Chapter 15: The Life I Chose for Myself

New York welcomed me with cold wind, crowded streets, and a strange sense of freedom.

For the first few days, everything felt overwhelming.

New office.

New apartment.

New responsibilities.

New life.

And for the first time in years, every decision belonged to me.

My promotion came with more work than I had expected, but I didn't complain.

I wanted this.

I wanted the late nights, the difficult meetings, and the pressure of proving that I deserved the position.

Three months later, I was standing in a conference room presenting our biggest project of the year.

When the final numbers appeared on the screen, the room went silent for a second.

Then my manager smiled.

“We got it.”

The client had signed the contract.

Everyone applauded.

I smiled, but the person I wanted to call wasn't Matteo.

That realization surprised me.

There was a time when he would have been the first person I told.

Instead, I called my mother.

She cried when I told her about the promotion.

“Your grandmother would have been so proud,” she said.

I looked at the quilt folded beside my bed.

“I think she would have.”

That night, I celebrated alone at a small restaurant near my apartment.

Halfway through dinner, I noticed a familiar face across the room.

Chiara.

My heart didn't race.

My hands didn't shake.

I simply stared at her for a moment.

She looked exhausted.

When she noticed me, her expression changed.

She stood and walked toward my table.

“Celeste.”

I put down my glass.

“What are you doing in New York?”

“I moved here a month ago.”

I raised an eyebrow.

“Why?”

She hesitated.

“Matteo and I ended things.”

I didn't respond.

“I know you don't want to hear this,” she continued, “but I owe you an apology.”

I looked at her quietly.

For years, I had imagined this moment.

I had imagined screaming at her.

I had imagined asking why she had done it.

But now that she was standing in front of me, none of those questions mattered.

“You don't owe me an explanation,” I said.

She looked surprised.

“I don't?”

“No.”

I took a sip of my drink.

“What happened between you and Matteo is yours to live with.”

Her eyes filled with tears.

“He really loved you.”

I gave her a small smile.

“Maybe.”

“Then why did he choose me?”

I looked out the window at the city lights.

“That's a question you should ask him.”

She nodded slowly.

Then she turned to leave.

Before she walked away, I said, “Chiara.”

She stopped.

“I hope you find whatever you were looking for.”

She looked back at me.

For the first time, there was no rivalry in her eyes.

Only regret.

After she left, I finished my dinner.

I didn't cry.

I didn't feel victorious.

I simply felt free.

Later that night, I received a message from Matteo.

“I heard you got the promotion. Congratulations.”

I stared at the message for a few seconds.

Then I replied.

“Thank you.”

Nothing more.

I placed my phone on the table and looked around my apartment.

My life was no longer something I was waiting to begin.

It had already begun.

And this time, I was the one deciding where it would go.