Everyone knew Ava Chen was just keeping Dr. Julian Vance' s spot warm. He, a brilliant Columbia astrophysicist; I, a New York financial analyst. We were dating, but his great love, my former best friend Chloe, was merely on fellowship, her return an unspoken ticking clock. The clock exploded the day Julian stood me up at City Hall for our marriage license. An Instagram story appeared instead: Julian, smiling, at Chloe' s surprise welcome-back party. My heart didn' t just break; it fractured into a dull, final ache. I shredded the marriage application. Later, Chloe brought a drunken Julian to my apartment, his subtle taunts confirming my place. He then whispered it: "Chloe." The ultimate affront. His cold, indifferent "Take the pill" solidified our transactional reality. I was a placeholder. My deep love unrequited, our relationship a cruel joke of neglect and manipulation. Why did I cling to a love that never truly saw me? But my tears turned to cold fury. I canceled wedding leave, applied for a senior analyst role in London. I would shed the "placeholder" and forge a fierce new beginning, on my own terms.
Everyone knew Ava Chen was just keeping Dr. Julian Vance' s spot warm.
He, a brilliant Columbia astrophysicist; I, a New York financial analyst.
We were dating, but his great love, my former best friend Chloe, was merely on fellowship, her return an unspoken ticking clock.
The clock exploded the day Julian stood me up at City Hall for our marriage license.
An Instagram story appeared instead: Julian, smiling, at Chloe' s surprise welcome-back party.
My heart didn' t just break; it fractured into a dull, final ache.
I shredded the marriage application.
Later, Chloe brought a drunken Julian to my apartment, his subtle taunts confirming my place.
He then whispered it: "Chloe." The ultimate affront.
His cold, indifferent "Take the pill" solidified our transactional reality.
I was a placeholder. My deep love unrequited, our relationship a cruel joke of neglect and manipulation.
Why did I cling to a love that never truly saw me?
But my tears turned to cold fury.
I canceled wedding leave, applied for a senior analyst role in London.
I would shed the "placeholder" and forge a fierce new beginning, on my own terms.
Introduction
16/06/2025
Chapter 1
16/06/2025
Chapter 2
16/06/2025
Chapter 3
16/06/2025
Chapter 4
16/06/2025
Chapter 5
16/06/2025
Chapter 6
16/06/2025
Chapter 7
16/06/2025
Chapter 8
16/06/2025
Chapter 9
16/06/2025
Chapter 10
16/06/2025
Chapter 11
16/06/2025
Chapter 12
16/06/2025
Chapter 13
16/06/2025
Chapter 14
16/06/2025
Chapter 15
16/06/2025
Chapter 16
16/06/2025
Chapter 17
16/06/2025
Chapter 18
16/06/2025
Chapter 19
16/06/2025
Chapter 20
16/06/2025
Chapter 21
16/06/2025
Chapter 22
16/06/2025
Chapter 23
16/06/2025
Chapter 24
16/06/2025
Chapter 25
16/06/2025
Chapter 26
16/06/2025
Chapter 27
16/06/2025
Chapter 28
16/06/2025
Chapter 29
16/06/2025
Chapter 30
16/06/2025
Chapter 31
16/06/2025
Other books by Gavin
More