A World Away from Him

The awards ceremony ended, and so did we. I broke up with Liam Walker, Crestwood PDs golden boy.
All this because I gave the commendation for the serial killer case to Lily? he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.
Yes.
Fine, he said, the smirk never wavering. Just don't come crying back to me.
From the academy to the city precinct, we had been partners for a decade. Everyone said we were a perfect match. He was convinced that without him, I was nothing.
So he ignored me, again and again. Betrayed me, again and again. He chose a junior colleague over me and stole the honor that should have been mine.
But the commendation was just an excuse.
The truth was, my transfer orders had come in yesterday. I was leaving Crestwood for Veridian City, a world away from him.
This time, I was truly done with him. From now on, our paths would never cross again.

1.
"I'm the one who ended it. I won't have any regrets."
"Do you even remember how many times you've said that?" He leaned back in his chair, the picture of nonchalance. "Was it the 97th time? 98th? Or 99th?"
He was right. I'd lost count of how many times I'd used breaking up as a threat. But even so, he and Lily Evans never stopped their little dance.
A colleague nearby chuckled. "Come on, Claire, what's the drama? You can't live without Liam."
I ignored them all, silently packing the belongings on my desk.
"Claire, stop the theatrics. You're not going to quit your job over this, are you?"
When I didn't respond, he strode over, grabbing my arm so hard I stumbled.
Just then, Lily's cheerful voice cut through the tension. "Liam, my parents want to take a trip down south. You have so much experience, could you help them plan an itinerary?"
The old me would have exploded right then and there, calling him out for his lack of boundaries and her for her shameless advances. But what was the point? Nearly a hundred arguments had only pushed them closer together.
Seeing that neither of us was paying her any attention, the smile finally fell from Lily's face. Her eyes reddened, and she began to sob.
"Liam... Claire... please don't fight because of me." She wiped at her tears, her voice choked. "This commendation... I begged him for it. My family... we're going through a hard time, and I really needed the bonus and the honor. He only gave it to me because he felt sorry for me. Claire, please don't blame him. It's all my fault."
It was a masterful performance, painting her as a pitiful victim of circumstance. If I pressed the issue now, I would look like a bully. Liam, his heartstrings thoroughly tugged, handed her a tissue.
Watching his tender gesture, the eight years of frustration and hurt I had suppressed erupted all at once.
"Do you two really take me for a fool? Liam, the night you didn't come home, it was Lily who answered your phone. She said you were in the shower."
"That black jacket you're wearingthat's Lily's, isn't it? And the white shirt she wore two days ago? That was the birthday gift I gave you. The embroidery on the cuff took me two weeks."
The office fell silent. Everyone stared at me, shocked. In their eyes, I had always been the gentle, good-tempered Claire Reed. They had never seen me this furious.
"You two are disgusting," I spat.
Liam stared at me, his face a mask of disbelief. "Claire, have you lost your mind? How could you say that about Lily? How could you try to ruin a young girl's reputation?"
Seeing him leap to her defense, righteous and indignant, I suddenly found it all laughable. Without another word, I turned and walked away.
All night, my phone buzzed incessantly. Notifications from Liam.
Restaurant reservation successful.
Hotel room confirmed.
Your takeout order is on its way.
Your Durex delivery has been dispatched.
He was just trying to provoke me. The old me would have already called him, begging him to come back.
But this time, I truly didn't care.

