He Left Me Shattered; Now, He Wants Me Back

Chapter Two

I don’t remember how I got home that night.

The rain had soaked through my clothes, but I felt nothing. My body was frozen, my mind empty, my heart shattered beyond recognition.

Ryan’s words echoed in my head over and over again.

"We’re done."

"Get out."

And Ashley… my best friend. Her smirk. Her mocking voice. The way she clung to him like I had never existed.

But even after all that, I wasn’t ready to give up.

Maybe Ryan was just confused. Maybe Ashley had manipulated him. Maybe… maybe if I talked to his family, they could help me.

Ryan’s mother, Mrs. Calloway, had always been kind to me. His younger siblings adored me. If I told them what had happened, they would tell Ryan he was making a mistake.

They could fix this.

They had to.

The Calloway's mansion was just as I remembered—tall gates, perfectly trimmed hedges, marble steps leading up to the grand entrance. But as I walked up to the door, something felt… wrong.

The warmth I had always associated with this place was gone.

Taking a shaky breath, I knocked.

A few moments later, the heavy door creaked open. Mrs. Calloway stood there, her sharp brown eyes sweeping over me.

For a second, I saw something flicker in them—surprise, maybe. Or disgust.

Then her lips curled into a thin, unimpressed smile.

"Emma," she said, voice cold. "What are you doing here?"

I forced myself to smile, pretending I didn’t notice the shift in her tone. "I… I needed to talk to you. It’s about Ryan. He—he made a mistake. I just—" My voice wobbled, but I pushed through. "I just need to talk to him, but he won’t listen to me. Please, Mrs. Calloway, if you could—"

She held up a hand, cutting me off.

And then, she laughed.

A low, cruel sound.

"Ryan didn’t make a mistake, dear." She tilted her head. "He simply outgrew you."

Her words slapped me harder than Ryan’s betrayal had.

I stepped back. "What?"

Mrs. Calloway sighed dramatically, as if my presence was exhausting her. "Did you really think you were good enough for my son? That a girl like you could ever be his future?"

My blood turned to ice.

"You were fun for a while," she continued, "but Ryan has bigger dreams. A serious future. And that future doesn’t include… whatever you are."

My heart pounded in my ears. "But—he loved me. He told me he wanted a family one day. That he—"

"He was young and stupid," she snapped, her voice loud "But he knows better now."

I felt my chest crack open. Was this real at all?

I had loved this woman. Respected her like she was my own mother. She had once treated me like family.

But now?

Now she was looking at me like I was garbage. Have I done anything wrong to deserve this from them?

Her lips curled. "Take my advice, Emma. Leave. Find someone in your own league. You were never meant to be part of this world."

I wasn't Ryan league?. After staying with him all my life and after sacrificing my own happiness for his.

A hollow silence stretched between us.

And then…

"Who’s at the door?"

I turned just as Ryan’s younger sister, Olivia, walked up behind their mother. She was only sixteen, with bright green eyes that had always been full of admiration for me.

But the moment she saw me, her face twisted into a sneer.

"Ugh," she scoffed. "Why is she here?"

My stomach twisted painfully. Was this a planned work from them,?

Mrs. Calloway chuckled. "I was just telling her the truth. Ryan has moved on."

Olivia smirked. "Finally. She was so clingy and embarrassing. Ashley is way better for him."

I sucked in a sharp breath, my hands clenching at my sides.

Olivia had once called me her big sister. I took her as my younger sister, I've always watched her grow into the beautiful lady she is becoming.

Now she was laughing at my pain.

Something inside me snapped.

I took a deep, shuddering breath and stepped back.

"Thank you," I whispered.

Mrs. Calloway arched a brow. "For what?"

I lifted my chin, forcing the tears back. I won't allow them get to me.

"For showing me exactly where I stand in Ryan’s life."

I turned without another word and walked away, my steps slow but steady.

They thought they had broken me.

They thought I would beg.

But they had done something much worse.

They had made me angry.

And as I stepped onto the street, pressing a trembling hand to my stomach, I made a silent promise.

Ryan would never see me again.

And neither would they.