Chapter 3: Desperate Farewell
2222words
"Are you sure you're ready to leave?" Lily asked, concern etched across her face as she packed Mona's few belongings into an overnight bag.
Mona nodded silently. She couldn't bear to spend another minute in this place, where the walls seemed to echo with Gavin's accusations and her own grief. Every nurse's sympathetic glance, every doctor's clinical explanation of her "spontaneous miscarriage" was another knife to her heart.
"I've called a car," Lily said, helping Mona into a loose cardigan. "We'll go straight to my place. You shouldn't be alone right now."
Mona wanted to protest, to insist that she was fine, but the truth was, she wasn't sure she could face her empty apartment—the apartment she had shared with Gavin, filled with memories and dreams that now lay shattered.
As they walked through the hospital corridor, Mona kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with anyone they passed. She felt marked somehow, as if her grief and humiliation were visible for all to see.
Outside, the October air was crisp, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and the promise of winter. Mona inhaled deeply, trying to clear her lungs of the antiseptic hospital smell. The car Lily had arranged was waiting, a sleek black sedan with tinted windows that offered blessed anonymity.
"Miss Ellis," the driver greeted her with a respectful nod, opening the door.
The drive to Lily's Upper East Side apartment was mercifully quiet. Lily seemed to understand Mona's need for silence, simply holding her hand as they navigated through Manhattan's busy streets. Mona stared out the window, watching the city blur past—the city that had once represented all her hopes and dreams, now felt alien and hostile.
Her phone, which Lily had retrieved from her apartment, buzzed incessantly in her bag. Notifications from fashion blogs, emails from colleagues, and text messages from acquaintances inquiring about her sudden absence from work. But nothing from Gavin. Not that she expected anything. Their last interaction in the hospital had made his feelings abundantly clear.
"We're here," Lily announced softly as the car pulled up to her building.
Lily's apartment was a sanctuary of warmth and comfort, with its eclectic furniture, colorful throw pillows, and walls adorned with art from her travels. It was so different from the minimalist, designer-approved aesthetic of Mona's shared apartment with Gavin.
"I've set up the guest room for you," Lily said, leading Mona through the living room. "And I've taken the liberty of bringing some of your clothes from your place. I thought you might not want to go back there right away."
Mona felt a rush of gratitude for her friend's thoughtfulness. "Thank you, Lily. For everything."
"That's what friends are for," Lily replied with a gentle smile. "Now, why don't you rest while I make us some tea?"
Mona nodded and retreated to the guest room. It was small but cozy, with a comfortable bed covered in a patchwork quilt and a window overlooking a quiet courtyard. She sank onto the bed, exhaustion washing over her. She hadn't slept properly since that fateful night, her dreams haunted by images of blood and the tiny life she had lost.
She was almost drifting off when her phone rang, jolting her back to consciousness. The screen displayed a name that made her heart race: "Eliza Chen, Fraser Design HR."
With a trembling finger, she accepted the call.
"Hello, Mona speaking."
"Miss Ellis," Eliza's voice was formal, lacking its usual warmth. "I'm calling regarding your position at Fraser Design."
Mona sat up straighter, a sense of foreboding washing over her. "Yes?"
"In light of recent… events, the company has decided to terminate your employment, effective immediately."
The words hit Mona like a physical blow. "Terminate? On what grounds?"
There was a pause, and when Eliza spoke again, her voice was lower, almost apologetic. "The official reason is restructuring of the design department. But off the record, Mona… there are rumors circulating. About you, about what happened with Mr. Fraser, and… other matters."
Mona's hand tightened around the phone. "What rumors?"
"That you… terminated a pregnancy deliberately, against Mr. Fraser's wishes. That you've been using your relationship with him to advance your career. Sophie Winters has been named the new creative director, and she's… well, she's been quite vocal about her opinions."
Mona felt as if she couldn't breathe. Sophie hadn't just stolen Gavin and caused her miscarriage; she was now systematically destroying Mona's professional reputation as well.
"That's not true," Mona managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper. "None of it is true."
"I believe you," Eliza said quietly. "But my hands are tied. The decision comes from the top. Your personal belongings will be packed and delivered to your address, and you'll receive three months' severance pay."
After ending the call, Mona sat in stunned silence. She had lost everything—her baby, her fiancé, and now her job. The career she had worked so hard to build was crumbling around her, all because of Sophie's lies and Gavin's betrayal.
Lily found her like that, staring blankly at the wall, phone still clutched in her hand.
"Mona? What happened?"
When Mona explained, Lily's expression transformed from concern to fury. "That bastard! He can't do this to you. We'll fight it—wrongful termination, defamation. My cousin's a lawyer, she can—"
"No," Mona interrupted, a strange calm settling over her. "No legal battles."
"But Mona, they can't just destroy your reputation based on lies!"
"They already have." Mona stood up, walking to the window. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the courtyard. "Gavin owns half the fashion industry in New York. Sophie is connected to the other half. If they want to blacklist me, they can."
"So you're just going to give up?" Lily asked incredulously.
Mona turned to face her friend, a new determination in her eyes. "No. I'm going to leave."
"Leave? Leave where?"
"New York. Maybe America altogether." The idea, which had been forming in her mind since the hospital, suddenly crystallized into a plan. "I need a fresh start, Lily. Somewhere where Gavin's name doesn't open every door and Sophie's lies don't follow me."
Lily stared at her, concern and understanding warring in her expression. "Where would you go?"
