On my fifth wedding day, the ceremony was about to begin, and my groom and maid of honor were still nowhere to be found. In our group chat, a message from my best friend Olivia popped up first. “Sorry, Emma. Something came up at the firm last minute. I can’t be your maid of honor today. I’ll make it up to you next time, I promise!” Right after, Daniel Shaw sent a reply too. “Sorry, got called away on business. Let’s reschedule this wedding too. If it really can’t wait, you can just walk through the ceremony yourself.” I clenched the fabric of my wedding dress, my fingertips going white. Something lodged in my chest, and I could barely breathe. I scrolled up through the chat history. The last conversation was the two of them in a heated debate over a case. I’d asked about the wedding arrangements several times, and not a single person had answered. Between the three of us, I always seemed to be the one who could be ignored. A notification popped up on my phone. Olivia had just updated her private blog. “Sunrise at dawn, and you. Everything is just right. We really are the most in-sync romantic lunatics.” In the photo, she and Daniel stood on a mountaintop in matching hiking gear. Sunlight fell behind them like a wedding meant only for the two of them. I turned off my phone. My heart ached. Seven years of love. Ten years of friendship. Four previously postponed weddings. I’d made excuses for their busy schedules countless times. Missing my birthday was fine. Missing the funeral was fine. Even skipping four weddings was fine. It wasn’t until I found that account that I realized every single time they’d stood me up, they’d been traveling together, going to concerts together, watching the snow together, going to the beach together. I couldn’t lie to myself anymore. I left a comment under that post. “Since you two are such a perfect match, why don’t I just hand over the wedding and the groom?” The moment my comment went through, the post was deleted. The entire account was wiped clean. Messages from Olivia came flooding in, one after another. “Emma, I can explain. It’s really not what you think…” “Can you please not be angry?” “We’re just friends.” I swiped the messages away. All that was left inside me was numbness. Explanations didn’t matter anymore. Because I was leaving soon. I opened another contact and sent Ethan Cole a text. “In seven days, I’ll arrive in Northbridge with the research results you’ve been wanting. I’m joining RQ.” After I sent it, I removed my veil and stood in the empty bridal suite, staring at myself in the mirror. Flawless makeup. An expensive wedding dress. But I looked like a joke. Once, Olivia had laughed beside me as I tried on wedding dresses, helped me decorate the house, linked her arm through mine and said, “Daniel really lucked out, getting to marry someone as beautiful as you. If I were a man, there’s no way I’d let him have you.” In the end, the person who kept me from completing my wedding five times was still her. The phone rang. It was someone from the wedding planning company. “Ms. Reed, the ceremony time has passed. Would you like to reschedule, same as before?” I dug my nails into my palm, but my voice came out perfectly calm. “No rescheduling. There won’t be a next time.” The person paused, their tone turning careful. “Ms. Reed, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider? You and Mr. Shaw have been together so many years. Whatever the problem is, it can be worked out.” I looked down at the cheap ring on my right ring finger. Daniel had given it to me when he was seventeen. He’d said, “Emma, I don’t have much money right now. But someday when I do, I’ll buy you the most expensive diamond ring.” I’d taken that promise as a vow for life. But two weeks ago, I’d seen the diamond ring that should have been mine on Olivia’s blog. Cartier. Two hundred thousand dollars. Daniel had never given me anything that expensive. What I got was always a knockoff bracelet, discount perfume that wouldn’t sell, and one promise after another of “I’ll make it up to you later.” I’d spent eight years for this. I wrenched the ring off my finger and tossed it into the trash can at my feet. After hanging up, I sank into the sofa, my body slowly caving in. My chest ached terribly, but I couldn’t cry. At three in the morning, the door was shoved open. Daniel walked in, windswept and dusty, still wearing the same matching hiking gear as Olivia. I’d once stupidly asked Olivia, “When you bought the hiking gear, why wasn’t there one for me?” She’d laughed and put her arm around my shoulders. “You’re not healthy enough for hiking. Besides, the store had a buy-two deal, that’s the only reason I got them. Daniel has the stamina, so he can hike with me.” I checked later. That hiking gear had never been on sale. Two thousand a piece. A well-known couples’ brand. Daniel saw me sitting there and frowned, his voice cold as ice. “Why did you leave that comment on her post? Olivia was so upset she made me cancel work and come back to find you. Emma, can you stop making us worry all the time?” I stood up, my heart clenching like a fist was squeezing it. “You were on a business trip… on a mountaintop?” I looked at him. “Or do you think I’m actually stupid enough to see ninety-nine flirtatious posts and keep pretending I don’t notice?” Daniel looked away, his voice dropping. He reached out and grabbed my wrist. “Emma, I went hiking with her because I was worried she wouldn’t be safe alone. The business trip was real. Stop being so unreasonable.” I pulled my hand free, staring into the unfamiliar coldness in his eyes, my throat tight. “Daniel, that year I was chased by a drunk man for three blocks and nearly died in an alley, you were working overtime. You told me to stop making a scene.” I laughed once, though my eyes burned red. “And now you’re telling me you were worried she wouldn’t be safe hiking alone.” He said nothing. I took a deep breath. “Daniel Shaw, let’s break up.” The words hung in the air. Something like disbelief flickered in his eyes, and then he let out a quiet scoff.
