When my father succumbed to a brutal illness, my world shattered.

The day before his funeral, my fiancé abandoned me to marry his first love, which added to my grief.

When I confronted him, his irritation was palpable.

"Megan's dad is dying of cancer," he snapped. "His last wish is to see her get married. I did something good. Can't you see it?"

That night, I called him, desperate for answers, only to hear that woman's smug voice.

"Blake is in the shower. Can I help you?"

I hung up without a word, my heart sinking.

Later, he called back, exhausted and dismissive. "I'm swamped with wedding plans. Don't bother me with irrelevant things, okay?"

Silence was my only response.

I tossed the engagement ring into the trash and canceled our wedding plans, severing the ties that bound us.

My father's funeral was stark and simple, just as he had wanted.

I moved through the motions and greeted the attendees like a robot, hoping the bustle would dull the ache in my chest.

But on this day of all days, Blake Cole, the man who was supposed to be my partner, never showed up.

My dad, Alex Holmes, had spent his final years fretting over my happiness. Now I could handle the rest, and he could rest in peace.

The attendees whispered to each other, looking at me with pity.

"Kate's father is gone, but her fiancé doesn't even show? What kind of man does that?"

"No respect and no decency. What kind of family raises a guy like that?"

"Bet he's off playing house with someone else. Shameless!"

My friends' faces were flushed with indignation, and a few spat on the ground in disgust.

I shook my head but made no moves to stop them.

Shame was nothing new to me and my family. I had been used to it.

By now, Blake was wrapped up in his fairy-tale wedding with his first love, Megan Burns, and had no time to say goodbye to my father.

His heart had long since drifted, so requesting his presence was meaningless.

In fact, we were better off without him. I didn't want him to appear and taint the memorial.

As the coffin was lowered into the earth, the weight of loss crushed me. The man who'd loved me unconditionally was gone.

Staring at his photo on the tombstone, I couldn't hold it together any longer. My knees hit the cold ground, and a wail tore from my throat, raw and unstoppable.

It was all my fault that he had left the world with regrets.

Drained and hollow, I sent Blake a text.

[It's over. My dad is gone.]

There was no reply.

I presumed he was toasting champagne as the world's happiest groom or tangled up in Megan's arms.

I bet he wouldn't care even if he saw my message. I just had never mattered to him.

But it didn't matter anymore.

From now on, I creased caring about him. He was just another stranger to me.

When I dragged myself home, my phone buzzed with a video from Megan.

The screen glowed with a romantic wedding venue. She clung to Blake sweetly, and they kissed as the crowd cheered.

Blake's usually icy face somehow softened with a shy, contented smile that I had never earned.

It turned out he could smile. It was just not for me.

A guest's voice cut through the noise. "Blake, who's the better catch, Megan or that deadweight ex of yours?"

Blake smirked, his tone dripping with disdain. "Megan, hands down. Don't mention that woman. Being with her was the worst mistake of my life. She makes my skin crawl."

Laughter erupted, cruel and mocking.

Megan, grinning, pointed at the camera. "Why don't you send this to her? Let her see how happy we are."

Blake nodded. "Her dad is ill, but I bet he's faking it to ruin my wedding. What a pain!"

My hands trembled, the phone nearly slipping from my grip. I gritted my teeth, fighting to keep my emotions from spiraling.

His words were harsh. Obviously, he had no respect for Alex or me at all.

I couldn't believe someone in this world could be so callous.

Clinging to a fading hope, I dialed his number. It rang unanswered, again and again, until Megan's voice purred through the line. "Blake is in the shower. He's exhausted from the long day. You get it, right?"

I hung up without a word. Then I cursed the pair of cheaters.

Memories of happier times haunted me.

For five years, I had poured my heart into Blake, shielding him from even the smallest slights.

In return? He married another woman on the day I buried my father.

The signs were there the moment Megan came back from abroad. I just hadn't picked up.

That night, Blake didn't come home. When he finally stumbled in at dawn, his neck was dotted with red marks.

Alex noticed, asking him what was going on.

Blake exploded, blaming us for choking his freedom and doubting his fidelity.

I came home to find Alex on the couch. He hit his head and blamed himself for overstepping.

Blake was nowhere to be found.

The next day, he returned with even more marks.

I fought with him for the first time. I screamed, demanding answers, but he brushed it off, saying Megan was just a friend and calling us control freaks.

He conveniently forgot how Alex had welcomed him like a son when we first got together.

That fight planted a seed of pain in Alex's heart. His health spiraled until he slipped away.

All this time, Blake never once visited the hospital.

Holding Alex's cold hand in the sterile room, I realized how delusional I'd been to think Blake would come back to us.

Before the funeral, he had already booked a flight to Megan's hometown.

I lost it, calling him and demanding his immediate return.

His response was a slap in the face. "Megan's dad has cancer. It's tragic. I'm just helping fulfill his dying wish. Can you stop being so irrational?"

I laughed, a bitter, hollow sound.

When Alex was dying, Blake couldn't be bothered to see him one last time. Worse, he was planning to marry another woman.

Megan's dad had cancer, but my dad had just died!

That call snuffed out the last flicker of hope I had. Perhaps, we were never meant to be together.

After the funeral, I sorted through Alex's things.

My gaze fell on a ring tucked in a corner. It was a family heirloom passed down for generations, meant for the sons-in-law.

Even when we were scraping by, Alex refused to sell it, saying it was for my future. It should've been on Blake's finger.

I stroked the priceless ring and lost myself in thoughts.

Suddenly, my phone pinged.

