Julian tried walking past me into the foyer, but I stayed planted firmly in the doorway, blocking him. His smirk slipped slightly.
“What’s going on, Chloe? Let me in. It’s freezing out here.”
“You don’t live here anymore, Julian,” I said casually, resting my hands against the doorframe.
He laughed sharply in disbelief. “What are you talking about? Stop playing games. Look, I know you’re upset that I needed some space, but it was necessary for my mental health. You’re being dramatic.”
“I’m not playing games, and I’m definitely not being dramatic,” I replied evenly. “Look around.”
Julian leaned slightly to glance into the apartment. The sleek modern living room looked completely different now. His enormous television was gone, replaced with my easel and canvas. The coffee table that used to overflow with his car magazines now sat clean with fresh lilies arranged in the center. His eyes widened as the emptiness of his presence in the apartment finally registered. Ignoring my boundaries one last time, he shoved past my arm and rushed into the bedroom.
I followed slowly, stopping in the doorway. He yanked open the closet doors only to find my dresses spread comfortably across the entire rack. His side of the bed was empty. His shoe rack was bare. The realization hit him like a punch to the chest. The color drained from his face, and his breathing faltered.
“Where… where is my stuff?” he stammered while turning toward me, his voice stripped of every ounce of confidence. Suddenly he looked vulnerable, confused, and painfully small. “Chloe, what did you do? You can’t just throw me out! We’ve been together for two years!”
“Your things are downstairs in the secure storage locker,” I answered calmly. “Marcus has the key. You have until tomorrow morning to remove them before they’re transferred to a paid storage unit under your name.”
