TO PROVE HE MOVED ON,HE INVITED EX TO HIS WEDDING—BUT SHE WALKED IN WITH HIS BOSS & STOLE THE NIGHT

Imani’s breath caught. Five years. Five years of late-night talks, shared dreams, and sacrifices—her moving across the city to be closer to his job, her skipping grad school to support his ambitions. And now, this. “More?” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. “What does that even mean, Tariq?” He sighed, running a hand over his close-cropped hair. “You’re… comfortable, Imani. I need someone who pushes me, who matches my drive. I’m going places, and I can’t—” He paused, as if searching for a kinder way to twist the knife. “I can’t have you holding me back.” The words landed like a slap. Imani’s fingers dug into her palms, but she refused to let the tears pooling in her eyes fall. Not in front of him. “Holding you back?” she said, her voice steady despite the storm inside. “I’ve been your cheerleader, your planner, your everything. I put my life on hold for you.”