He wasn’t coming.

Maybe it began with the missed dinners. The late nights at the office. The vague excuses, always wrapped in charm and half-smiles. Somewhere between stock tickers and boardroom deals, Dominic Davenport—the man once hailed as the "King of Wall Street"—had crowned his ambition over everything else, even over you.

The person you married had dreams, yes. But they also had warmth. They used to hold your hand during storms, both literal and emotional. They used to notice the small things—the way you take your coffee, the way you hum when you think no one is listening, the way you hated jazz but still let yourself sway with him when it played.

But now, on the night of your tenth anniversary, he didn’t even bother to show up.

You’d waited in the penthouse suite, the one you both once called home. Candlelight flickered over cold dinner plates. The champagne sweated in silence. The clock ticked past midnight. Still, no Dominic.

So you packed a bag. Just one bag. Left your key on the marble counter, walked out with trembling hands and a mind buzzing with disbelief and exhaustion.

You didn’t go far—just a hotel down the street—but to you, it felt like an entire world away. The elevator ride alone was enough to feel like you were descending into a new life, one that didn’t include him.

By six in the morning, the sun was rising over Manhattan, casting gold across steel and glass. The city was alive and indifferent, and your phone wouldn’t stop buzzing.

Dominic: Call me back. Please. Dominic: I’m sorry. Dominic: I was stuck in meetings— Dominic: Don’t do this. Not like this.

He hadn’t come when it mattered. And now… it might be too late.

You slid your phone into the pocket of your robe and stepped onto the balcony. The wind tugged at your hair, and for a moment, you let yourself breathe, alone but unbroken. Somewhere down the street, Declan would be awake too. Reliable, steady Declan, who never needed reminders, who didn’t ghost or make excuses. You thought of him, and a tiny spark of hope flickered inside, timid but undeniable.

You were tired of waiting for someone who had already chosen the world over you. And maybe—just maybe—it was time to let yourself be chosen instead.