2.
Just as the sky began to lighten, I saw Lily's new social media post. A photo of an elegant Western-style breakfast, captioned: "A new day starts with a beautiful breakfast."
In the corner of the photo was a man's hand, knuckles well-defined. On his ring finger was a ring.
The one I had saved up for three months to have custom-made. The only one of its kind in the world.
I commented directly below the picture: "A whore and a dog, till death do you part."
Not long after I posted it, my doorbell rang.
Standing at the door was a bouquet of vibrant red roses. I froze for a second, then remembered. Today was my three-year anniversary with Liam. After eight years together, he still didn't remember that I hated red roses. That I loved lilies.
An image of his smug face flashed in my mindordering flowers for me after a night with her. The thought was sickening.
My phone lit up with a message from him: "Happy Anniversary."
How ironic.
I kicked the offensive bouquet across the hallway and, without a moment's hesitation, blocked and deleted his number. A cake delivery guy, just stepping out of the elevator, stared at the mess in shock. He was holding a mango layer cake. A shame. I was allergic to mango.
"It's yours," I said, slamming the door shut. The "thud" was the only sound before the tears started streaming down my face.
What had I been to him for these past eight years? Less than a pet dog. For him, I had given up a prestigious position with the Forensics Unit in Veridian City to stay in this small town. Looking back, the regret was overwhelming. A man like him was never worth sacrificing my future for.
Blocked, Liam sent a message from an unknown number: "Don't be angry. You're talented enough to get a commendation on the next big case. Don't be so petty."
He still didn't get it. It was never about the damn commendation. It was about the betrayal.
Shaking off the thoughts, I started packing. The apartment was filled with his things; mine were few and far between. Suddenly, I remembered I'd left the autopsy report for the serial killer case at the office.
After some hesitation, I went back to the Crestwood PD. As I passed the squad room, I heard familiar voices.
"Captain Walker, you look like you've seen a ghost. So she blocked you? She'll unblock you eventually."
"This is the first time she's ever blocked me," he said with a wry, careless laugh.
"What did you do to make our ice queen so mad?" a colleague joked.
"It was just about the commendation."
"That's it? Does our top ME really need one more commendation? It was good to give it to Lily. Poor kid's been living in Claire's shadow. If it wasn't for you, she probably would've never gotten one in her life."
I walked straight past them. The noisy room fell instantly silent, broken only by a few awkward coughs. So, they did feel embarrassed when caught gossiping.
Liam rushed over and grabbed my wrist, his brow furrowed. "Claire, what is this really about? Can't we just talk?"
But I had no time for him. Because inside the forensics lab, Lily was flipping through my autopsy report, a strange smile on her face.
"Let go of me!" I yanked my arm free from Liam's grip, stormed into the lab, and slapped Lily hard across the face.
She clutched her cheek, staring at me in shock.
"Are you sick? Do you just get off on stealing other people's things?" I bent down, snatched my report off the floor, and glared at her. "Stealing my man wasn't enough? Then you tried to get my job right after graduation, manipulated Liam into stealing my commendation, and now you're putting your hands on my case files?"
"Claire! How could you hit her!" Liam burst in, immediately pulling Lily into his arms.
Burrowing into his chest, Lily started her waterworks. "I... I wasn't trying to steal it. I just admire you so much, Claire. I wanted to see what one of your reports looked like... I didn't mean any harm..."
I knew she would play the victim whether I hit her or not. I might as well get the satisfaction.
"Admire me? Lily, you have a strange way of showing it. Admiring me so much you have to take everything that's mine."

3.
"Claire, have you made enough of a scene?" Liam's voice was tight with anger as he held Lily even closer. "This is between us. Leave her out of it!"
I strode forward. Before he could react, I swung my arm and landed another loud, stinging slap squarely across his face.
His eyes blazed with fury, but I knew he wouldn't dare hit me back here, at the precinct, in front of everyone.
Just as I predicted, he clenched his jaw, forcing his anger down. "Claire Reed," he said through gritted teeth, "you have just assaulted a colleague. I will be reporting this to Internal Affairs."
As they walked away, Lily clinging to him, I called out after them, my voice loud and clear. "Good. I'll be reporting Captain Walker and Dr. Evans for their inappropriate relationship and for bringing disgrace to this department. Let's see who goes down first!"
Liam's steps faltered for a moment before he hurried Lily away even faster.
My colleagues from the forensics unit gathered around me, offering clumsy words of comfort.
"Claire, calm down. Captain Walker is just confused right now..."
"Yeah, you two have been through so much. This will all blow over in a few days."
"That Lily, honestly... don't let her get to you."
I straightened the report in my hands. "It's fine," I said coolly. "I'm not upset. We've already broken up, anyway."
The air froze. "I don't believe you" was written on every single face.
Of course, they didn't believe it. No one would believe that I could ever leave Liam Walker.
Back at the academy, we had been the light in each other's lives, the ones who saved each other. We were the campus's golden couple. Everyone knew how much he doted on meenough to pluck the stars from the sky, enough to cut ties with his own family for my sake. He'd even used his entire life's savings right after graduation to pay off the massive gambling debts my parents had left behind.
Everyone said he had saved me. But he always told them, "We saved each other. If I hadn't met Claire, I might not have had the courage to keep living."
From the moment I pulled him back from that rooftop ledge, we became each other's anchor. Everyone said Claire Reed was madly in love, that she couldn't survive without Liam Walker.
All of that began to curdle the day Lily, our junior, appeared.
Our world of two suddenly had a third. She was always there, chirping "Liam" this and "Claire" that, her familiarity feeling both natural and intrusive. At a class reunion, someone joked that we looked like a "happy little family of three."
But I knew. She was after Liam. From the first moment that fragile-looking junior timidly called me "Claire," I knew our story was about to change.
I first met her at the precinct entrance. It was her first day as a forensic intern, and she arrived in Liam's car. When she got out of the passenger's side, she was holding a half-eaten bag of spicy chips.
That seat. Liam had once sworn to me, "This is Queen Claire's throne. No one else is allowed to sit here."
The smell of artificial spice hit me, and I saw greasy fingerprints all over the limited-edition action figure on the dashboard. My brow tightened, and anger flared inside me.
But Liam just placated me. "She's my professor's niece, Claire. She's young and doesn't know any better. Don't stoop to her level."
That night, we had the biggest fight of our lives.
And that night, for the very first time, I said the word "breakup."
The second time I saw her was at the restaurant where Liam and I had our first date. The two of them were laughing together. Liam was rambling about how I didn't know how to dress, how Lily was so much more vibrant. The moment he saw me, he rushed to explain. "I was just about to call you! My professor asked me to show Lily around, and she chose this place."
Lily stood up timidly. "Claire... I'm so sorry. I didn't know this restaurant was special to you and Liam..."
I looked at the food already on their table and my anger boiled over. I calmly suggested we break up again, then grabbed my stunned best friend's arm and stormed out.
Incidents like these became more and more frequent. He made too many exceptions for her. I fought back, again and again, and the only result was that they grew closer.
I couldn't bear to throw away all our years together. After every fight, all it took was for him to soften his tone, to murmur a few sweet words, and I would forgive him. I gave him a hundred chances.
Until the awards ceremony, when he gave the commendation that was rightfully mine to Lily.
In that moment, he used up his very last chance.

