CHAPTER TWO – COMPLETELY CUTOFF

The familiar blue and white awning of La Cubanita sent a jolt of nervous excitement through Scarlett. Pushing open the door, the scent of sizzling garlic and fresh salsa filled the air. Scanning the room, her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. There, tucked away in a corner booth, sat Henry. But something was wrong. The usual warmth that radiated from him was absent, replaced by a deep silence that even the festive atmosphere of the restaurant couldn't penetrate. "Henry!" she exclaimed, her voice a touch too loud in the hushed restaurant. A flicker of something – annoyance? relief? – crossed his face before he plastered on a weak smile. "Scarlett," he said, gesturing to the seat across from him. "Come, sit." Scarlett sank into the plush booth, her eyes searching his. "You wanted to see me?" Henry nodded, his gaze fixed on the menu. They ordered in a tense silence, the clinking of silverware and murmur of conversation around them creating a stark contrast to the emptiness between them. Scarlett picked at her food, her appetite completely gone. Her mind was a chaotic mess of questions, each one more terrifying than the last. Finally, she could bear it no longer. "Henry," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "What is it? Why are you acting like this?" He looked up from his plate, his gaze heavy. "Scarlett," he began, his voice low and emotionless. "We need to talk." The weight of his words settled on her like a lead blanket. "Talk?" she echoed, her voice barely a whisper. "About what?" Henry drew a deep breath. "About us." A hysterical giggle escaped her lips. "Us? Are you serious? We're having lunch, in our spot, after you texted me all mysterious like..." Her voice trailed off, the absurdity of the situation hitting her. "Wait, are you...?" "We're done, Scarlett," he said, his voice cutting through her rising panic. "Our relationship... it's over." The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Done? Over? No. It couldn't be. "Over?" she repeated, the word a choked sob escaping her lips. "What do you mean over? How can you just say that?" Henry remained impassive. "It is what it is, Scarlett." "But why?" she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes. "What did I do? Did I say something? Was it something at work?" He shook his head, his jaw clenched tight. "It's not about that." "Then what is it?" she cried, her voice rising in desperation. "Don't you love me anymore? After everything we've been through?" His silence was a deafening answer. Panic morphed into a cold, sharp anger. "How can you just throw away five years like it's nothing?" "Scarlett," Henry said sharply, his voice a low growl that sent shivers down her spine. It was a tone she'd never heard from him before, a coldness that froze the budding hysteria within her. "Don't," he continued, his voice low but firm. "Don't make a scene." The world seemed to shrink, the vibrant restaurant fading into a blurry haze. This couldn't be happening. This wasn't Henry. The man who held her late into the night, whispering promises of a future together, was gone, replaced by this cold, emotionless stranger. "But... but I don't understand," she stammered, her voice cracking. "The lease on the apartment runs until the end of the month," he said, his voice devoid of warmth. "You may stay there until then. As for the car, please leave the keys with the receptionist on your way out." He rose from the table, his movements deliberate. Scarlett remained glued to her seat, tears streaming unchecked down her face. He leaned in close, his voice a cold whisper in her ear. "From now on, Scarlett," he said, "it's strictly professional. Is that understood?" He didn't wait for her answer. With a final, chilling glance, he turned and walked away, leaving Scarlett alone in a world that had suddenly become cold and unfamiliar. The once vibrant colors of the restaurant blurred before her eyes, replaced by a suffocating wave of despair. She had loved him. Trusted him. And for what? A cruel, one-sided goodbye The drive back to Terracotta Enterprises was a blur. Tears streamed down Scarlett's face, blurring the already hazy Miami streets. At work Scarlett sat at her desk, staring blankly at her computer screen. Emails popped up, but the words just seemed like a jumble. The ringing phone made her jump, but the voices on the other end faded into an indistinct murmur as soon as she said hello. "Hey, space cadet!" Scarlett's coworker Lisa appeared beside her desk. "You're really out of it today. Did the CEO finally wise up and dump you?" Lisa let out a harsh laugh. Normally, Scarlett would fire back a witty retort at Lisa's rude comments. But today, the insult just washed over her without registering. As the work day dragged on, Scarlett felt like she was moving through a thick fog. She typed emails and took calls on autopilot, her mind a numb blank. Finally, the clock inched towards 5 pm. Scarlett began shutting down her computer and gathering her things. Her manager Mike poked his head into her cubicle. "You okay, Scarlett? You've seemed really out of it all day." Scarlett forced a tight smile. "I'm fine, just a bit tired." She didn't feel like explaining the full situation. She said brief goodbyes to her remaining coworkers, who shot her concerned looks. Normally she was all smiles and energy as she left for the day. At the front lobby, Scarlett approached the security desk, car keys dangling from her fingers. She stared down at the familiar Ferrari key fob, a lump rising in her throat. Scarlett blinked back tears as she dropped the keys into the metal basket. "Here you go, Alex," she managed in a cracked whisper. The weight of the keys felt like an anchor, dragging her down into the depths of their shattered future. Hailing a taxi, she slumped into the back seat, the city unfolding before her like a cruel slideshow of memories. They'd had their first kiss under the shade of the Banyan tree at Bayfront Park, the scent of jasmine heavy in the summer air. They'd celebrated her birthday with a romantic dinner at the Rickenbacker Causeway, watching the sun set over the turquoise waters. Every corner held a memory, every street a whisper of laughter and stolen moments. Back at the penthouse, the luxurious apartment felt cold and sterile. The silence was deafening, broken only by the insistent buzzing of her phone. Missed calls from Clara and Sam flashed on the screen, but Scarlett ignored them. There were no words to explain what had happened, no comfort to be found in empty platitudes. The night stretched before her, a vast expanse of loneliness. She curled up on the plush sofa, surrounded by the trappings of a life that now felt like a lie. The music on the radio was about heartbreak, each song tearing away at the last flickers of her hope. Exhaustion eventually claimed her, and she drifted off into a restless sleep. Waking with a tear-stained face, the first rays of dawn filtering through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Scarlett reached for her phone. Just as she was about to press Clara's number, a notification popped up – a news alert. Her heart skipped a beat as she recognized the image – Henry, his arm around the curvaceous form of the famous actress, Raquel Rodriguez. The headline screamed: "Miami's Power Couple: Henry Davies and Raquel Rodriguez Step Out!" Scarlett stared at the picture, the blood draining from her face. The carefully constructed facade of their relationship, the stolen moments, the whispered promises – all a sham.