The Reclaimed Rose (Annalise and Steven)

Yvette had braced herself for those words to shatter her but found herself surprisingly calm. In fact, a wave of freedom washed over her.

"It came to me recently," she said.

The truth was, it was Sherry's advice that finally made everything click. Once Yvette made the decision to let go, a surprising sense of relief settled in. She even began to understand where Sherry was coming from.

Holding on to a relationship that had turned so toxic wasn't worth it. It was better to walk away. There would be a brief sting, but once it passed, it felt like a heavy burden had been lifted from her chest.

Gavin narrowed his eyes, his gaze locked on Yvette as he tried to make sense of what she meant.

"I'm done holding on to you," she added, calm and unwavering.

Gavin lifted his arm and absentmindedly drummed his fingers against the car window.

Yvette continued, "I've already asked my mom to help me find some potential matches. Starting tomorrow, I'll be meeting with different guys. If I find the right one, I'll get married.

"And if you meet someone who's right for you and want to be with her, I won't get in your way again. I wish you a happy life."

Gavin snorted. "You've said that before. But when have you actually followed through? I'd be impressed if you could pull it off just once."

Yvette took a deep breath. "This time, it's different. I'll admit, I didn't manage it before. But this time, I'm not looking back."

Gavin turned his gaze away. "I bet you'll change your mind before the day's out." Yvette gave a small smile. "We'll see, won't we?"

Gavin didn't take her seriously in the slightest bit. With a hint of disdain, he hit the gas and drove off.

The road was almost empty. Yvette stood by the roadside, scanning the empty stretch in both directions, but not a single car came into view. She knew no one would pull over to offer a ride even if she waited.

She pulled out her phone and called a friend. "You busy?"

"Nope."

"Can you come pick me up? I'll send you the address."

After receiving her location, her friend sounded puzzled. "How'd you end up all the way out there?"

Yvette didn't feel like bringing up Gavin again, so she said, "I just felt like checking this place out."

Her friend sighed. "You've got too much free time, huh?"

Yvette laughed it off.

When the workday ended at noon, Sasha eagerly told Sherry she was treating her to lunch.

Since Sherry had left her job with Gavin, her paycheck had taken a noticeable jump. She'd always been cautious about spending, constantly stressing over whether she'd have enough to get by.

However, things were different now. She always had extra cash. She didn't havenoveldrama

to worry about her expenses every time she hung out with her friends.

Sherry followed Sasha, asking, "So, what's for lunch?"

"Pizza. You good with that?" Sasha glanced over her shoulder.

Sherry nodded. "Of course!"

When she'd been with Gavin, he'd often used his aversion to strong flavors as an excuse to steer her toward bland, flavorless meals. But deep down, she'd always craved botd, flavorful dishes.

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Now that they were done, she figured it was finally time to enjoy the food she truly loved. The same went for her hair and her wardrobe. As Sherry pondered, she glanced down and took in her appearance.