Chapter 1

I always liked to be direct.

So when I found my firefighter girlfriend chatting passionately with an unfamiliar guy on her phone, I didn't get upset.

Instead, I handed her the phone and asked for an explanation.

After a long silence, she said frankly, "Brandon was a depressed guy I rescued during a mission. I admit I wavered for a moment.

"But Austin, we were together for years. That wasn't easy. I promise I'll keep my distance from him."

I looked at the sincerity in Kathy Gilroy's eyes, forced myself to swallow the pain, and chose to forgive her. I let the wedding proceed as planned.

But on the wedding day, one of her teammates suddenly rushed into the venue, shouting, "Captain, Brandon heard you got married. He is threatening to jump off the building!"

The ring froze midair, inches from her finger.

Kathy shot toward the door like lightning.

With reddened eyes, I shouted after her, "Kathy, if you leave today, we're done for good!"

She paused for a brief second, then left without looking back.

She broke her promise in the end.

*****

The wedding venue was thrown into chaos, and the guests' whispers were like tiny needles, pricking at my eardrums.

Our parents hurried over, confusion written all over their faces.

Kathy's teammate, Louisa Ruston stood awkwardly to the side, her face flushed bright red. "Austin, Brandon's got depression. Last time he tried to jump, Kathy was the one who saved him.

"He's super dependent on her. Only she can talk him down. It's life or death, Kathy really had no choice. Please, don't be mad at her."

Louisa had been by Kathy's side for three years, always treating me with respect.

But now, she couldn't bring herself to look me in the eye.

I had no clue how much she'd covered for Kathy, or what was really going on between her and Brandon.

My chest was burning with pain. I could feel Kathy's betrayal cutting me to the core.

My parents clutched my hands, clearly panicked.

They asked, "What's going on here? Isn't Kathy supposed to be on leave? Who could possibly need her to go back and save them right now?"

Kathy's parents looked guilty as they called her. They repeated, "Austin, don't worry. I'm calling that brat right now and telling her to come back. If she doesn't, I'll break her legs."

The diamond ring lay abandoned on the red carpet, kicked further away by passing feet, just like the pieces of my broken heart.

I stood frozen, my perfectly pressed suit now wrinkled in my clenched fists, which was similar to the mess of our love.

The wedding I'd pictured a thousand times in my head had turned into a complete train wreck.

The bride left the groom stranded in the center of the hall filled with blessings from all the guests, all for someone who wasn't me.

For the next five hours, Kathy didn't answer any of the 108 calls.

I watched my phone screen fade to black, light up again, and then finally die for good.

Sunlight filtered through the stained glass, scattering colors across the floor and chilling my bare ring finger to the bone.

The guests slowly trickled out, leaving the place a wreck. Streamers were everywhere and a half-finished feast abandoned on the tables.

Out of nowhere, a wave of dizziness hit me. The last thing I heard was my mom's panicked cries.

When I opened my eyes again, the pungent scent of disinfectant invaded my nostrils.

A nurse was changing my IV drip. Noticing I was awake, she spoke gently, "Don't get worked up. You need to look after your health."

I stared up at the ceiling, tears streaming quietly down to my temples.

When I was seventeen, Kathy handed me her love letter out on the high school field.

In university, when we were living in different cities, she spent twenty hours on a train just to surprise me.

On the day she became a firefighter, her eyes were red as she said, "I'll protect the people, and I'll protect you too."

Those seven years sped through my mind like a movie.

I forced a bitter smile as I looked at my parents and Kathy's folks, their faces showing a mix of worry and hope they couldn't quite hide. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes.

How was I supposed to break it to them that the seven-year relationship had finally come to an end?

At seven in the evening, Kathy finally showed up after disappearing for a full six hours.

Her face was pale, and when she looked at me, guilt was written all over her face.

"Austin, I'm sorry," she said, her voice hoarse. "It's Brandon. I couldn't just stand by and watch him die. Saving people is my job."