“Emma, you’re so naive.” Daniel looked at me, his voice dripping with contempt. “Your mother is dead. Your father is a drunk. Who else is going to marry you besides me? Or are you planning to grow old alone?” My eyes stung instantly. Daniel saw my reaction, and his expression stiffened. He grabbed my hand again, his voice lower. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. It slipped out.” But the things said without thinking are the most honest. When I was seventeen, my father came home drunk and nearly beat me to death. Daniel was the one who rushed in and took a knife for me. That day, bleeding, he stood in front of me and said, “As long as I’m here, no one will ever hurt you again.” The day my mother died, I cried at her grave until I couldn’t stand. He held me and said, “I’m sorry I’m late. Emma, from now on, I’ll love you the way your mother did.” It turns out even vows can rot. Daniel’s voice was cold. “You want to break up just because I went hiking with your best friend? You won’t even go through with the wedding?” I opened my mouth, numb. “Yes. Daniel, because I’m leaving—” Before I could finish, a slender figure burst through the door, cutting me off. Daniel let go of my hand almost on instinct. Olivia looked at him first, then turned to me. Her eyes were brimming with tears, as if she’d suffered some terrible injustice. “Emma, I’m so glad you’re okay. I was afraid you’d do something rash, so I rushed back immediately.” She walked up to me, her voice choked. “Haven’t the three of us always been the best of friends? Those posts were just jokes between friends. Don’t overthink it.” When I didn’t speak, she added awkwardly, “How could I possibly steal your man?” Right. Olivia was my best friend. But at some point I couldn’t pinpoint, I’d already been shut out of their world. When we walked together, I was always squeezed to the back. When we ordered food, no one heard what I wanted. When we planned a trip and it rained, they changed the flight time and no one told me. And they always brushed it off: “Emma, why are you so silly? We can’t pay attention to you every second. Just speak up if something’s wrong.” But I did speak up. Did anyone listen? I looked at Olivia, my voice very quiet. “I believe you. Let’s end it here. I’m done with both of you.” Olivia’s tear dropped to the floor with a splat. In the past, I would have felt sorry for her. But now, I couldn’t. When we were kids, Olivia and I lived on the same street in a poor neighborhood. She often couldn’t even get a warm meal, so I’d sneak bread from home for her. That one time, I was beaten black and blue by my father. Olivia looked at the bruises on my body and cried, “Emma, thank you for being my friend. I’ll spend my whole life repaying you.” I put my hand on her shoulder and smiled. “From now on, I’ve got your back.” Back then, I truly believed we’d be friends for life. Olivia’s voice trembled, each word stabbing into my heart. “Today’s wedding didn’t happen because of me. So let’s do it tomorrow, okay? Please don’t be angry.” I flung her hand off and slapped her across the face. “Tomorrow is my mother’s death anniversary. Did you not know that?” Olivia stared at me in shock, tears rolling down. “I just forgot…” Before she could finish, Daniel shoved me aside and pulled her behind him. My back slammed hard against the shelf behind me. Our high school graduation photo fell from the shelf. The glass shattered everywhere, and one shard sliced across my neck. Blood surged out immediately. Daniel glanced up at me, his voice cold and hard. “We’re busy with work. Forgetting things is normal. Not everyone has as much free time as you. Did you really have to hit her over something like this?” He stared at me, his eyes full of impatience. “Emma Reed, you’re acting like a lunatic right now. You’ve gone completely insane wanting to get married.” He was standing right in front of me. But it felt like there was an ocean between us. I opened my mouth. “I—” Olivia suddenly threw out a sentence, shoved Daniel aside, and bolted out the door. “This is all my fault! I’ll just leave. Don’t fight because of me!” Daniel immediately started after her, then stopped and turned back to look at me. “Take care of the cut on your neck first. I’m going to find her. It’s not safe out there at this hour. Cool off.” There was even tenderness in his voice. My heart plummeted. “Daniel, just go.” I looked at him calmly. “I’m selling this house. You don’t need to come back here anymore.”