It was a voice message from Blake, who hadn't reached out for a while.

"Hey, I've been crazy busy. We're off to Hawaii for honey moon, then dinner with Megan's family. You'll manage on your own for a bit, yeah?"

Instead of replying, I turned off the screen and stared at the ring until a bitter laugh escaped my mouth.

Thankfully, I hadn't given the ring to him. I'd rather smash it to dust than let it touch the hand of a cheater.

After wrapping things up, I collapsed onto the couch, ready to take a rest.

Then my phone pinged again. This time it was a message from a friend.

[Blake is a pig! Check out his FB posts.]

Curious, I clicked his profile, only to find a blank page. He had blocked me.

I told my friend about it, and she sent me a screenshot.

There was Blake holding Megan in her wedding gown. They were smiling and glowing under a golden sun.

The captions read, [So happy with you!]

I smiled bitterly, unable to describe my feelings.

Once, I'd have groveled, begging him to come back. Now, I just closed my eyes, unpinned him from my contacts, and erased him from my soul.

A week later, his call jolted me. "Where are you? Get to the train station and pick me up."

I frowned. "Didn't you take the car? Why do I need to pick you up?"

He didn't explain, just urging me to hurry up. I agreed, taking the chance to end things.

But when I arrived at the station, I was dumbfounded.

Dozens of elderly people were gathered, chattering loudly. It was chaotic.

Blake spotted me and sighed like I was his savior. "Finally, you're here. These are Megan's family. Find them a place to stay and show them around town."

My jaw tightened. The audacity of this man was sickening.

But he felt nothing about it. When I didn't move, he nudged me. "What are you standing there for? Go."

Megan sauntered over, smirking. "Kate, thanks for taking care of this. We're heading out."

She tugged at Blake, ready to ditch me with her entourage.

I stepped back. "Who said I'm helping?"

Blake paused, enraged by my defiance. He glared at me and snapped, "What's your problem? Can't follow simple instructions? Do it, you moron."

Megan's father, Michael Burns, strutted up, his tone dripping with superiority. "Blake, your driver's got an attitude. Teach her some manners."

Blake groveled instantly. "You're right. I'll deal with her later."

Michael nodded, satisfied. "Good. Tell her to hand over the car keys. She can take a cab. I'm beat."

His crass entitlement made me frown, but Blake just grinned like a loyal dog.

Turning back to me, he looked irritable as he reached out his hand. "You heard him. Give me the car keys and go. Don't embarrass me here."

My face blank, I tossed the keys to him.

He snorted and turned away, confident I would not leave no matter how harshly he treated me.

But he was dead wrong. I was leaving him for good.

I led them to the cemetery.

Blake stormed out of the car and slammed the door shut. "What the hell are we doing here? I just got married. This place is bad luck."

I pointed to a tombstone. "Recognize that spot?"

He'd never set foot here, so he didn't have the slightest clue.

He scowled. "Quit screwing around, Kate. Take us to the hotel. We're exhausted."

Even now, his only concern was Megan's family. In contrast, my family and I were nothing to him.

I laughed, cold and sharp. "Exhausted? Ever think about my dad? How did he feel, lying in that hospital bed and gripping my hand as he took his last breath?"

Blake stumbled back, his face paling. "What do you mean?"

I nodded toward the tombstone. "He is right there. Too scared to face him? Or do you know you don't deserve to?"

He froze, his bravado crumbling. Then he grabbed my arm, shaking it like a man possessed. "You buried him early just because I didn't come back? Have you no shame?"

It was comical that he had the nerve to accuse me. He was the one at fault.

I pushed him hard.

"Who are you to judge me here?" I snapped. "Your betrayal broke Alex's heart a long time ago. His last wish was to see you. And where were you? In bed with Megan Burns."

My voice cracked, my eyes burning with unshed tears.

The memory of that day tore at me. I wanted to rush over and rip them apart.

Blake hung his head, guilt finally cracking his smug exterior.

Michael, lounging nearby, didn't care. "Big deal. You're just a driver throwing a tantrum. Want to lose your job?"

Megan echoed his words. "Exactly! Blake is my husband now. What we do is none of your business."

My blood ran cold as I saw their true colors.

They were vultures, feasting on Blake's weakness and now circling me.

Too bad. I would not let them have their way, not after what they'd cost me.

Blake saw the ice in my eyes and softened, reaching for my hand. "Alright, we can go home and talk later. But now, let me visit Alex's grave, okay?"

I stepped back. "You can come. They can't."

I wouldn't let these leeches near Alex's resting place.

Michael's face twisted. "Hey! You..."

Blake cut him off. "Okay. I'll go with you."

I turned, leading him to the grave.

He babbled, trying to fill the silence. "Why didn't you tell me about this? You made me look like a fool. What did Alex say before he passed? I messed up, but you can't treat me like this."

I stayed silent.

He grabbed my wrist, desperate. "What's wrong with you? You're so selfish now."

I stopped, turning to face him, my voice low and heavy. "I called you that night. You were in the shower, and Megan answered."

His eyes widened. He fumbled for his phone and scrolled through the call log, his hands trembling as the truth stared back at him.

For the first time, I saw shame flicker across his face.

"I... We were exhausted that night," he stammered. "I just showered. We didn't do anything, I swear."

I waved him off, cutting through his lies. "What you did or didn't do doesn't matter anymore. After today, we're strangers. I brought you here for Alex's last wish, nothing more."

He hung his head. "You're just angry. You wouldn't really leave me, would you?"

I bowed to the grave. When I straightened up, my resolve was iron.

"Blake," I said. "We're done."