“Come on, sweetheart. It was just a proposal. Don’t take it so personally.”
‘Don’t take it personally? Do you have any idea how much this means to me?’
He sighed, clearly tired of the conversation. ‘Look, if you were good enough, you wouldn’t need me to stand up for you, right?’ I stared at him, speechless. But something shifted inside me. A determination I hadn’t felt in years flared up inside me. ‘I’ll show you,’ I whispered to myself. ‘I’ll prove I’m worth something. You’ll see.’ Bryce didn’t even hear me. He was already halfway out of the room, completely oblivious to the fire he had just lit. I was deeply motivated to continue working and saw Rowan’s offer as the chance I had been waiting for. With a budget in hand and a team of assistants at the ready, I dove headfirst into developing a dessert menu.
It wasn’t easy! I had to spend long hours in the kitchen, but for the first time in many years, I felt truly alive. I made a strict schedule for myself, not only for baking but also for taking care of my health. My mornings began with a run around the neighbourhood. I was still too shy to go to the gym, but that didn’t stop me from exercising at home. Every push-up, every squat was a small victory, a step towards regaining my lost confidence. Bryce watched me with his familiar smirk, never missing an opportunity to make a snide comment. ‘Do you think those leggings suit you?’ or ‘All that work, and for what? You’re still the same, Clara.’ Bryce just smirked when he saw my hands covered in dough and my hair tangled with flour and jam.
I didn’t tell him about my new opportunity with Rowan or the upcoming competition. Not a word. I knew I had to do this for myself, no matter what. Finally, the day of the competition arrived. The event was organised like a cooking show: each chef had to present their creations. The judges and guests tasted each dish and decided which one was the best.
The winner would receive a contract and represent the restaurant. I looked around at the other chefs, all of whom were experienced professionals. What if I wasn’t good enough? Suddenly, I saw Eliza. Up close, she looked even more stunning, with her perfect, slender figure. ‘Well, well, well, if it isn’t the princess pastry chef.’ She looked me up and down. ‘Shouldn’t buns be in the bakery, not hanging on the baker?’ I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but the words wouldn’t come out.
My throat tightened. Then she delivered the final blow. ‘At least my man is here to support me. Where’s yours?’ I followed her gaze and felt my world crumble around me. There was Bryce, chatting with some guests. But he wasn’t here for me. He was here for her — for Eliza, his mistress! I felt humiliated, broken, and utterly alone. How could I go on? Just as I was about to leave, Rowan appeared beside me.
‘Clara, I have high hopes for your dessert,’ he said, his eyes fixed on mine. ‘But if you’re too weak to continue, you’d better leave. I need a strong team. If you can’t handle the pressure, you don’t belong here.’ His words were harsh, but it was exactly what I needed to hear. Something inside me flared up again — a fire that I thought I had lost. ‘I can do this,’ I whispered to myself, and then louder: ‘I will do this.’
I put my heart and soul into every detail of my desserts, shutting out everything else. Taste, presentation, impression — I made sure every element was perfect. By the end of the competition, I knew I had done everything I could. When the results were announced, I stood there in disbelief. I had won the contract! Me! The woman who had been belittled and ridiculed by her husband had won. I looked at Bryce and saw that he was standing still, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, but not a word came out. He was completely silent. But the surprises didn’t end there. Along with the prize came an unexpected reward.
It was an opportunity to study in Paris, the culinary capital of the world. When the announcement was over, his face contorted with anger. ‘What the hell, Clara?’ Bryce hissed, pulling me aside. ‘You did all this behind my back? This nonsense? You need to stop this right now and come home, where you belong.’ I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, Rowan stepped forward. “Bryce, Clara is an amazing woman. From the moment I met her, I knew there was something special about her. I saw how you treated her, how you tried to break her spirit, and I saw how she has changed over the last month.
Her determination and hard work have yielded incredible results, and I am more certain than ever that I have fallen in love with an extraordinary woman. Bryce was stunned into silence. His eyes widened, and for once, he had nothing to say. Finally, I found my voice. ‘I am a free woman, Bryce,’ I said, looking him straight in the eye. “I deserve more than to live in your shadow, and I will no longer allow you to control my life.
I want a divorce, and you can go to Elise if you want to.‘ Bryce’s face flushed with anger, but he was speechless. At that moment, Rowan cautiously handed me a beautiful bouquet. ’Shall we go?” he asked, inviting me to dinner. Rowan had another surprise in store. He said that a job as a pastry chef was waiting for me in Paris, and after my training, I could stay there if I wanted to. “I hope that by then you will have finished your business here and may want to start afresh in a new country.
I will be by your side and support whatever decision you make.” A wave of happiness washed over me, and it seemed to me that the whole world lay at my feet, ready to offer me a new life full of love and creativity.