Daniel’s face darkened instantly. “Emma Reed, what the hell is wrong with you? I already told you, it’s not what you think. What more do you want?” I wasn’t losing my mind. I simply didn’t love him anymore. “I don’t want anything.” I bent down and picked up the glass shards from the floor. “We broke up. Of course the house should be sold. Aren’t you always worried about her safety? Now you can move in with her and protect her twenty-four-seven. Aren’t you happy?” The photo had cracked into pieces. In the broken frame, I stood at the very edge. Daniel and Olivia were on the same side, untouched. My calm looked like provocation to him. He was livid. “Keep this up. I want to see if you’ll come crawling back, begging me to marry you.” He sneered. “Absolutely unbelievable.” I tossed the photo and the shards together into the trash, my voice soft as a sigh. “I won’t,” I said. “I’m leaving.” Daniel stared at me, his eyes even colder. “Fine. If you’re going to run away this time, go far. I’m not in the mood to look for you.” The door slammed shut. I watched his resolute back disappear and felt nothing stir inside me. In the past, every time we fought, I’d deliberately run away from home. I never actually went far—just hid in the neighborhood park—because I knew Daniel would always come find me. Then at some point, he stopped coming. He said, “I’m already exhausted from work. Can you give it a rest? Why can’t you be more like Olivia? She can talk cases with me, go on business trips with me. What do you do besides pick fights?” After dawn, I packed my things into a suitcase and carried a box of old belongings to the backyard. I lit a fire. The flames reflected in my eyes. Eight years, ten years—all of it was over. Daniel came back just in time to see this. He saw what was in the fire and panicked, rushing forward to pull things out with his bare hands, but it was already too late. The flames consumed everything. His eyes were red as he grabbed my arm. “Why did you burn these? Weren’t these your most precious things?” “They used to be.” I looked at him. “Not anymore.” In the fire were the nine hundred and ninety-nine paper cranes Olivia had folded for my birthday, and the bracelet she’d bought me with her very first paycheck. There were also the ninety-nine love letters Daniel had written me, and the ceramic figurines we’d made together. When love is still alive, they’re memories. When love is dead, they’re no different from garbage on the street. Daniel looked at me as if trying to read something from my face, but he got nothing. He let go of me, awkward. “Emma, you’re doing all this because you want an explanation, right?” He took a deep breath, his tone softening. “The things I did with her—they’re just things friends do. You think we wronged you, but the truth is, we never crossed any lines.” A tear slid down my face. I wasn’t trying to cry. I just thought it was so absurd. Does betrayal only count if there’s physical contact? Emotional betrayal is still betrayal. When we went to see the snow together, he photographed the scenery—then turned around and sent it to Olivia. When we went to Disneyland together, he bought a plush toy, not thinking about which one I’d like, but picking up another one and saying, “Olivia would probably love this.” His partner was right beside him. But he’d already stopped loving her. “Enough.” I wiped my tears. “You don’t need to explain. I’m leaving anyway. None of it matters anymore.” My phone screen was still lit, open to the flight booking page for Northbridge. Daniel’s eyes caught it in his peripheral vision. His tone was flat. “Business trip to Northbridge?” He paused. “When you get back, we’ll figure out the next wedding date.” He didn’t press further. I didn’t explain. I just looked at him and asked softly, “What if I don’t come back?” Daniel’s eyes were filled with exhaustion and exasperation. “Stop this. I’m tired. I’m going inside to sleep.” A moment later, I pulled my suitcase out, shut the door behind me, and sent a message to the real estate agent. “Sell the house at the price you quoted. Wire the money to my account.” The reply came quickly. “Ms. Reed, this is your marital home. Are you sure you want to sell?” I glanced back at the house. “I won’t be in Harbor City anymore. And he won’t be coming back to this house either. Sell it.”
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