"Paris," Mona said without hesitation. "The fashion capital of the world. A place where talent still matters more than connections."
"Paris," Lily repeated, testing the word. "That's… a big move."
"I know. But what's left for me here? Every design house in New York is either owned by Fraser Investments or connected to it. My reputation is in tatters. And I can't…" her voice broke slightly, "I can't walk these streets knowing I might run into them, seeing their faces on Page Six, hearing about their perfect life together while I'm trying to piece mine back together."
Lily was silent for a long moment, then nodded slowly. "If anyone can make it in Paris, it's you. Your talent is undeniable, Mona. No matter what Sophie says."
Mona felt a flicker of hope for the first time since that terrible night. "I still have my designs—the ones Fraser Design rejected for being 'too avant-garde.' And my savings should be enough to get me started."
"When would you go?" Lily asked, already sounding resigned to the idea.
"As soon as possible. Before I lose my nerve. Before…" she trailed off, but the unspoken words hung between them: before Gavin and Sophie could hurt her any more than they already had.
The next morning, Mona steeled herself for what she knew would be a difficult task: returning to her apartment to collect her most important belongings. Lily had offered to go alone, but Mona knew she needed to do this herself, to face the remnants of her old life before leaving it behind.
The doorman greeted her with a sympathetic smile that told her he knew everything—or at least, Sophie's version of everything. News traveled fast in New York's elite circles.
"Miss Ellis," he said, holding the elevator for her. "Good to see you."
The apartment was exactly as she had left it that fateful night, with one glaring difference: all traces of Gavin were gone. His clothes, his books, his collection of vintage watches—all vanished, as if he had never lived there at all.
Mona moved through the rooms like a ghost, collecting only what was essential: her design portfolios, her sketchbooks, her sewing machine, and a few cherished personal items. She deliberately left behind anything Gavin had given her, including the engagement ring, which she placed on the kitchen counter with a note that simply read: "For Sophie."
As she packed, her phone rang again. Unknown number. Against her better judgment, she answered.
"Is this Mona Ellis?" a woman's voice asked.
"Yes, who's calling?"
"This is Vanessa Moore from Style Weekly. We're doing a piece on Sophie Winters' appointment as creative director at Fraser Design, and we'd love to get your comment on the situation, especially regarding the rumors about your… personal choices."
Mona's hand tightened around the phone. "No comment," she said coldly, and hung up.
Within minutes, her phone was buzzing with calls from other publications, all seeking her response to Sophie's rise and her own fall from grace. It seemed Sophie was making sure her version of events dominated the narrative.
By the time Mona finished packing what she needed, she had blocked over a dozen numbers and turned off her social media notifications. The fashion world was buzzing with gossip, and she was at the center of it.
Back at Lily's apartment, Mona made the final arrangements for her departure. A one-way ticket to Paris for the following evening. A small studio apartment in the 11th arrondissement, found through a friend of Lily's who had studied abroad. It was all happening so fast, but Mona knew that if she hesitated, she might never find the courage to leave.
That evening, as they shared a quiet dinner, Lily raised her glass in a toast. "To new beginnings," she said, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"To new beginnings," Mona echoed, clinking her glass against Lily's.
Later, as she was preparing for bed, Mona's phone buzzed with a text message. Her heart stopped when she saw the sender: Gavin.
For a moment, her finger hovered over the delete button. But curiosity won out, and she opened the message.
"I heard you're leaving New York. Good. It's better for everyone if you disappear. Just know that I will never forgive you for what you did to our child."
Mona stared at the screen, a cold fury replacing the pain in her heart. He still believed Sophie's lies. He still thought she had deliberately terminated their baby. And now he was glad she was leaving, as if she were the villain in this story.
With steady hands, she typed her response: "One day, Gavin, you'll learn the truth. And when that day comes, remember that it was you who chose to believe her lies over my love. Goodbye."
She blocked his number immediately after sending the message, a symbolic severing of the last tie between them.
The next day passed in a blur of last-minute preparations. Lily had taken the day off work to help Mona, driving her to the bank to close her accounts, to the post office to forward her mail, and finally to the airport.
As they stood at the security checkpoint, Lily pulled Mona into a fierce hug. "Promise you'll call as soon as you land. And that you'll let me visit once you're settled."
"I promise," Mona said, returning the embrace. "Thank you, Lily. For everything."
"Go show Paris what a real designer looks like," Lily said with a watery smile. "And remember, this isn't running away. It's running toward something better."
Mona nodded, too emotional to speak. With a final wave, she turned and walked through security, not allowing herself to look back.
On the plane, as New York disappeared beneath the clouds, Mona closed her eyes and placed a hand on her still-tender abdomen. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you," she whispered to the child she had lost. "But I promise, I'll make a life that would have made you proud."
As the aircraft soared across the Atlantic, Mona Ellis left behind the shattered pieces of her old life—the betrayal, the loss, the humiliation. Ahead lay Paris, and with it, the chance to rebuild herself from the ground up.
What she didn't know, as she drifted into an exhausted sleep, was that three years later, she would return to New York. Not as the broken, discarded fiancée of Gavin Fraser, but as Mona Ellis, the design sensation who had taken Paris by storm. And when that day came, Gavin Fraser and Sophie Winters would learn that they had made the biggest mistake of their lives in underestimating her.
But for now, she slept, carried toward a new beginning by the wings of an airplane and the fierce determination that burned in her heart.