4.
The day I went to the precinct to pick up my transfer papers, I ran into Liam and Lily. It was no surprise. They were wearing matching jackets, like a couple. I remembered asking him to wear matching outfits with me, and he'd always called me childish. Now, here he was, doing it willingly.
When he saw me walk past him without a glance, Liam hurried to catch up. "Do you have to be like this? Are you really going to throw away our entire future over one commendation?"
Lily rushed over too, her eyes red and tearful. "Claire, please don't blame Liam. It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, you two wouldn't have..."
Her words were cut short by a sudden commotion.
A man with a twisted expression, looking completely unhinged, was charging toward us, brandishing a gleaming dagger.
"Look out!" Liam yelled instinctively.
In that instant, time seemed to crawl.
His eyes darted between me and Lily. In that split second, without a shred of hesitation, he spun around and threw his body over the crying girl, shielding her completely.
The dagger, fueled by a madman's hatred, came straight for me.
I wasn't defenseless, but his choicehis instant, unthinking choice to protect herstunned me. My reaction was half a second too slow.
Darkness swarmed my vision as my colleagues surged forward and subdued the attacker.
Liam, still holding the terrified Lily, looked back at me. His handsome face was a canvas of panic... and guilt. He started to move toward me, but Lily clung to him, her grip like a vise.
I woke up in the hospital.
"Where's Liam?"
"He took Lily home. He said she was terrified and needed someone with her."
I closed my eyes and said nothing more. A little while later, I saw Lily's new post. He was at the mall with her. Shopping.
I stared at the picture for a long, long time. The wound on my arm throbbed, but my heart was calm. I felt no ripples, no waves.
So this is what it feels like for a heart to die. No tears, no drama. Not pain, not even an ache. Just... nothing.
Soon, a message from him arrived. "Claire, get some rest. I have to go out of town for an assignment. Be good and wait for me to come home, okay?"
He must have thought that because I'd unblocked him, I had forgiven him, just like all the other times.
He was wrong. I had only unblocked him to tell him about my transfer. But now, it seemed, there was no need.
I blocked him again and boarded the plane to Veridian City.

5.
When Liam Walker saw he'd been blocked again, his brow furrowed in irritation. But the notice for an urgent assignment quickly pushed the thought from his mind. He told himself Claire was just throwing another tantrum. He'd go back and smooth things over, just like he always did.
Beside him, Lily saw the look on his face and gently took his arm. "Liam, what's wrong? Are you tired? Let me get you some coffee."
He allowed her to fuss over him, temporarily shelving his annoyance with Claire.
It wasn't until a regional conference that he overheard a conversation from the forensics table.
"Did you hear Claire Reed put in for a transfer to Veridian City? Such a shame, she's a brilliant ME."
"Yeah, I heard it's already finalized. She's already gone."
A strange sense of dread coiled in Liam's stomach.

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