Chapter 2
And Jason, who said he'd keep an eye on Amber so she wouldn't mess things up, was totally turning a blind eye now.
"Nora, what's really going on between Jason and that girl?" my mom asked.
Hearing my mom's question, my hand at my side balled into a fist.
I started to thinking about this question. If none of this had happened today, I could've told my mom that Amber was the daughter of Grover Lewis, who was both Jason's and my mentor.
Back in college, Grover really had Jason's back.
So, before he passed away, Grover entrusted Amber to Jason's care.
I'd always treated Amber like my own little sister.
The shoes she was wearing today were the ones I'd taken her to buy at the mall just yesterday.
I'd even planned to use the wedding as a chance to introduce her to my parents and make her my god-sister.
But now, watching them side by side, heads almost touching as they laughed and joked, I could only force a bitter smile and look away.
I said, "Mom, it doesn't matter anymore.
"Jason and I are over. The wedding isn't just being rescheduled. It's canceled."
Tears streamed down my face.
They landed on the iPad in my hand.
I lowered my head, and the screen lit up with the wedding photo of Jason and me.
After I unlocked it with my fingerprint, the chat history between him and Amber appeared.
I'd already seen it that morning, and it had hurt like hell.
But right now, I couldn't help but keep scrolling through the messages, torturing myself all over again.
[Jason, what if Nora doesn't want to switch the time with me?] Amber sent the message.
Jason texted back: [Don't worry. Nora's easy to fool. As long as you play along, I promise I'll get it done.]
This was from two days ago, 5:06 PM.
And just a minute after he sent that message, I came out of the fitting room in my wedding dress.
Feeling anxious and a little insecure, I looked at Jason and asked, "Jason, do I look pretty in this?"
"You look stunning. My Nora is the most beautiful bride in the world," he said.
His eyes were full of amazement.
He said it like he meant every word.
But now, I felt completely lost, like my mind was drifting somewhere far away.
Was Jason really calling me the most beautiful bride, or was he just mocking me as the dumbest one.
The pain in my chest was so intense; my body shook uncontrollably.
My mom noticed how pale I looked and gently pulled me aside to sit down.
But my eyes stayed locked on the iPad in my hands; my fingers kept scrolling.
When I finally stopped scrolling, I found myself looking at messages from a week ago.
Jason and I were at the jewelry store, trying on wedding rings.
Amber texted Jason some necklace pics and sent: [Jason, which one looks better on me?]
Jason picked the one on the left and replied: [You've got such a long neck. The thin chain suits you so much better.]
Back then, I'd held up two rings and asked Jason which one looked better on me.
He just shrugged and said, "You look good in both. Just pick whichever you like. I'm just a guy, what do I know about this kind of thing?"
So it wasn't that he didn't know after all.
He'd already spent his attention helping someone else pick out a necklace. He just didn't have the time for my rings.
My fingers kept trembling as I scrolled further.
Half a month ago, when Jason and I were picking out the wedding banquet menu, he snapped a pic of it and sent it to Amber.
Amber circled the salted pork ribs in red and texted back: [Jason, I don't like this. Can we swap it for something else?]
And just like that, my favorite dish disappeared from our wedding banquet.
Jason's excuse to me that day was, "I know you love salted pork ribs, but I'll make them for you at home. For the banquet, let's go with braised pork instead, so nobody thinks you're just picking your own favorites and being selfish."
Tears streamed down my face, splashing onto the screen.
I couldn't take it anymore. My voice broke as I asked my mom, "Mom, can a person's heart really be split in two?"
I'd been turning that question over in my mind all day.
Ever since I saw those messages this morning, that question just wouldn't leave me alone.
Jason always seemed to love me so much; he even stayed in this city for me.
He was willing to put the house in my name, just mine.
Every detail of the wedding was tailored to my tastes, except for that one dish, the only thing he chose to leave out.
But he deliberately removed that dish.
I tried to act like nothing had happened, forcing myself to go through the rehearsal as if everything was fine.
When my dad placed my hand in Jason's, I caught a glimpse of Amber's face in his tearful gaze.
That dish became the last straw.
I quietly told myself if Jason really changed the wedding time, then this rehearsal was the end for us.
"Sweetheart, if this is making you miserable, then let's just call off the wedding," my mom said.
Her words snapped me out of my pain.
I looked up and met my parents' eyes, both of them red with emotion.
Just as I was about to speak, my phone suddenly rang. "Nora, get to the entrance. Jason's out here all over some shameless bitch."
When I rushed to the entrance, Jason was standing protectively in front of Amber, facing off with my aunt Caroline Sander.
"You've got it all wrong. Amber's just a junior from my school. She's here to help out today," Jason said.