Chapter 1

At my best friend's wedding, the bridal bouquet, symbolizing fate and romance, after all the tossing and turning, finally landed in my arms.

The crowd erupted in cheers, and everyone's gaze shifted to the man next to me, Harry Green.

Harry and I had been together for nine years.

"Marry her! Marry her!" the crowd chanted.

"It's been nine years. It's about time you made it official," someone shouted.

Harry was pushed right in front of me, looking sharp in his suit, as handsome as ever. He was still that guy I couldn't help falling for all those years ago.

I gripped the bouquet so tightly that my fingers pressed hard into the stems. The chill of the thorns pricked my palm, but I barely felt it.

My heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it might burst. I was waiting for him to drop to one knee and pull out a ring.

I was waiting for that promise I'd replayed in my dreams thousands of times.

But Harry just lowered his eyes, his gaze barely flickering over the flowers in my arms, showing not the slightest hint of emotion.

The next moment, he reached out and gently took the bouquet I treasured, then handed it to Dorothy Keller, his chief assistant, who was always close by.

Harry's tone was soft, but it chilled me to the core. "Give it to Dorothy. Let her catch some of that wedding luck."

He patted the top of my head, his touch so gentle that it felt like he was calming a loyal pet. "Good girl, we're not in a hurry. Maybe next time."

The spotlight moved away, and the noise slowly faded. I stood in the middle of the crowd, my smile growing stiff, so much so that even trying to move my lips hurt.

Harry would never know that for us, there was no next time, not in this lifetime.

My wedding was just ten days away.

And the groom standing next to me at the altar would never be Harry.

*****

June in Clotia City felt like being trapped inside a steamy pressure cooker. Even the breeze was thick and sticky, so hot that it made every breath a struggle.

Josie Leonard's wedding was held at the most upscale hotel in the city center.

Crystal chandeliers glittered above, and a red carpet ran from the entrance all the way to the stage.

And the whole place was overflowing with fresh flowers. It was the kind of wedding that girls would spend their whole lives dreaming about.

I wore the bridesmaid dress Josie had sewn for me. The champagne-colored tulle wrapped softly around my figure, softening my features and making me look delicate and slender.

But only I knew that beneath this dress, I was hiding nine years of heartache and longing I never dared to speak of.

Harry was right there next to me.

He was my boyfriend, whom I'd stuck with from seventeen to twenty-six, the one I gave everything to and loved for nine years.

It had been nine years.

It sounded simple, but only I knew how, bit by bit, I became the silent shadow always at his side.

I lived with him in that dark, damp basement, mosquitoes everywhere in summer, freezing drafts in winter, barely any warmth at all.

I ate box after box of near-expired food with him, and I'd always let him have the extra egg.

I stayed up countless nights with him, helping him tweak his plans.

When he crashed at the table, I'd sit by his side, wipe away the drool at the corner of his mouth, and tuck him in with a thin blanket.

I stuck with him from being a broke student with nothing until he became the hotshot young CEO of a tech company, the guy everyone was talking about.

Everyone around me kept saying, "Melody, you've survived the hardest days. Now wait for your turn to shine as Mrs. Green. Your glamorous life is right around the corner."

Everyone was convinced that Harry and I would tie the knot sooner or later.

Even Josie, my best friend, held my hand the night before her wedding, her eyes red with tears. "Melody, my heart aches for you more than anyone.

"Tonight, I'm tossing this bouquet straight into your arms, no matter what. Let's see how long Harry will keep you waiting, and how much longer he'll make you put up with all this."

I smiled and nodded, but my smile was forced, and my fingertips felt icy.

There was still a tiny, almost pathetic shred of hope lingering in my heart.

I thought that after nine years, even a heart of stone would finally melt.

When it was time for the bouquet toss, Josie stood on stage with her back to us and threw the bouquet into the air with all her strength.

The white roses and baby's breath traced a gentle yet cruel arc overhead. They first landed in a girl's arms, bounced softly, and then landed squarely in my palms.

In that instant, the whole place erupted.

"Harry, propose! Propose!" the crowd shouted.

"Nine-year love marathon, it's time for a happy ending," someone else shouted.

Harry's friends nudged him forward, step by step, until he was right in front of me.

He stood tall, the lights casting a soft halo around him, his features gentle, just like that seventeen-year-old boy who smiled at me under the blossoms.

I looked up at him, my grip so tight that my knuckles turned white, barely daring to breathe.

I was waiting.

I was waiting for him to drop to one knee and pull out a ring.

I was waiting for him to look straight into my eyes and earnestly say, "Melody, will you marry me?"

I'd been waiting for him to say those words for nine years.

I'd been waiting, from a bright-eyed girl full of hope to someone whose gaze grew calm and tired; from overflowing with happiness to being scarred and battered inside.

But Harry just lowered his eyes, his gaze settling on the bouquet in my arms without a flicker of emotion.

The next moment, he reached out, his touch cool as he gently took the bouquet from me.

He moved so naturally, as if he were grabbing something that didn't matter, his tone indifferent, sounding as if he were making small talk about the weather.