked away as he spoke again. "Captain Theodore's back tomorrow for a presentation. He's invited us to dinner."

I paused my packing.

Captain Theodore, our mentor who'd been promoted two years ago, was someone we hadn't seen in ages.

"We should go for a walk together," Dominic added.

In the past, this suggestion was his way of mending fences.

Walking had always helped calm my nerves.

In the past, when I was in a bad mood, Dominic would always accompany me on walks around the base.

It had become our ritual for resolving conflicts.

The old me would have jumped at the chance.

Now, I simply replied, "We'll see."

Dominic fell silent, and we both stayed quietly in the room.

Clearly, we each had thoughts we weren't sharing.

Neither of us mentioned the breakup I'd brought up days ago, or where he'd been for the past ten days.

After what he said, I lost all desire to continue cleaning.

As I struggled to stand, leaning on the table for support, Dominic noticed my discomfort.

"You're still hurt?"

He asked, eyeing my bandaged leg and ointment-covered skin.

"It's nothing."

I dismissed, though someone had clearly informed him of my injuries.

Guilt flashed across his face as he awkwardly offered help.

But I was already limping towards the door.

"Why are you always so stubborn?"

He began, but fell silent upon meeting my indifferent gaze.

I coldly brushed him off and slammed the door behind me.

Dominic didn't follow.

In the past, our arguments never lasted long.

Within days, I'd be back, playing the role of the understanding girlfriend.

This time was different. He had his ex to comfort him now.

I doubted he even remembered who I was anymore.

I should have known five years ago, when he first called out Lillian's name in his sleep.

The party Dominic mentioned and my assessment were scheduled for the same day.

As I was leaving, Dominic called and asked me to wait for him, but I refused.

"Your boyfriend?"

The assessor in front of me asked with a smile, his tone now more casual.

But something about his smile felt insincere.

"No."

I replied, shaking my head and putting away my phone.

The other staff member had gone to prepare some documents, leaving just the two of us.

I couldn't help but ask, "If I pass the selection, how long will it take to complete the process?"

He didn't answer directly. "You seem eager to leave."

I didn't respond, feeling uneasy.

He seemed overly interested in my personal life.

"Don't misunderstand, Miss Sophia. Family life is the first part of our assessment."

He said, smiling as he stood up to organize his materials.

As he passed by me, I caught a glimpse of his name tag.

"Julian."

It looked familiar.

But I couldn't place it.

With Captain Theodore's dinner invitation approaching, I had to hurry.

But to my surprise, when I opened the door to the private roo.

I saw Julian.

And... Dominic and Lillian.

"Sophia, I happened to be dining at this restaurant. Since we all know each other, you don't mind if we eat together, do you?" Lillian said.

I didn't look at her, but my eyes met Julian's.

From the moment I entered the room, Julian's gaze had been fixed on me.

He made me feel uneasy.

"Dominic, Sophia doesn't seem to welcome me. Maybe I should leave."

Lillian said, moving closer to Dominic with a hurt expression.

To comfort her, Dominic immediately put on a smile.

"It's fine, please sit down."

He pulled out a chair for her and was about to pull out another when I walked away.

I chose a seat furthest from them.

But next to me sat Julian, who had assessed me earlier that day.

Captain Theodore hadn't arrived yet, and the atmosphere was awkwardly tense.

Lost in thought, I noticed a glass of water placed in front of me.

"Have some water first," Julian said.

He had changed out of his work attire into casual clothes, looking more relaxed and approachable.

I thanked him quietly, noticing Dominic's displeased expression.

Lillian noticed too, her gaze shifting between Julian and me.

"Sophia, who is this? Won't you introduce us?" she asked.

I was taken aback.

The three of them had arrived before me, hadn't they introduced themselves?

But besides knowing Julian was from the provincial office, I knew nothing else about him.

As I hesitated, the door suddenly opened.

Captain Theodore, whom we hadn't seen in a long time, entered with a warm smile.

For the first time, his gaze didn't land on me first.

He looked at Julian beside me, his eyes crinkling with joy.

"You rascal, you've finally decided to come back," he said.

Julian stood up, smiling, and embraced Captain Theodore affectionately.

"Uncle," he said.

He was Captain Theodore's nephew?

As we all processed this revelation, Julian released Captain Theodore and faced us.

His eyes were sharp and bright.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Julian, the Chief Commander of the River Province Headquarters," he said.

After speaking, his bright, smiling eyes fell entirely on me.